Sermon Central
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The Characteristics Of Love Series
Contributed by Jon Miller on Mar 25, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: This message is part of a sermon series on the book of Ruth. I also have bulletin inserts that I used in the message. Email me if you are interested in using these.
The Characteristics of Love
-So far in the book of Ruth we have learned a lot about Ruth and Naomi, we have looked at Ruth's commitment to Naomi we have looked at how God had a plan for Ruth's life to take her from poverty to riches, to take her from the land of Moab to being in the family tree of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Last week we looked at how Boaz is a type of Christ seen in the Old Testament, we learned all about redemption because Boaz is the kinsman redeemer of Naomi & Ruth. We compared that to how Christ is our redeemer today and what that means in light of scripture.
In this passage today we are reminded that the book of Ruth is also a love story between Boaz and Ruth. Which fits nicely into scripture because the whole Bible is a story of Gods love for us. The Apostle Paul even drew the connection when he said
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
This passage is so important for our society today because we are living in a world that does not have a biblical understanding of love. My wife has had teenagers come into her office telling her that they were in “Love” with a boy or girl that they just met and they don't even know their last name.
We laugh at that buts it true. I thought it would be interesting in this message to share with you just a few lyrics of songs I found about love- from these lyrics you will be able to see how far from a bibical understanding of love we have come
I knew I loved you before I met you, I've been waiting for you all my life...- Savage Garden
I don't care who you are
Where you're from
What you did
As long as you love me -Backstreet Boys
I hate you
Then I love you
Then I love you
Then I hate you
Then I love you more
For whatever you do
I never, never, never
Want to be in love with anyone but you
You treat me wrong
You treat me right
You let me be
You make me fight with you / I could never live without you - Celine Dion
Carrie Underwood- “It started off he cuttle “where are you from “: it turned into “oh no what have I done” “and I don't even know his last name.”
Since God created Love the Bible is the only place you can really go to understand it. If we go to these songs or what man has to say about it all we get our opinions about love. In this passage today we are going to see what real love looks like
and its important because all relationships are based on love(not the same type of love their is brotherly love and agape love and a romantic love) but they are all based on love including our relationship with God
and this book of Ruth is a book about Love. The Love that Naomi has for Ruth and Ruth for Naomi. The love that Elimelech had for his family and the love that Boaz has for Ruth and Ruth for Boaz
in this passage here we find a very practical and clear bible explanation about what love is. Today I want to share with you three characteristics of love found in this chapter that I believe if you put into practice can change every relationship that we have with other people and also the relationship we have with God Almighty.
Love Seeks what is Best
Look in verse 1, Naomi says to Ruth, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?
Naomi has already said that she has no intention whatsoever of remarrying, but Ruth was younger and what Noami is saying here is “shall I not find you a good husband so that you will not have to spend the rest of your life in this current condition.”
see Ruth and Noami coming upon Boaz and remembering that he is a close relative has changed Naomi's outlook on the whole situation. She sees in Boaz a change of marriage between Boaz and Ruth a marriage that will bring redemption and change everything for them.
Naomi is looking our for her daughter-in-law, Ruth she wants what is best for her and what will better her in this life and bring her rest.
One of the awesome characteristics of love is that true Biblical love seeks the best for the other person.
Naomi was not being a bit selfish when she said this. She completely had Ruth's best interest in mind in this chapter.
