From the House of Bread to the World and Back
Ruth 1:6-22; Hebrews 12:7-11; James 4:13-14
February 21, 2016 • Download this sermon (PDF)
Beloved congregation of Christ: In Chapter 4 of his letter, the Apostle James warns Christians about making decisions in life without regard for the Lord’s will. He says that too often, our decisions are based primarily on our material pursuit. He cautions, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.’”
Looking for financial security is not wrong in itself, but our plans should not be made without considering how it affects our life as Christians. Many Christians often talk about “greener pastures” when deciding to accept a job offer in another city, without exploring how their spiritual lives will be affected in their new location.
Something very similar to this happened to Elimelech, the husband of Naomi. He made a decision to uproot his family from Bethlehem during a famine in the land of Judah. What would he do to make sure his family does not starve? He went to Moab, a distant foreign land, where there was plenty of food. But as it turns out in the first five verses, Naomi’s cup turned from full to empty, from sweet to bitter. But in the midst of this bitterness and emptiness, there is a strong confession of faith from Ruth, the main character, Naomi’s daughter-in-law.
Today, our theme is, “From the House of Bread into the World and Back,” under three headings: first, From Sweetness to Bitterness; second, From Fullness to Emptiness; and third, Confessing Faith in the Midst of Bitterness and Emptiness.
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