Ruth - Week 6

Question 1

The sermon highlights a shift in focus from "Hesed" (kindness, loyalty, steadfast love) to "Redeemer." How does understanding the concept of "Hesed" in the earlier chapters of Ruth prepare us for the deeper understanding of "Redeemer" presented in chapter 4?

Suggested Verses:

• Ruth 1:16-17 (Ruth's loyalty to Naomi - an act of hesed)

• Ruth 2:10 (Ruth's gratitude for Boaz's kindness - an act of hesed)

• Ruth 3:10 (Boaz acknowledging Ruth's hesed towards Naomi and his family)

• Psalm 136:1 (God's steadfast love/hesed endures forever) 

Question 2

The town gate served as a significant hub for legal, commercial, and social life in Boaz's time. In what ways do "gates" (significant places, decisions, or transitions) in our lives today function similarly? How can we be intentional about seeking God's will at these "gates"?

Suggested Verses:

• Proverbs 3:5-6 (Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.)

• James 1:5 (If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.)

• Philippians 4:6-7 (Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.) 

Question 3

The sermon emphasises "God’s sovereign hand actively working through ordinary processes to accomplish His extraordinary plan." Can you share an example from your own life where you've seen God work through seemingly mundane or ordinary circumstances to achieve a significant outcome?

Suggested Verses:

• Romans 8:28 (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.)

• Psalm 37:23-24 (The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.)

• Isaiah 55:8-9 (For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.) 

Question 4

Boaz's immediate meeting with the kinsman-redeemer is presented as an example of God's sovereignty, not coincidence. How does recognising God's active involvement in these "just as" moments encourage your faith when facing uncertainty or waiting for God's timing?

Suggested Verses:

• Psalm 46:10 (He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.")

• Lamentations 3:22-23 (Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.)

• Jeremiah 29:11 (For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.) 

Question 5

The nameless kinsman was a relative and financially able to redeem, but "not willing" due to the cost of acquiring Ruth and raising up a son. What "costs" might prevent believers today from fully embracing God's call to sacrificial service and love?

Suggested Verses:

• Luke 14:26-27 (If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.)

• Matthew 6:24 (No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.)

• 1 John 2:15-17 (Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.) 

Question 6

The sermon states, "Following Christ isn't about gaining salvation... It's about taking up our own cross and following Him." How do Matthew 16:24-25 and Luke 9:23 challenge our natural inclination towards self-preservation and comfort in our walk with Christ?

Suggested Verses:

• Matthew 16:24-25 (Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.)

• Luke 9:23 (Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.)

• Galatians 2:20 (I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.)

Question 7

Boaz willingly embraced the full cost of redemption, even risking his own inheritance. How does Boaz's willingness to go "beyond mere legal obligation to embrace compassionate redemption" foreshadow Christ's ultimate sacrifice for us?

Suggested Verses:

• Ephesians 5:2 (and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.)

• Philippians 2:5-8 (In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!)

• Romans 5:8 (But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.) 

Question 8

The "sandal ceremony" publicly affirmed the transfer of redemption rights. What modern-day practices or symbols do we have that publicly declare commitment or significant life changes, and how might they, in a spiritual sense, reflect our commitment to Christ?

Suggested Verses:

• Romans 10:9-10 (If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.)

• Colossians 2:12 (having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.)

• Matthew 28:19-20 (Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.) 

Question 9

The sermon concludes by calling us to be "agents of redemption ourselves" by living redemptively and sharing the Gospel, even when it costs us. What are some practical ways we can live out this calling in our daily lives and communities?

Suggested Verses:

• 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.)

• Acts 1:8 (But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.)

• Matthew 25:35-40 (For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’) 

Question 10

If you are standing at the "gate of decision" regarding your faith, as the sermon suggests, what is one step you could take this week to "place your trust in Him" or "surrender to the One who can" redeem you?

Suggested Verses:

• John 3:16 (For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.)

• Revelation 3:20 (Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.)

• Romans 6:23 (For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)

• Acts 2:38 (Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.)