Tawa Baptist

Blessing

Scripture: 1st Peter 3:8-12

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Defined by character
  • Defined by blessing
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

What would you say defines a banana cake? [Wait]

That’s right – a banana cake is defined by bananas. It is made out of bananas and as a consequence its very character, its smell and taste, is banana-ish.

What about a custard square – what defines a custard square? [Wait]

That’s right – custard. Take the custard out of a custard square and it is no longer a custard square, it’s just a piece of pastry. Keep the custard and it does not matter what shape the pastry is, it is still a custard square.

What about a Christian – what defines a Christian? [Wait]

That’s right – Christ. A Christian is defined by Jesus. If a person stops walking in the way of Christ, they are no longer Christian. But how might we define the way of Christ?

Today we continue our series in first Peter, focusing on chapter 3, verses 8-12. In this passage Peter talks about some of the things that define the way of Jesus and therefore are characteristic of Christians. From verse 8 we read…

8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be understanding, love one another as brothers, be compassionate and humble-minded. 9 Do not repay evil with evilor insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to thisyou were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

10 For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

In these verses we learn what defines a Christian. We are defined by our distinctive Christ-like character and we are defined by blessing. First let us consider what a Christ-like character smells and tastes like.  

Defined by character:

In my hand here I have a Griffin’s Vanilla Wine biscuit. Vanilla Wines are a plain round biscuit with a distinctive smell and taste. They remind me of my Nana. Often when we went to visit she would put some Vanilla Wine biscuits out for us to eat.

It’s not that my Nana did not do her own baking. She made amazing peanut brownie cookies but I’ve never found a peanut brownie biscuit that tastes just like hers. Fortunately, Griffins have not changed their Vanilla Wine recipe so whenever I want to remember my Nana I simply smell and taste a Vanilla Wine biscuit.  

Character refers to the mental and moral qualities distinctive to a person or community. Character therefore refers to the inner substance of a person or group. Not their physical substance but their moral substance. Character is the seed bed of speech and behavior.

In considering what Christ-like character smells and tastes like, Peter lists five character traits for Christians. In verse 8 we read: …all of you, be like-minded, be understanding, love one another as brothers, be compassionate and humble-minded.    

Notice that Peter starts by saying all of you. In contemporary Western society we tend to think of character in individual terms. But Peter is writing in a cultural context which is more collective in its way of thinking. So these five mental and moral characteristics apply to all Christian believers, both individually and collectively as a community of faith.    

The first moral quality by which Christian character is defined is like-mindedness. Like-mindedness implies working together with other Christians as part of a team or family and not acting in isolation. Like-mindedness also refers to sharing a common heritage and ethical tradition. [1]

Some translations paraphrase the word like-minded as harmony, which provides a lovely image. The church is a bit like an orchestra made up of different people playing different instruments but all playing in a like-minded or harmonious way.

The thing that makes an orchestra like-minded is playing from the same musical score and following the same conductor. In a similar way, the thing that makes the Christian community like-minded is reading the same Bible and following the same example of Jesus Christ.

Closely related to being like-minded is having understanding for one another. Understanding on both an emotional level and an intellectual level. Being happy for people when things go well for them and being supportive of them when life is tough. Understanding requires us to see things from the other person’s point of view and ask ourselves the question; if I was in their shoes what would I find most helpful?

So for example: if the person in question has a problem with alcohol then understanding requires that we don’t buy them a bottle of wine for Christmas.

Or if someone has been abused as a child then understanding might mean not imposing a hug on them because you know they don’t like to be touched.

Or if a couple are not able to have children then understanding means not complaining about your kids keeping you awake at night.

Or if you are a married woman and you have a female friend who is on their own then understanding might mean going on a girls’ night out, rather than inviting your single friend to dinner with lots of couples. You get the idea.

The third character quality that Peter mentions is brotherly love. This comes right in the center of the five virtues, which might indicate it is the most important.

Some more modern translations take out the word brotherly and say ‘love one another’. They do this to appear more gender neutral, more inclusive. But the original text uses the expression brotherly love and when we remove key words in translation we risk watering down the meaning of the text. Brotherly love does not exclude women in any way. As we heard a couple of weeks ago, with the section on instructions to wives, Peter is not writing to men only.

The point is the kind of love Christians are to have for one another is the love that one has for family, for blood relations. We tend to put up with more from family members because they are family. The bond between family members is stronger somehow than other relationships. By using the term brotherly love Peter is saying the church is a spiritual family. So the bond between Christian believers should be at least as strong as the bond between blood relations.

The Hebrew word for love is closely related to the Hebrew word to give. Therefore, in Jewish thought, to love is to give. [2]

Let me share with you a traditional folk story that illustrates brotherly love well.          

Once therewere two brothers who lived in two villages and shared the land between them. Every year they would divide the harvest.

During one abundant year the older brother, who was married and had many children, was worried about his younger brother who did not have a family. Who would support him in his old age? In the middle of the night, the older brother secretly brought some grain to his brother’s storehouse, but when he woke up in the morning he still had exactly the same amount of grain that he had the night before.

The younger brother was also worried: How will my older brother support all his children? So, the younger brother decided to secretly travel to his brother’s storehouse and place some grain of his own inside, but in the morning, he discovered that he still had exactly the same amount of grain as he had before he gave any away.

This went on for two nights until on the third night, the two brothers met as each one was on the way to the other’s storehouse carrying grain. At once, they both understood what had happened and they embraced in brotherly love.

In Jewish folklore it is said that God decided the ground where the two brothers met would be the site of His holy temple. I’m not sure if that is historically accurate but it certainly contains some beautiful truths. Those brothers were defined by like-mindedness, understanding, love and compassion.

Compassion is the fourth word Peter uses to define the Christian believer and community.  In Biblical thought compassion is a strong gut feeling which moves someone to act in kindness for someone else’s well-being. The classic story of compassion is Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan.

You know the one; where a man is beaten up by robbers and left for dead on the side of the road. A priest and a Levite each, in turn, see the wounded man and pass by without stopping to help. But when a despised Samaritan sees the man in need, he has compassion on the stranger. And his compassion moves him to stop and care for the man’s wounds. Then the Samaritan puts the man on his own donkey and carries him to an inn to recover, paying the expenses himself.     

One of the finer points of Jesus’ parable of the Samaritan is that the wounded stranger had been stripped of his clothes. And in that culture the clothes a person wore identified which race and religion they belonged to. So without seeing any clothes it was impossible for the Samaritan to know who he was helping. It could have been a Jewish enemy.

The point is compassion is blind when it comes to matters of race and religion. Some of you may sponsor children through World Vision or Tear Fund. Although both of these organizations are Christian, some of the communities they support through child sponsorship are not Christian. But that does not matter. As Christian organizations, World Vision and Tear Fund are not defined by the communities they help. No, they are defined by compassion.

Now in saying that compassion is blind to race & religion, I do not mean to imply that Christian compassion is stupid or unthinking. The exercise of Christ-like compassion requires wisdom and discernment.

Being compassionate makes us a target for deceitful people. You would not believe the number of scam emails we receive in the church office. If you try and help everyone who presents some kind of need, you will quickly destroy your capacity to remain compassionate.   

With this in mind, there are three basic questions we should ask ourselves when we come across someone in need:

Firstly, what is the real need here?

Secondly, is it in my power to help this person?

And thirdly, will my helping this person put other vulnerable people at risk?

The Samaritan in Jesus’ parable could see there was a real need. There was a man bleeding out on the side of the road. It was a life and death situation.  

It was also in the Samaritan’s power to help the injured man. It probably was not convenient but he did have the resources to save the man’s life.

And thirdly, the Samaritan helped the wounded stranger in a way that did not put other vulnerable people at risk. There may have been some risk to the Samaritan himself, but there was no risk to anyone else.  

If someone drives up to you in a Lexus and asks for money for petrol, you have to ask yourself, ‘What’s the real need here?’ Because it is probably not money. It’s not likely to be a life & death situation.

Or if a complete stranger, who is sleeping rough, wants a bed for the night then you might ask yourself, do I have the resources to pay for a motel room for them? If you have a wife and children at home, then it would be unwise to let the stranger stay in your house because it would put your family at risk.

Jesus said, ‘Do not put your pearls before swine.’ In other words, do not offer things of value to those who will treat them with contempt. Be discerning about how you spend the pearls of your compassion.      

Being humble-minded is the fifth virtue defining the followers of Christ. Humility was not considered a virtue in Greco-Roman society, although it was a virtue in Jewish culture. In the first century, humility was regarded as a sign of weakness and shame, because it meant an inability to defend your own honour. Only those of degraded social status were humble. [3]     

Another finer point from Jesus’ parable, in Luke 10, is the way the Samaritan puts the wounded stranger on his own donkey to carry him. This shows that the Samaritan was humble-minded. In that culture, the person riding the donkey had greater status than the person walking beside the donkey. The Samaritan gave up his status for the man in need by carrying him on his donkey. 

We kiwis may be tempted to think we are the very picture of humility, but I’m not sure we are. In the Christian sense of the word, a truly humble person does not attempt to defend their personal honour. When insulted, a truly humble person forgives the offence and trusts in God to vindicate them.  

Jesus was humble-minded. He had the power to defend his honour but he chose not to and instead embraced the shame of the cross, trusting God to glorify himself.

Like-mindedness, understanding, brotherly love, compassion and humility. These are some of the essential character qualities that define Christians. Put those virtues together and you have a Vanilla Wine biscuit that reminds people of Jesus.

Having outlined how his readers are defined by Christ-like character (in verse 8), Peter goes on (in verses 9-12) to discuss how we are defined by blessing. 

Defined by blessing:

Our church’s mission statement summarizes our purpose: We are to glorify God and be a blessing to his world. Christians are defined by blessing. We are both the recipients of God’s blessing and the agents of God’s blessing to others.

Verse 9 reads: Do not repay evil with evilor insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to thisyou were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

These words resonate with the teaching of Jesus who instructed his disciples to love their enemies and to bless those who curse you.

The temptation when we are maligned or insulted is to exaggerate the offence in our own mind and use the hurt as fuel for getting our own back against the one who has insulted our honour. But a tit for tat response allows our enemies to set the agenda and define us. As difficult as it is, in the heat of the moment, we need to hold on to who we are. We need to remember that we are not defined by insult and grievance. We are defined by blessing.

What then does Peter mean by blessing? Well, a blessing can be in word or deed. When we speak well of others, publicly, we are blessing them. Or when we ask God to show favour to someone, we are invoking God’s blessing on them. Of course, words of blessing that are not substantiated by deeds of blessing tend to sound a bit thin.

The story is told of a Christian soldier living in a barracks with his unit. Each evening, when he read his Bible and prayed before going to bed, he was insulted and verbally abused by one of the other soldiers opposite him.

One night a pair of muddy combat boots came flying across the room at the Christian. The next morning, the hostile soldier found his boots at the foot of his bed, cleaned and polished and ready for inspection. Several soldiers in his company eventually became Christians as a result of the winsome witness of this one Christ follower who returned blessing for insult. [4]

In this situation the Christian soldier did not allow himself to be defined by his antagonist. He was defined by blessing. God had shown him grace and so he passed this grace on to his enemy. 

In verses 10-12 of chapter 3 Peter provides some Old Testament support for what he is saying by quoting from Psalm 34. Psalm 34, as a whole, focuses on suffering and the Lord’s deliverance of those who are afflicted. Peter chose Psalm 34 because it speaks to the same sorts of issues faced by Peter’s first century readers.

Psalm 34 is attributed to king David who spent some time in exile with the Philistines. David was on the run from king Saul and had to hide in a pagan society, surrounded by people who were hostile to him.

David’s situation was a fitting parallel to the situation of Peter’s readers, who also lived in a pagan society, surrounded by people who viewed them with suspicion if not outright contempt.

Just as God delivered David from his exile among the Philistines, God will deliver Christians from their afflictions caused by their faith in Jesus. [5]

Verses 10-11 of chapter 3, outline the pathway (or lifestyle) of blessing…

For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.

The wisdom here is that our words and deeds need to be in line. We don’t want to be bad talking someone behind their back and then nice to their face. Our words and deeds need to be positive & consistent, both in private and in public.

In the world we live in, speech and words have become a bit cheap. We often say things we don’t mean and swearing and cursing is common place. It’s like we imagine our words don’t matter. But it has been scientifically proven that the things we say to ourselves and to others have a very real effect in shaping our brain and thought patterns.   

We need to watch what we say because, if our speech is deceitful, we will end up believing a lie.

I have mentioned before that Robyn has an acrostic she uses with her class. T.H.I.N.K. – think before you speak. Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind? If the answer is yes, say it. Otherwise think a bit more.

The idea that we must seek peace and pursue it indicates that peace does not simply find us as we sit quietly in a room. Peace requires some effort, some pursuit. Specifically, the effort of acting justly. There is no peace without justice. We cannot control how other people might act but we can control our own actions.    

Jesus’ command to love our enemies does not refer to an emotional feeling. You do not necessarily have to like your enemies. Enemy love means acting justly and kindly towards our adversaries, regardless of the emotions we may feel, and that’s where the effort in pursuing peace comes in. It takes real strength of character and divine energy to go against the grain of what we are feeling and love our enemies. 

I was at the Dentist recently, sitting in the waiting room, and I saw a newspaper article warning against the use of mouth wash. Research has found that we need a diversity of bacteria in our mouth, in order to maintain good oral health. Apparently mouth wash tends to reduce the diversity of bacteria.

This made me think of a parallel with our reading of Scripture. Sometimes we apply a kind of mental mouthwash to the Bible. We can be tempted to sanitize the Scriptures, by reading selectively to remove the parts we don’t like or that sound a bit harsh or offensive or out of date.

For example, we might tend to steer away from the passages that talk about God’s judgement and anger and justice because that makes us feel uncomfortable or embarrassed or fearful. But if we remove the justice and judgment of God from our Bible reading, then we will find it very difficult to believe in the goodness of God as well. And if we lose faith in the goodness of God we won’t be able to repay insult with blessing.

Verse 12 of 1st Peter 3 concludes the quote from Psalm 34…

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

This verse alludes to the justice and judgement of God. We might be tempted to sanitize it by removing the part about the face of the Lord being against those who do evil. But actually we need to hold on to that because it tells us our doing good in response to evil is not in vain. God, who is just, will not tolerate evil indefinitely. There is a reckoning for those who insult others without just cause.

Conclusion:

This morning we have heard what defines the followers of Jesus. We are defined by our distinctive Christ-like character and we are defined by blessing.

The ideals Peter holds up here are not easy to attain. If we spent too long measuring how far we fall short, we might become discouraged and give up. Loving our enemies takes some heavy lifting, it is hard work.

Two things to bear in mind. Firstly, God is on your side. He wants to bless you. He wants to see you succeed in overcoming evil with good. If (or when) we slip up, God is gracious and willing to forgive, provided we are honest and willing to repent. 

Which brings us to the second thing. The perfection of our character is not achieved in a day. So think marathon, not sprint. Pace yourself. Break it down into manageable pieces. Take little steps in the right direction, every day, and stay the course. By God’s grace, and through the power of His Spirit, you will get there in the end.   

Let us pray…

Loving Father, we thank you for your goodness, your justice and mercy.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil we ask.

Help us to remember who we are in Christ.

Help us to be like-minded, working in harmony with other Christian believers.

Help us to be understanding, quick to see things from the other person’s point of view.

Help us to demonstrate brotherly love, for by this will all people know that we are Jesus’ disciples.

Help us to be compassionate, in a wise and discerning way, not wasting our pearls but making them count for your glory.

Help us to be humble, not quick to defend our own honour when we are insulted, but ready to embrace the shame of carrying our cross, in faith that you will vindicate us, if not in this life then at the day of judgement.

Save us from giving in to the temptation of being defined by our enemies.

Help us instead, Lord, to love our enemies and to repay evil with a blessing.

We thank you for the blessing of eternal life that is promised to those who trust and obey Jesus. Amen.  

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • How does Peter define the Christian community in chapter 3, verses 8-12?
  • Discuss / reflect on the five character virtues Peter lists in verse 8. How might you apply each of these in your context?
  • Which of Peter’s five character virtues do you find hardest to practice? What small steps could you take to become more Christ-like in this aspect of your character?
  • Which Christian character qualities do we see in Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan? What three questions should we ask to help us spend our compassion wisely?
  • Why do you think Jesus taught his disciples to bless those who curse them? Can you think of a time (from your own experience) when someone repaid an insult with a blessing? What happened?
  • How might you be a blessing to those around you? (Whether they be friend or foe.)
  • Take some time this week to audit what you say. How much of what you say is true, helpful, inspiring, necessary and kind?

[1] Karen Jobes, 215

[2] https://www.ifcj.org/learn/holy-land-moments/daily-devotionals/brotherly-love-2/

[3] J.H. Elliot, 605.

[4] Refer Karen Jobes’ commentary on 1st Peter, page 218.

[5] Karen Jobes, page 223.

Tawa Baptist

Ruth & Boaz

Scripture: Ruth 2

 

Title: Boaz & Ruth

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Safe Access
  • Warm Understanding
  • Community Connection
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Earlier in the service I stood on a table and tried to give someone a hand up so they could stand on the table with me – It didn’t work

–         But when I stood on the ground and gave them a hand up from alongside, it worked much better

–         I want you to keep that picture, of a hand up from alongside, in your mind as you listen to today’s message

 

This morning we continue our sermon series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         An intergenerational relationship is a relationship between two people from different generations, someone older and someone younger

–         We find a number of intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         For example: Moses and Joshua, the aging priest Eli and the young prophet Samuel, King Saul and King David

–         As well as the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

 

Our focus this morning though is on the relationship between Ruth and Boaz

–         We don’t know the age difference between Boaz & Ruth, only that Boaz was somewhat older than Ruth, maybe between 10 & 25 years older

–         Setting aside the romantic attachment that developed between them, Boaz demonstrates for us a number of things that those who are older can do to come alongside those who are younger and give them a hand up

 

Boaz gives Ruth access, understanding and connection

–         We also can do these things for those who are younger than us

 

Setting the scene:

We touched on Ruth’s story 3 Sundays ago when we looked at the inter-generational friendship between Naomi and Ruth

–         But in case you missed that I’ll give you a quick overview to set the scene

 

The story takes place during the time of the Judges in ancient Israel – which is after Joshua and before Saul & David

–         In many ways it was the worst of times – when men behaved badly

–         But it brought out the best in certain people

–         There was a famine in the land and Naomi’s husband and two sons were forced to leave Bethlehem to try and find food in Moab, the land of their enemies – they were essentially refugees – displaced people

 

While they were in Moab, Naomi’s husband died and her two sons married Moabite girls: Orpah and Ruth

–         Ten years passed in Moab before Naomi’s two sons died also

–         Despite 10 years of marriage Orpah & Ruth had no children

 

When Naomi hears that God has provided food for his people in Israel, she decides to return to Bethlehem

–         Long story short – Orpah stays in Moab, while Ruth goes with Naomi saying…

 

“…Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God…”

 

Ruth wholeheartedly commits herself to Naomi, to Naomi’s people and to Naomi’s God. This was a huge leap of faith and a great act of hesed or loyalty on Ruth’s part

 

Ruth & Naomi return to Bethlehem just in time for the barley harvest

 

The Law of Moses was written with the poor and vulnerable in mind, using a hand up, not a hand out, approach

 

One of the safety nets provided by the Law was a practice called gleaning

–         With gleaning, the poor were allowed to follow behind the harvesters picking up the grain left behind

–         The harvesters were to ensure there was adequate left overs for the gleaners to pick up by not harvesting the edges of their fields and not going over the ground twice

–         Gleaning was not a ‘hand out’ because the gleaners had to work for their grain

–         Having said that, gleaning by itself wasn’t enough to lift someone out of poverty – but it did at least save people from starvation

 

So they wouldn’t starve, Ruth respectfully asks to go gleaning in the fields and, as providence would have it, she finds herself in Boaz’ field

–         I say, ‘as providence would have it’ because Boaz does three things to help Ruth:

o   He grants her safe access to his field for gleaning

o   He shows Ruth warm understanding

o   And he connects her with others in the community

–         Safe access, warm understanding and community connection

 

These three things that Boaz does for Ruth are things that we can do for those who are younger than us

 

Safe Access:

Firstly, Boaz grants Ruth safe & generous access to his field

 

When Boaz turns up to see how his harvesters are getting on he notices this young women working in his field, so he asks his foreman who this mystery gleaner is, and the foreman replies…

 

“She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters’. She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

 

There’s a few points to note here:

 

Firstly, the foreman doesn’t seem to know Ruth’s name – he identifies her as the ‘Moabitess from Moab’

–         In other words, she’s not one of us, she’s an outsider

–         Despite the fact that Ruth was an outsider the foreman still granted her access to glean in Boaz’ field

–         Apparently word had got around of Ruth’s hesed (or loyalty) to Naomi

 

Secondly, Ruth asks permission to glean in the field, even though the Law of Moses already says she can

–         This tells us that Ruth doesn’t come with any sense of entitlement

–         She approaches the foreman with respect and humility

 

Thirdly, the foreman says how Ruth has ‘worked steadily’

–         This indicates Ruth’s virtue

–         She’s not lazy, she’s not looking for a hand out, she’s not there to pick up a man – she’s there to provide for herself & Naomi and for this the foreman respects her

 

Boaz comes alongside Ruth and says to her…

 

“My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field… Stay here with my servant girls. Watch the field where the men are harvesting and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

 

Although immigrants like Ruth (who embraced the God of Israel and his covenant) were provided for and protected under the Law, this didn’t guarantee their safety

–         The time of the Judges was a bit of a dodgey time in Israel’s history when people tended to do what was best in their own eyes

–         Consequently finding people who kept the Law was rare

–         Boaz was one of those who did keep God’s Law but he was well aware that many of his countrymen didn’t

–         Had Ruth gone to glean in another field she could have been driven away or worse, assaulted

–         That’s why Boaz encourages Ruth to stay in his field where she won’t be molested

 

Boaz is in a position of power – he is careful not to abuse his power, but rather to use it to help Ruth, to empower her by granting safe access to his field

–         Granting safe access to those young people who embrace Christ (as Ruth had embraced the God of Israel) is something we can do also

 

At a recent deacons meeting Daryl gave a devotion from the Fuller Institute’s book “Growing Young”

–         In this book we find the following true story…

 

Remember your first set of keys?

–         Stephen — who goes by “Stretch” — received his first set of keys when he was 16.

–         His town handed him a driver’s license, and his parents handed him the key to the family car.

–         Heart pounding with excitement, he climbed behind the wheel and pulled out of his driveway for the first time on his own.

–         Stretch couldn’t believe the newfound freedom and responsibility he had been given.

–         He took a step away from childhood and a step closer to adulthood.

 

As Stretch pulled onto the street and began to accelerate, he faced an important and practical question. Where should I go?

–         Within a moment he knew the answer. Over the past several years, his church had become like a second home to him. There he felt known, accepted and valued. So naturally, he headed in that direction.

 

As he drove into the parking lot, the church’s childcare was wrapping up for the day.

–         One of the coordinators who knew Stretch noticed him driving the car.

–         Given a recent shortage of childcare workers and seeing that he now had transportation, she asked if he was interested in helping after school.

 

She was only halfway through the question before Stretch knew his answer. He would get to hang out at the church, spend time with kids, and on top of it all … he would get paid. This day couldn’t get any better!

–         Until a few minutes later, when she returned from the church office and handed him a key to the church. “If you’re going to help us, there will be times when we’ll need you to lock up,” she explained.

 

Stretch was staring so intently at the key that he barely heard her words.

–         The pastor had this key.

–         His Sunday school teacher had this key.

–         Other adults who were mature — who had power — had this key.

–         But him? It was like he had been waiting on the sidelines during the big game and was now being called to step onto the playing field.

 

Life was truly as good as it could be. Until it got even better.

 

A week later, while Stretch was working in the childcare center, the youth pastor dropped by. “You know, Stretch,” he said, “if you have your license and are already at the church, would you be willing to stock the soda machine for me? The job comes with all the Mountain Dew you can drink.”

–         Key to the car. Check.

–         Key to the church. Check.

–         Key to the soda machine. Check.

–         Stretch knew he had arrived.

 

Later that night, Stretch received the final “key” that forever changed the course of his life. Standing alone in the empty church, he heard God speak to him — not audibly but distinctly.

–         “You like to be here, don’t you?” God asked.

–         “Yes, I do,” Stretch answered.

–         “Well, get comfortable, because you’re going to be here a lot.”

 

From that day on, Stretch knew that both his future and his vocation were closely tied to church ministry.

–         Leaders he deeply respected had entrusted him with access and authority by giving him keys, both literally and figuratively.

In the several decades that followed, others continued to entrust him with the keys of leadership & he’s now been a youth pastor for over 20 years [1]

 

That’s a good news story

–         The more mature adults in the church put faith in Stretch, they trusted him and gave him access

–         And Stretch, for his part, was respectful of the trust (the keys) he had been given – he didn’t take it for granted, nor did he have any sense of entitlement – he was simply grateful for the faith others showed in him

 

Keys provide access

–         Granting access is really about trusting people and empowering them

 

We let our young people (who embrace Christ) have access in a number ways

–         Sometimes literal access to the church buildings by giving keys

–         But also access to opportunities for service & leadership, through the music team or through Sunday school, Club Intermed, youth group and night church

–         The next generation may do things differently to the previous generation but that’s okay – so long as each generation holds to Christ

 

It seems to me that Daryl is very good at trusting the young people in his care by giving them access to the church and opportunities for service

–         But it’s not just Daryl – our deacons and our congregation as a whole want to continue seeing the next generation participating in church life

–         By the same token we are fortunate to have young people who (like Ruth and Stretch) are respectful and responsible with the keys we give them

 

Warm Understanding:

Not only does Boaz grant Ruth safe access to his fields, he also shows Ruth warm understanding

–         When Ruth asks Boaz why he is showing her such favour, Boaz replies…

 

“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… May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

 

To which Ruth replies…

–         “…You have given me comfort and spoken kindly to your servant…”

 

Ruth’s reply indicates there is real warmth in what Boaz says here

–         He is showing her, with his words, that he understands and appreciates what she has been through and what she has given up for Naomi’s sake

–         Consequently Ruth feels comforted by his words

 

What’s more, by saying, I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law, Boaz is making it clear to Ruth that the rumour mill is positive

–         She doesn’t have to worry about how others are perceiving her

–         He’s not the only one who knows about her hesed (her loyalty) to Naomi

 

Sometimes when we are young we can feel a bit unsure of ourselves

–         We might not have worked out who we are or where we fit just yet

–         One of the things older people can give younger people is encouragement – kind words communicated warmly, not cold words of criticism

–         You don’t have to be over the top with complements or embarrass people by doing it publicly – just a few gentle words on the quiet at the right time to show you are on their side

 

Mother Teresa once said:

–         Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty

 

The thing about warmth & understanding is that it stops people from feeling alone and unwanted – it keeps their demons at bay

–         When you feel that someone really gets you, really understands you, then you feel more at peace, more at home with yourself and with others

 

The 24-7 youth work that Jo & Thomas do at Tawa College is about warmth and understanding

–         It’s about coming alongside and being present to listen so young people don’t feel alone

 

A few weeks ago I attended the Baptist Lead conference in Lower Hutt

–         One of the speakers there, Tricia Hendry, told a story of a boy who was sent to live with his gran

–         The boy began wagging school, not just once or twice, but regularly

 

When his gran found out he’d been wagging she didn’t react straight away

–         She took a deep breath and considered how to approach the situation

–         Her grandson was respectful to her at home and so it was a bit puzzling why he would do this

 

In the end the gran decided to take him out to KFC for dinner – he loved KFC

–         On the way the boy asked, ‘Why are you taking me to KFC gran?’

–         ‘Because you’ve had a rough time lately and I wanted to do something nice for you.’

–         They sat in the restaurant and ate their KFC – the grandmother didn’t say anything about the boy wagging school

 

After they’d eaten the gran drove the boy home, but she took the long way.

–         They were sitting side by side in the car, not face to face, and so the posture was not top down or confrontational, it was alongside

–         The boy asked, ‘Why are we taking the long way home?

–         And his gran replied, ‘I want to ask you a question. When you are not at school are you keeping yourself safe?’

–         The gran’s question let the boy know two things:

o   That his gran was aware he was wagging, so he didn’t need to hide or keep that secret anymore (the truth sets us free)

o   And secondly, that she cares – there’s no judgement, no threat of punishment, just warmth and a genuine desire to understand

 

The boy says, ‘Yes gran. I am looking after myself. I go to my mother’s work and sit outside her window so I can be there to help her if she needs me.’

–         You see the reason that boy was sent to live with his gran was that his father was being violent to his mother

–         The boy just wanted to protect his mum

 

What a wise gran – full of truth and grace

 

Sometimes older people think they have nothing to offer.

–         That’s not true

–         If you are older then you have experience and you can show warmth and understanding to those who are younger

–         (You can be a surrogate grand-parent)

 

Now I’m conscious there are a lot of teachers here, some of whom may have to deal with students who wag school

–         I’m not suggesting you take them all out to KFC – a teacher’s role is quite different to the role of a grandparent

–         Besides, not all kids wag for good reasons like the boy in that story

–         The point is, whether you are a teacher or a parent or a grandparent or whoever, warm understanding is usually a more helpful place to start than cold criticism

 

Tawa College is great with their restorative practice – it’s a warm understanding approach

 

Community Connection:

Okay – so far we’ve heard how Boaz gives Ruth a hand up (not a hand out) by:

–         Granting her safe access to his property

–         And by communicating with warmth and understanding

–         The other thing Boaz does for Ruth (in chapter 2) is he creates connections for her in the community

–         He does this by inviting her to eat lunch with him and his workers

 

At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “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.”

 

By sharing a meal together the workers got to know Ruth a bit so that she wasn’t just the Moabitess from Moab – she wasn’t a stranger anymore

–         And by giving Ruth more than she could eat Boaz is underlining Ruth’s status as a person to be valued and accepted by others

–         Boaz is modelling for his workers how he expects them to treat Ruth, with generosity and respect

 

Sometimes you find yourself in a conversation with someone who says something like: ‘Young people these days are terrible’

–         If you do then don’t abide that – put them straight

–         Model for them a positive way to talk about young people

–         Tell them about the young people you know who are good

–         Most young people are good these days – certainly better than I was

 

A few things we do to help foster relational connections in the life of the church include: tea & coffee after the morning service, ‘Count Me In’ lunches, small group Bible studies and all-age (intergenerational) services from time to time

–         Those things in themselves don’t guarantee community connections – they are a hand up (from alongside), not a hand out

–         So some effort to talk to someone new and get to know others is still needed on our part

 

There’s heaps more we could say about creating community connections but that’s enough for today

 

Conclusion:

Boaz gives Ruth a hand up by granting her access to his field, warm understanding and community connection

–         These are things we can do also

 

Boaz points us to Jesus

–         Jesus came down from heaven and became human to be alongside us and give us a hand up

 

For those who may identify with Boaz…

–         Is there someone you can come alongside to offer a hand up?

 

And for those who identify more with Ruth…

–         What can you do to help yourself?

 

Let us pray…

[1] https://www.nae.net/unlock-keychain-leadership/