Ruth: God’s Redemptive Power - 6

The Redeeming Love Of God

By Pastor Ed Turley, June 29, 2024

Big Idea: The journey from heartbreak to hope begins when we turn to God for redemption.

“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 1:16b (NIV) Remember Verse

1. The Redeemer Steps Forward (Ruth 4:1-6)

1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there. When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, "Sit here," and they did so. 3 Then he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” "I will redeem it," he said. 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” 6 At this, the kinsman-redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it." Ruth 4:1-6 (NIV)

2. There Is A Cost of Redemption

7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) 8 So the kinsman-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!" Ruth 4:7-10 (NIV)

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)

3. The Legacy of Redemption (Ruth 4:13-17)

11 Then the elders and all those at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." 16 Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son.” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ruth 4:11-17 (NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 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. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NIV)

Have you placed your complete trust in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ?

I will choose to demonstrate love by:

  • Accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior
  • Signing up for baptism July 21, 2024 Silver Strand Beach
  • Returning to God by confessing my sins & trusting Him to restore me  

Family Corner: [Choose one day this week to ask questions to go deeper in faith as a family. Try this over dinner. Keep it to 12 minutes or less.]

Open in Prayer. This guide aims to facilitate a meaningful discussion, encourage personal reflection, and foster mutual support within your small group. Feel free to adapt it to better fit your group’s dynamics and needs.

Icebreaker:
What is something that you have helped restore? [house, car, furniture…] What was involved in the process? How long did it take? How did it make you feel when you were finished? Have you ever had to reconcile with someone? How did your faith influence that process?

Big Idea: The journey from heartbreak to hope begins when we turn to God for redemption.

1. The Redeemer Steps Forward

Read Ruth 4:1-6

How does Boaz’s willingness to step forward as the kinsman-redeemer reflect God’s love for us?

Read Galatians 4:4-5. How does this passage connect with Boaz’s actions and the concept of redemption?

Analogy Discussion: Think of the analogy of the lifeguard. How does this image help you understand God’s proactive love and willingness to save us?

Share a situation in your life where you need to trust in God’s timing and step forward in faith. How can the group support you in this?

2. The Cost of Redemption

Read Ruth 4:7-10

What does Boaz’s negotiation and willingness to pay the price teach us about the cost of redemption?

Read 1 Peter 1:18-19.

Discuss the significance of Jesus paying the ultimate price for our redemption.

How can you honor the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus in your daily life?

3. The Legacy of Redemption

Read Ruth 4:13-17

How does the birth of Obed symbolize the legacy of redemption and God’s faithfulness?

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

What does it mean to you to be a “new creation” in Christ?

How do you interpret the statement “the old has gone, the new has come” in your own life?

In what ways have you experienced the old passing away and the new coming in your life since becoming a Christian?

How does God’s act of not counting men's sins against them impact your understanding of grace?

What steps can you take to embrace your identity as a new creation in Christ more fully?

As ambassadors for Christ, how can we effectively share the message of reconciliation with those around us?

How can you trust God to use your current circumstances to create a lasting impact for His kingdom?

How can our group support each other in the ministry of reconciliation?

What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?

Closing Prayer “Lord, thank You for the lessons we have learned today about Your redeeming love. Help us to show proactive love, appreciate the cost of redemption, and live in a way that leaves a lasting legacy for Your glory. Guide us as we strive to live out Your love in our daily lives. Amen.”