09/28/25 Our Kinsman Redeemer Pastor Cody Harlow Ruth 1:1-5

God's word it says this. In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab. He and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was IMC. The name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Melon and Keion. They were Ephrothites from Bethlehem and Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But IMC, the husband of Naomi, died and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabitete wives. The name of the one was Orpa. The other and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about 10 years. And both Melon and Keion died so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. Let's pray. And so Lord, as we look at your word today, God, it's just for me, it's been a very timely week. Is one of my heroes of the faith past. And I know Vodie Bacham, he would often times say that this was his favorite favorite book of the Bible to preach because you get to see the kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the one that redeems our souls. And I pray, Lord, that you would make that very real to us that are here today, God. That you would help us to see Christ, to behold Christ, the son of the living God, and that he would fall fresh and new on our hearts. Lord, I pray for every person that's here and especially for our brothers and sisters that are sick and can't be here. Lord, we continually lift up to you Steve Warren and Denny Johnson. God, Lord, we want to lift up to you Clim Felley and Butch and Judy and Lord, there's just so many other people on that sick list, God. We lift them up to you. We want to pray for Kyle Miller's back to get better. Lord,

We lift him up to you. We want to pray for Tim Young's eye and just pray that Tim White, excuse me, his eye to get better, Lord. And I just pray that it would just have full restoration to that. Lord, we want to pray for Desmond and Desmond's father as he's had multiple heart attacks and even a stroke. Lord, as he's in the hospital and they're just they're struggling right now, God, and they're a young married couple and I pray that you protect their marriage. I pray that you would just help them to draw near to you during this time. God, we want to lift up to you all those little babies that are about to be born in our church, Lord, for the Martinez family and the and the Battaloos. Lord, we thank you, Lord, for the Osbours that had their little baby and for the Hawks. And Lord, we just are thankful for the new life that we have in our church. Thank you for little babies. Help us to come alongside these families and join in elevating that mom and that dad so that they have every opportunity to disciple their child to know you. Father, we love you. We submit ourselves to you and we just thank you for the beauty of Christ. It's in his name that we pray. Amen. Well, the book of Ruth, it starts with this phrase, in the days when the judges ruled. And that's really important for us because it tells us about the time, the kind of times that Israel was in politically and spiritually. This is before they had kings. And so the rulers of Israel at this time, they were known as judges. In the book of Judges, if you were to read it, it's highlighted by times of faithfulness among Israel and times of despair and disobedience and judgment. And we see godly men and godly women

That God would raise up to do great things for the Lord during that time. It was a u it was marked by long years of rebellion and spiritual drift and moral compromise. We read this in the book of Judges. In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. It goes on to actually repeat that phrase exactly in Judges 21. In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Now, before we're too hard on our characters, we should recognize that this is the exact same kind of culture that we live in. Amen. We live in a culture where everyone's just doing what they want to do. There's there is no truth according to our culture. No absolute truth. At least what's true for you may not be true for me. That's the culture that we live in. It's wrong. We hear people say, "You just need to follow your heart. We need to do what feels right. But the question that hangs over Ruth's story and ours is when everyone else is doing what's right in our own eyes or in their own eyes, are we going to live like God is our king? That's the big question that we have to wrestle with. But then we learn that there's this famine in the land. This is extremely important because this is God's promised land. He has promised to provide for Israel everything that would ever need. And yet the covenant that he established based upon his promise was a promise of abundance and blessing and plenty for his children if they're faithful. But curses if they're unfaithful. Look at what God he says in Deuteronomy 28. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God, or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake

You. And listed there, the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron. In other words, it's not going to bear any kind of fruit. You're this land of plenty is not going to be a land flowing with milk and honey if you walk in disobedience to what God has said. The Lord will make the rain of your land powder from heaven. Dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed. God, he restates this in Leviticus 26. And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron, and your earth like bronze, and your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. So this is not just a string of bad luck. It's not just a famine. It's God fulfilling the covenant that he is bringing about spiritual discipline in the life of Israel. And so this man Alimc of from Bethlehem, Bethlehem it means the house of bread had no bread at all. God, he is confronting the sins of his people. He says, "And then when all these things come upon you and the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice, and all that I command you today, with all your heart, with all your soul. Then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you." So there is this promise there. IMC, he his name means God is my king. And what he's choosing to do is he's choosing to run instead of clinging to the promise of God and repent.

God has already told him the solution for the famine. He has told the people of God what the solution is. Come to me. Just admit you're sorry. Admit your guilt. Admit that you need help, turn to me, trust in me. And instead of doing that, he chooses to flee over having faith. And so he runs from the covenant promise of God instead of clinging to the promise of God. And he leaves Bethlehem to go into the land of Moab. Now that word there, sojourer, is the Hebrew word gur, which in the Hebrew means to live as a resident alien. That means that you don't have rights in that land. You don't have protections. IMC, he's at the point where he's just saying, "I just want to get out of here for a little bit. I want to escape the famine and just simply wait it out. I'll come back once it's safe for me to come back." It was just supposed to be a temporary plan. But that's how sin works, isn't it? That's how sin works. We try to justify sin by saying it's just a little sin or I need to do this in order to take care of my family. But you know what happens is that compromise it gets easier and easier the longer that you stay in it. And that's what IMC does. He goes to Moab not because he loved Moab, but because he didn't trust the Lord. And Moab wasn't just another place on the map. These were not friendly neighbors. They were the distant cousins of Israel, born out of Lot's incest with his daughters, according to Genesis 19. They were idoltors. They were enemies of the of God's people. They were excluded from the Lord's assembly according to Deuteronomy 23. And so for IMC to take his family and move over there, it's not just a move. It is spiritual compromise. And so that's a that's a good question for us to consider is where are you running when you get desperate?

Where do you turn to? Who do you trust in? Are you going to trust in your own hands in your own mind? Or are you going to trust in the Lord? Men, are you going to get down on your knees and intercede for your family? Are you going to pray for their souls? Are you going to pray for help? Are you just going to grin and bear it and go, "I can do this, God. What is your Moab? Maybe it's an ungodly relationship where you think that you can get some comfort there. Maybe it's cutting corners financially. Maybe it's spiritual neglect. So, you choosing the easy way instead of trusting in the Lord. But when life gets you hard, are you going to run to God or are you going to run away from him? And so, that leads us to the first point here is that there's a wrong turn. IMC, he didn't move to Moab because he loved it. He moved because he didn't trust God. And his decision led to disaster for his family. Look at Naomi. Naomi's name means pleasant. It means sweetness. Melon and Keion. Melon, his name means sickly and weak. I don't know why you would name your child that. Keon, it means pining or wasting away. Apparently, they were unhealthy babies when they were born. And they're from Ephtha. And you know what Ephtha means? It shares the same Hebrew word root word as fruitful. And I want you to put all this together that a man whose name is God as my king takes his pleasant wife, his weak sons, and he leaves the house of bread in the fruitful land to settle in a wicked place. And why is that? Because it was easier for him to neglect the spiritual things than admit that he needed the Lord. That sounds like a lot of men these days. If you choose the path of death, you will see your children become weak and waste away. I see it. I see it in my generation. I see it in the previous generations. And

I thank God that I see a ra a nation of young people being raised up by the Lord. I don't know how else to describe it. Who are intentional about raising their children to know the Lord Jesus Christ. >> Men, do not be like IMC. Lead your families in the path of life. Lead them to the bread of life. Lead them to Christ. Do not sell your family short by walking away from God or taking the easy way because it will cost you more than you could ever possibly imagine. >> Do you want to be at the end of your life and you look out like Charles Finny did the leader of the second great awakening and he looks at his own children and they are unconverted. Is that what you want? I don't want that. That's why I raised my children to know Christ. That's why we catechize. That's why we walk through Scripture with them. That's why we have family worship together, which so many people look at and scorn and they say, "That's too hard. I don't want to do it, but it's worth it." IMC, he thought that Moab would be temporary, but you look at verse two, they remained there. What started as just a short trip until all this blows over becomes a settlement. And that's how sin works. Sin and compromise increases exponentially because a small step from God becomes a long road that you never intended to walk. It starts with skipping a prayer before meal. It's just how it starts. It starts with neglecting your Bible reading. And I know I know you're thinking that's such a small thing. And I get that. I understand that. I've been there. And yet they're small things skipping church for other things. And before you know it, you've stopped doing anything meaningful for the kingdom of God and you're left wondering what

Happened. And John Bunan, he tells the story of Christian and hopeful walking the King's Highway in the Pilgrim's Progress. And they're walking and they come across this little meadow that's just absolutely gorgeous. That's a apparently a shortcut. It's called Bipath Meadow. And at first it's it seems harmless and beautiful and you know this is just going to get us to the celestial city a little bit quicker. Let's just take it. And then they're caught by a giant called despair and they're locked away in doubting castle. And that's how compromise works. It looks easy. It looks safe. It looks smarter. But in the end it leads to despair. IMC he led his family into compromise and his life began to blend with the culture and they were there for how long? 10 years a decade. The wrong turn that was just a temporary thing ultimately turned into a dead end. Verse three he says it puts it simply but IMC the husband of Naomi died. The survival plan ends in death. What IMC thought would bring life brought the grave. He left behind Bethlehem in the place of secure bread and blessing. And he died in Moab outside of the land of promise. In IMC, he lived as though he were the king of his own life even though his very name meant God is my king. And he ignored the promised covenant of God. And he leaned on his own wisdom. And he discovered that the way that seems right to man leads to death. And that's us. How often do we make choices that we think are going to save us financially, emotionally, relationally, only to realize that those very choices leave us emptier and more desperate than we were before, more broken. Notice too how the writer he describes his death IMC the husband of Naomi died. Now that's unusual

Because normally women were identified by their husbands. But here the order is reversed and this is where IMC fades into the story and Naomi becomes the central figure and her story begins with grief. She's a widow in a patriarchal culture, too old to remarry with no means of provision. Everything that she has leaned on for security, her husband, her stability, her future is suddenly gone. And naturally, Naomi, she looked to her two sons for hope. But their choices showed that the family had begun to blend into this Moabitete culture. Melon and Keion, what do they do? They are marrying Moabitete women. Orpa, which means the back of the neck. She's eventually going to turn her back on Naomi. Ruth, whose name means friend, and her loyalty is going to shine brighter than 10 sons. But then there comes this devastating detail about them living for 10 years. And so this dead end turns into a really long detour. IMC's death, the focus, it shifts over to Naomi. She's not stepping into the spotlight as a hero, but as a widow, and she had no hope. Who on earth could save her? And then the author, he gives this chilling detail in verse four. And I want you I want you to just really consider how long they were there in the land outside the promised land. Sin. It keeps you longer than you wanted to stay. It takes you further than you ever intended to go. And it costs you so much more than you ever thought that you would pay. Here's what the book of Hebrews says. Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by this

Deceitfulness of sin. Christian people rarely set out to abandon the Lord. It's just this once. It's just for a little while. It's just until things change. Just until my schedule slows down. And so those little steps become long detours. And many of us, we have prodigals in our own family, don't we? We've got children. We've got family members. We've got friends who were once faithfully loving the Lord that are now totally assimilated into our post-Christian culture. And they never intended to wander so far or so long. But sin pulled them in deeper than they ever imagined. James, he writes this, "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. And then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin. And sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. And that's exactly what happened to Naomi's family. These young men who were sucked into the Moabitete culture because their father led them there. How tragic is that? It is right for men to want to protect and provide for their families, but not at the expense of leading them away from God. Survival without faith is no survival at all. Melon and Keion, they never returned to the promised land. They never led their wives home. Here, let me introduce you to my God. Let me introduce you to my people and my culture. Men, do not allow your wife to lead your home. Amen. >> It is a sign of judgment. And it is a sign of condemnation if you bow and refuse to lead your wife. Wives, follow your husbands, for that is good and right in the sight of God. 10 years of famine, displacement,

Widowhood, compromise, and then death. And Naomi's left with nothing. This woman that was once called pleasant is now empty. And she's in this empty destination. Verse five, it delivers that crushing blow that everyone that she loves, everyone that she is close to is gone. And Naomi, she is left without her husband, without her sons, without any heirs. She is empty. She is she is destitute and broken. In Israel's culture, there was no greater tragedy than for the family line to be cut off. And the family of IMC had no seeds, no future, no hope. And the irony, it stings, they left the house of bread to seek that provision. And what did they find at the end where they thought things were going to be better was barrenness and death. The prophet, he says this, "For my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me. The fountain of living waters and hewed out sistns for themselves. Broken sisters that can hold no water. That's what it's like when we forsake the Lord and we're trusting in other things. It always lets us down. It always leaves us empty. It always makes us barren. But we should ask why. Why? Were these deaths like a punishment for Mo marrying Moabitete women? Were these things, you know, was this a judgment for IMC because he left the promised land? We don't know. We just don't know. But what we do know is this is that Naomi is empty. And in that emptiness, God is preparing to do something truly extraordinary. Because that's how God works is that he brings us at our lowest point. And in our most desperate situations, that's where he likes to meet people. That's why I pray oftentimes for my family. God, make them so completely miserable that they have nowhere else to look to

But to you. If it takes them being so broken and so humbled that they know you, then the price and the suffering is worth it. But he said to me, this is Paul writing, "My grace, God's grace, is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in what? Weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Remember Joseph in the Old Testament? He was beaten. He was sold into slavery. He was imprisoned unjustly. He seemed to have met a dead end. And yet that became the means of keeping the whole nation of Israel, all the children of Abraham alive. Remember Israel in Egypt, how they were making bricks without straw and it was bitter oppression. But God used that to stir up compassion where they were crying out, "Lord, remember us. Send that deliverer. And here too we are meant to ask, what is God up to in this tragedy? Because we know this now. To him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think according to the power at work within us. To him be glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. What is he doing? He's not just going to spoiler alert, God saves the day. But he's not just going to save Naomi. He's not just going to provide for Ruth. But rather, through all of this, God is going to bring about the promised Messiah. Far more than what we could ever think or ask. You see, Naomi's hands are empty, but soon they're going to be filled with Ruth and with Boaz, with grandchildren, ultimately the promise of a Redeemer. And this is where it touches us as well is that you and I, we might be tempted by Moab. Man, if I just had that job, if I just had that spouse, if I

Just had that income, you see the bread of the world, it looks so tangible. And God, he promises. He promises us and that demands faith. But here's the Gospel. When we ran into Moab, Jesus came after us. He came after us. IMC left the house of bread and found death. And Jesus, he says, "I am the bread of life." He left heaven's glory and entered into our famine. He bore our curse and he went into that far country of sin, not to join us, not to compromise, but to bring us home. That's why Jesus came. He emptied himself to fill us with his righteousness and his life. Praise God. And he is the Redeemer who meets our empty hands and fills them up and satisfies us forever. And so that changes how we view the world's fields. We know that they are empty in the end. That's why grandparents are oftentimes so much wiser than us. Maybe you've chased those empty fields and you resent your lot. You fantasize about being elsewhere. Good news is that the grace that reached Ruth the outsider, the grace that pursued Naomi, that wanderer, it calls out to you as well. And if you see Moab's emptiness and all the things that the world is dangling in front of you, like chase this, chase if you're recognizing the emptiness, that means that God is at work in you right now. And he will not leave you empty if you seek him. Naomi's story it points it looks like nothing but loss. Looks like there's no sons, no heirs and yet this is exactly where God is looking to work because the road that leads away may look hopeless but that's not the end of the story. We have a saying in our church that you can walk a thousand miles but repentance is one step away because out of Naomi's emptiness God he brings fullness. Out of her barrenness

God brings a Redeemer. Out of a foreigner's faith, Ruth's faith, God will bring the Messiah himself. And so here's the question. You are on a road too. And so which way are you walking? Are you going to walk the road away from God, trusting yourself, chasing the empty promises of this world? Or are you going to turn and follow Christ, the bread of life, the Redeemer, who fills up empty hands? What are you going to do? As we move in to the future, we're going to see the kinsman Redeemer. It's a recurring theme in this book. The truth is that Jesus is that kinsman Redeemer who redeems our souls from hell and he is looking for you to trust in him. And I pray that you would do that today. Head, heart, hand, head. God, he wants you to know that life without him ends in emptiness, but Christ turns emptiness into fullness. Alimc's wrong turn. It led to death and despair. But Naomi's story, it reminds us that God is faithful even when people wander. He looks for that one sheep that departs from the 99. And he's looking for you, too. Jesus, he is that true bread of life who satisfies where the world only starves heart. God, he wants you to believe that Jesus is enough even in your famine. You see, when life feels like it's empty, your job disappoints you, your family wounds you, your plans, they collapse in on themselves, you don't need Moab. You need Jesus. Believe that his grace is greater than your failures. That his promises are sure than your circumstances, that his presence is greater than your emptiness. Hand. God, he wants you to know this is what you should do. That you shouldn't run to Moab when life is hard. Run to Christ. Turn away. Repent of your compromises, however small they may seem. Lead your family, men. Lead your marriage, your friendships toward that bread of life. Encourage

Each other daily so that none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And if you're in Moab right now and you're wandering and you're compromised, you're far from God, remember that repentance is only a step away. Look to Jesus because he will forgive you. His grace is sufficient and his arms are open and you can follow Christ today. Lord, we do love you and we do thank you for this time that we get to have together. I pray that your mercy will be on us. I pray that you would lead us and that you would protect us, God. I pray for hearts today and for maybe your children that have been walking in a foreign land for far too long, Lord. And that they need to repent and trust in you. I pray that today would be that day. Lord, for believers, for non-believers, I pray that their their heart would be made new, that what was said today about trusting in Christ would fall fresh on their hearts and that by faith they would repent and believe the Gospel. Lord, I do pray that you would lead us, that you would guide us, that you would comfort us. We pray for your blessing on us. And as we all stand together and we sing loud, I pray that these would be prayers from our hearts knowing that you hold us firmly and that you never let us go. Father, help us to trust in you in Jesus name. Amen. Let's all stand together and on and worship. [Music] When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast. When the tempter would prevail, he will hold me fast. I could never keep my hold through my fearful help for my love is cold. He must hold me fast. He will hold me fast. For my Savior loves me so he will hold me fast. >> Those he saves are his delight. Christ will hold me fast.

Precious in his holy sight. He will hold me fast. He'll not let my soul be lost. His promises shall last, but by him at such a cost. He will hold me fast. For my Savior loves me so. He will hold me fast. For my life he bled and died. Christ will hold me fast. Justice has been satisfied. He will hold me fast. Raised with him to hopeless life. He will hold me fast till our faith is turned to sight. When he comes at last, he will hold me fast. He will hold me fast. For my Savior loves me so. He will hold me fast. For my Savior loves me so. He will hold me fast. [Music] if y'all don't mind having a seat real quick. I want to introduce you. Oh, Tim, are you coming up here? All right, come on over here. Jennifer as well. This is Tim and Jennifer White. And they've been here at our church oh on and off for about a year. They were looking for the right church and they're building in our community, moving here and they said that they want to be a part of First Baptist Church of Campton. They've gone through and have testified of their faith in Jesus Christ. They've seen our history and our mission and vision and they said this is where we want to worship and y'all are transferring right your membership or is it by statement? >> By statement. Okay. And so, if y'all would, receive them members, into our fellowship, would you say amen? >> Amen. >> All right. Any opposed? All right. Awesome. And, so be sure to come up here, extend that right hand of fellowship and welcome them to First

Baptist Church of Cam if you would. Okay. Praise the Lord. Amen. Why don't we, go ahead and just thank the Lord for this time. Father, I do thank you so much, just for this time that you've given to us. We thank you for your mercy and your grace. I thank you for this family, Lord, that we get to partner with and Lord, as I shepherd and as they lead and serve, Lord, I just thank you for them. Pray that you would continue to bless our church, watch over us. God, we just want to be used by you to impact this community and make disciples. Help us, Lord, in Jesus precious name. Amen. Welcome. I [Music] Stop [Music] neighbor. [Music] [Applause] Hello. [Applause] [Music] Hurry up. Happy Halloween. [Music] [Applause] [Music] You're scaling me. You want to get [Music] that? Yeah. [Music] I know your name. [Music] Come on. All right. Yeah, I know. [Music] Totally. Okay. [Music] Get out of here. [Music]

Come here. >> Let's go. Come on. It's not yours. Come here. [Music] >> She's my first. [Music] >> Oh my God. [Music] takes after. [Music] >> Yeah, that's [Music] Stay [Music] Good job. [Applause] [Music] You're an empty [Music] All right. [Music] Thank you.