The Bible App is completely free, with no advertising and no in-app purchases. Get the app

Dover Assembly of God

5.2.2021 | Ruth - Week 3

Locations & Times

4790 Carlisle Rd, Dover, PA 17315, USA

Sunday 10:30 AM

Dover Assembly Online

Sunday 10:30 AM

Welcome!

Welcome to Dover Assembly of God! We're glad that you've joined us this morning. If you're on Facebook, we encourage you to take a moment to check in at Dover Assembly.

http://facebook.com/doverassembly

Weekly Bulletin

May 2, 2021 Welcome to Dover Assembly! We are so glad you have chosen to attend Dover Assembly this morning. It is not by accident that you are here. We believe that God has allowed you to be here so that you might receive all that He has for you. We pray you are blessed as you allow the Lord to work in your life. THIS WEEK Sunday HAPPY ANNIVERSARY PASTOR JEFF & ANNA BENDER! 9:00 am ~ Coffee & Donut Hour 9:30 am ~ Sunday School 10:30 am ~ Worship Service 10:30 am ~ R.O.C.K. Children’s Ministry 1:00 pm ~ Spanish Service Wednesday 21 in 21 PRAYER & FAST DAY 6:30 pm ~ Family Night Thursday 6:30 pm ~ Men’s Dinner Saturday 6:30 pm Spanish Service UPCOMING EVENTS BGMC Sunday Don’t forget your BGMC Buddy Barrels and offering next Sunday as we highlight another of our Missionaries! Vacation Bible School (VBS) We are in the planning stages of our annual VBS. The theme is LEGOS and is scheduled for July 11-14. Before we order curriculum and begin advertising, we need excited volunteers. If you are able to commit to this tremendous outreach opportunity, please sign up in the upper foyer. Wednesday Night Bible Study Starting this Wednesday, we are studying the book “Not A Fan” by Kyle Idleman. Are we a fan of Jesus or a committed follower? This teaching challenges us to consider what it really means to call ourselves Christians. Be sure to be a part of this study! Men's Dinner The guys will be meeting at Hoss’s restaurant at 6:30, Thursday, May 6 for our monthly dinner / get together / fellowship time. Be sure to invite a friend along with you. Sign up in the lower foyer! New Life for Girls New Life for Girls will join us on May 16 to share how God has blessed and changed their lives. Be sure to keep them in prayer and join us on this day! This would be a great opportunity to invite that person who you have been praying for! BODY NEWS Community Outreach We have reached our goal of $1000 towards this outreach. As soon as we receive the gift cards (they have been ordered) we will schedule a date to distribute them. Thank you all for your prayers and support of this ministry. P.S. Praying about phase 2 . . . Prayer Warriors! Our once-a-month prayer nights have been a success and we are seeing God work on our behalf (James 5:16). Because we believe that God works through the prayers of his saints, we are expanding our prayer nights to 2 times per month. Beginning in May, we will meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursday evenings at 6:30. Isaiah 40:31 tells us this: Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like Eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.' Keep pressing in! We Will Miss You Gladys! As many of you know, Gladys has had a health journey that she has been on for almost 2 years now. While God has been faithful, changes are being made and Gladys will be moving to the Pittsburgh area to be with Corey, Heather and Patience. We are going to have a farewell luncheon in Gladys' honor on Sunday, May 16 immediately following the morning service. Please sign up in the lower foyer if you can share in this luncheon with us and please mark how many will be attending. We will also be hosting New Life for Girls in this service and will invite them to join us for lunch. Home-Going of Lois Perry Lois went to be with Jesus on Sunday, April 25. There will be a service at New Life A/G in East Berlin on Saturday, May 15 at 11:00 am. If you would like to send condolences to her family, Lois’ daughter’s address can be found in the printed bulletin or by contacting the church. Congratulations Madisyn Bender! Millersville University is finally able to have their graduation ceremony and graduation services will be held on Thursday, May 6. Congratulations Madi! Congratulations Enza! On opening her own Insurance business “Good Apple Insurance”. Praying God’s blessing on your new venture! Open House & Dedication on Saturday, May 15 at 10:00 am!

Download our app!

Download the Dover Assembly app to stay connected all week! Keep up to date with the latest news and events, watch our latest videos, and more all within our app! We're back on Google Play for Android users! Also available on the iOS App Store.

https://doverassembly.com/app

Online Giving

Thank you for your faithfulness! You can now give to Dover Assembly online at your convenience. Click the link to learn more!

https://doverassembly.com/give

YouVersion Check-In

Enjoying following along with Pastor Jeff's sermon notes here in the Bible app? Take a moment to check-in and let us know. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

https://doverassembly.com/notes/check-in

May 2, 2021 - Week 3 - Rev. Jeff Bender

Previously on Ruth (where we left off 2 weeks ago):

Elimelech, Naomi, and their 2 boys leave Israel to go to Moab because of a famine in Israel. While they were there, (10 years) all the men die. It doesn’t tell us why, just that they did.

Naomi hears that God is blessing Israel and decides to go back. Her 2 daughters in law want to with her, but she persuades Orpah to stay, but Ruth wants to go.

They get to Israel, and even after 10 years, the women still recognize Naomi and are excited to have her back.

Because of her loss, she is bitter towards God.

Ruth sets out to glean from some guy’s field, who happens to be a relative.

And now we pick up in Ruth 2.

Ruth 2:1-3

We mentioned last time that there seemed to be a whole lot of coincidences happening in Ruth’s life . . . or “God’s providence” that is fulfilling his plan for Naomi and Ruth.

Looking forward, Ruth doesn’t see the whole picture; she only sees what is happening right now.

We may not understand all that is happening in and around us right now. We may tend to think of all these things as coincidences, or good and bad luck, but if we trusting God, then we know that all these things going on right now God can bring around for his and our good.

I would think that Ruth would be struggling to understand what was happening and why?

Ruth losing her husband, father in law, having to travel back to Israel, being a Moabitess, (In other words, having a past that she can’t change) all sounds pretty bad.

What’s God going to do with that?

And yet, as we read Ruth’s life story, we’ll see all that God did to bring her to where she is at the end.

So Ruth goes to the field to glean.

Ruth 2:4

Remember how the nation of Israel was in this time. They were far from God, had terrible Judges and “everyone did what was right in their own eyes”

But in the middle of this wicked times, you see a man who was prosperous and still loved God and wanted to do his best to serve him.

It doesn’t matter what is going on around us, if we keep our eyes focused on the Lord, God can still use us and bless us in spite of what everyone else might be doing.

Our job is to live and do right. Trust God with everything else.

Matthew 6:33

Ruth 2:4

It also seems that he treated his workers well and they like him. Boaz didn’t let the wickedness of the world affect who he was or his attitude and behavior towards others.

It’s easy to shift our worry, fear and anger at what is happening around us onto those who aren’t responsible for the bad stuff. Or even those closest to us.

You get mad at the boss and you take it out on the waitress. Or your spouse or your kids, or your cat.

Boaz didn’t let the wickedness of Israel affect his relationships with his workers.

Ruth 2:5

No sooner does he greet his workers, then he spies Ruth.

Boaz is not a boss that never comes around. It seems that he makes periodic visits to all of his fields and through those visits, it seems that he knows the gleaners, because he didn’t recognize her.

It doesn’t say this, but I’m thinking that she stood out among all the others. Because of all the gleaners, from this point on Boaz is fixated on her.

It’s at this point that some commentators say it was love at first sight. Remember that for later.

He now focuses his attention on her and not the harvest

Notice his question: WHOSE young woman is she?

He wants to know if she belongs to anyone or information about her ancestry or clan.

Did he ever ask that about any other gleaners? We don’t know.

But he also said YOUNG woman. Is she so much younger than the other gleaners that he uses that term to distinguish her from the others?

Whatever her age, I think that she is pretty enough to get his attention.

So let’s start connecting the dots . . .

Out of all the fields in Israel, she goes to Boaz’s field.

Out of all the days that Boaz could visit this field in particular, he chooses the day when Ruth started. He arrived at just the right time to actually see her clearly.

He arrives just when Ruth is gleaning close to him and not in the shelter, she didn’t get tired and go home.

I like one commentator who said this: “When we commit our lives to the Lord, what happens to us happens by way of appointment, not by accident.”

All of these dots we’re connecting is part of God’s design for Ruth.

What are some dots you see in your life that led you to where you are today?

And if you’re young enough, you may be on the front end of what God is doing and not see a pattern yet.

Trust me it’s coming.

Just like Ruth didn’t see the dots until probably later.

So he sees Ruth, she catches his eye and he wants to know more about her.

Ruth 2:6-7

So the story of Naomi and Ruth is now all around town.

It must have been a big deal when Naomi came back because everyone knew her name and her story.

Notice how the foreman did not comment on her appearance, but on her work ethic and character. Man looks on the outward appearance God look on the heart?

So here is where it gets interesting. Boaz has been used as an example or type of Christ and Ruth is us.

Ruth is a Moabitess and therefore unwelcome in God’s house.

Remember God put a curse on the Moabites and they were never to be allowed in God’s temple.

So Ruth had nothing to offer Boaz for his help or grace and mercy.

In fact she wasn’t even supposed to be there.

If she ever received any blessing, it had to be because Boaz did it on his own. And he did.

Ruth 2:8-9

We as sinners are equally unwelcome in God’s presence unless God reaches out to us.

And he did!

Romans 5:8

John 15:16

We mentioned earlier, that Boaz was in love with Ruth at first sight.

So he took the first step for her. He wanted to protect her, provide for her, and keep her safe.

God took the first step when Christ died for us because he loved us.

He wants to provide for us, protect us and keep us safe.

Ruth 2:11

She knew she was undeserving of such kindness.

She was grateful for his mercy and grace.

So we are undeserving of God’s mercy and grace.

We also should be grateful for God’s grave and mercy.

He is better to us than we deserve.

Ruth 2:11

Her character spoke louder than her voice. We mentioned that Naomi must have been a prominent lady when she lived there, even 10 years later, she is the talk of the town.

People take notice of how you live. People that you may never know or see.

Do you think that Ruth was friends with all these townspeople? Do you think she hung out with all the ladies at the local hairdresser? Probably not, but yet her story and lifestyle was known by a lot of people.

Whether you know it or not, people watch and know about your lifestyle.

Boaz pretty much said: “I don’t know you and you really don’t know me, but I hear about you.

People hear about us. What do people say about you? Are you a peaceful sort? Are you cantankerous?

Do you have integrity and a good character?

In other words, what is your testimony?

Another aspect of this is that she gave of herself to help Naomi without wanting anything in return.

God sees it and He is the one who really counts.

Matthew 25:40

You may think that all your work for the Lord goes unnoticed, but God keeps good records.

Ruth 2:12

And if you know the story, we’ll see that God does exactly that.

God can only help us if we come to him for refuge.

Ruth 2:13

Remember what he told her to do. Walk right with HIS servant girls.

The order of gleaning would usually be: His harvesters, followed by HIS servant girls, then lastly by any other widow that would come to glean.

He “promoted her” ahead of the regular gleaners. He is drawing her to himself. Boaz is doing the drawing. She is not working her way into his life.

The Bible says that no one comes unless the father draws them. We don’t try to work our way into God’s family.

He is the one who initiates it.

Boaz knew, that she ultimately was trusting the God of Israel. She didn’t know much about that God, but she trusted that He was a good God and would take care of her.

She was no longer a foreigner or an outcast, but she had come to take refuge in this God that she trusted.

God used Boaz to bring about His blessings and provisions to Ruth.

God uses us to bring about His blessings and provisions to others.

Ruth 2:14

Again, he is doing the drawing. He is reaching out to her. Not the other way around.

He is extending his goodness to her.

The goodness of God leads us to repentance.

Before we came to know Christ, did we really recognize God’s goodness? Or did we just think we did it all ourselves?

As believers, we recognize and appreciate God’s goodness to us and that leads us to want to live holy and pleasing to God-repentance!

Knowing that God initiated it all to begin with.

Also, him inviting her was a big deal. This was practically unheard of. A man of stature, to eat with a servant girl? And to bring her with the harvesters?

This is like the story of King David and Mephibosheth.

Ruth 2:14

I thought about Jesus’ story about being asked to sit at the head of the table . . .

Luke 14:10

I imagine this was quite the honor for Ruth.

She had no privilege, no right to be there, not worthy of that position, but Boaz called her.

We have no right or privilege and we are not worthy of that position, but God called us.

Ruth 2:15-16

Notice 2 things about this.
1) Boaz was responsible for all that she received. He was a gracious landowner.

2) Ruth still had to do her part to receive the blessing.

God is our provider. He graciously supplies the job, the ability to work the smarts to do your job. But we still have to work and use those abilities to receive God’s blessings.

He could have just told his men to give her the stuff, but he didn’t.

God could just send you money in the mail without having to work, but that isn’t how He does it.

Ruth 2:17-18

Notice the shift in Ruth’s position. She used to be a dependent, but now she is a provider.

She could have told Naomi, go glean for yourself, I worked hard for this. But she gave out of the little she had.

Can we see the providence of God? Can we see how God is orchestrating all of this to bring out a blessing for Ruth & Naomi?

Ruth still has no idea that God is behind all of this and for her, it’s still hard work, but she is trusting that God will work all things together for her good.

Even though she doesn’t see it yet.

Where are you right now? You may not feel that God has all things in control and you don’t even see what God is doing, but if we are faithful to do the little things that God puts in front of us (like gleaning did for Ruth) . . .

All things that were put in front of me, that God used (hopefully) to bless others.

We can trust that God will work all things out for our good as well.

Thank you for joining us!

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our website and follow us on social media @doverassembly! Have a great week!

http://doverassembly.com

Watch online

Miss part of the sermon or want to share it with others? Catch the replay on Vimeo, YouTube or Facebook!

http://vimeo.com/doverassembly