Element Christian Church

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE Our very first study in our new home is a short Christmas series about families and different ways we encounter the holidays. Today we talk about stressed out situations and families. We tend to look back at the birth of Jesus (and the first Christmas) as a completely serene and peaceful event, we even sing songs about Jesus’ birth where we say, “All is calm, all is bright.” When we read the scriptures we actually see that everything surrounding the birth of Jesus was a stressful event for everyone involved. • Mary and Joseph encounter a pregnancy before the actual wedding vows • Joseph was not the father of this baby • Joseph was prepared to divorce Mary • An angel appears to Joseph to tell him to stick with Mary • The town doesn’t get this angelic visit, so Joseph and Mary get judged for the rest of their lives

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE The story of Ruth is all about God’s story… and God’s story is all about Jesus. Sure, we can call this Gleanings of Ruth, but I think we can also call the story Gleanings from Element! At Element there is really only one message every Sunday morning, and that is Jesus. The truth is that Jesus lived, died, and rose again for us; He is making all things new, even today. He made Naomi new again, He made Boaz new again, He made Ruth new again, and He makes us new again even today, because that’s what Jesus is all about. He is present and working in our lives to bring about Redemption; inviting us back into a relationship with Him.

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE Today we finish the narrative from the book of Ruth. Ruth is a book that teaches us that in God’s redeeming work in our lives NOTHING IS WASTED. For God; every situation, every circumstance, and every poor decision we have made can all be redeemed in light of the good news of Jesus. We may not understand how He will redeem it while we are in the middle of our heartache and pain, but when we surrender all we are to Him, Jesus does a miracle. God uses it all to bring about His purpose and His glory.

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE Over the past 10 weeks, we have looked closely at redemption from a few perspectives. What it looks like to be redeemed, who provides redemption, and why it matters in our hearts, our families, and our communities. We have seen the non-miraculous story of a brave, humble, and faithful immigrant widow bring the one true God into the mundane details of life and what happens next is all part of the greatest love story ever told. Remember how this small Old Testament book is a story within The Story? Let’s spend a little more time looking at Ruth together and observe how her “happily ever after” secured our eternal happy ending to The Story.

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE If you are newer to Element, we have been in journey called “Planting Roots” over the last three years. This journey focused on generosity, God’s leading, and finding Element a permanent home. In amazing providential care, God has done all of these things in renewed ways over the last 3 years; many times these “ways” were unexpected, but still a blessing. In the most technical sense, today is the end of that three year journey we started. We will actually have our official Planting Roots closure on November 19th with our Agape service at our new property, but if you were following strict timelines, today is three years. We can see how all of this relates in the book of Ruth: journeys, hard work, blessing, growth, and God’s providence which brings about great joy in His people. In the Scriptures we see that God blesses us to be a blessing in others’ lives, this can happen no matter how much, or how little, we think we have. Boaz is rich, but he is righteous and gives to those a

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE When you hear the term “Redeemer,” usually we’re talking about Jesus (and all redemption really is because of Him) but today we see how redemption is something we are all apart of and have the ability to extend to each other. Boaz and Ruth are examples to us of this redemption, Boaz is a Christ-like hero, Ruth embodies the humility and faithfulness of Jesus. Boaz does the right thing for the right reasons. Ruth is more than a pretty face: she is wise, diligent, and kind…just like the one true God she believes in. We’re well into our series where we study the book of Ruth and this week we take a first pass at what redemption is, who is a Redeemer, and why this matters to us and to Ruth. A redeemer, in that culture, was an extended family member (in this case through Naomi’s deceased husband Elimelech) that would come in and pay off a debt in order to bring a family member back. A redeemer had 2 functions: • to redeem people • to redeem property.

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE Last week we looked at practical tips for men from the text in how Boaz treats Ruth, today we will look at the very practical ways that Ruth navigates and honors a burgeoning relationship with Boaz, and Jesus. The things that stand out about Ruth are indicated in the text as follow: • Ruth is a person of character (Ruth 2:11). • Ruth is respectful, but honest (2:10). • Ruth acknowledges and thanks Boaz (2:13). • Ruth works hard and well. • Ruth made an effort to be attractive to Boaz (3:3). • Ruth places herself in front of Boaz (3:3). • Ruth gave Boaz some space (3:3). • Ruth let’s Boaz know her expectations (3:9). • Ruth asks to be taken care of (3:9). • Ruth is a “worthy woman” (3:11). • Ruth trusts Boaz (3:13).

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE Today we will look at the very practical ways that Boaz honors Ruth (and others) in ways that are strong and masculine, while not being chauvinistic. Boaz is a great catch for Ruth based on 15 indicators in the text. • His character (Ruth 2:1). • Boaz isn’t afraid to show that he knows God! (Ruth 2:4) • He NOTICES. (Ruth 2:5) • Boaz honors what is front of him. • Boaz provides friendship and community. (Ruth 2:8) • Boaz protects Ruth. • Boaz tells Ruth her character is beautiful. (Ruth 2:11) • Boaz honors her publicly. • Boaz prays for her. (Ruth 2:12) • Boaz comforts her. (Ruth 2:13) • Boaz offers grace. • Boaz feeds her. (Ruth 2:14) • Boaz serves Ruth. • Boaz treats Ruth with respect and in turn treats Naomi with respect. (Ruth 2:14) • Boaz invests in those around him. (Ruth 2:15)

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE Ruth is a book that gives us stories within stories! Ruth might be a short book in the Old Testament, but it is a big part of God’s sweeping redemption story being told throughout all of the Bible. Sinclair Ferguson wrote that “all great narrative…is composed of a problem, an unraveling of it, and a solution to it.” This is true of not only the book of Ruth, but of our lives as well. We have a central problem called sin, we are unraveling, and Jesus comes to rescue and save us.

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE As we close out the first chapter of Ruth today, we start to see the book of Ruth showing more and more God’s bigger story of Redemption. Last week, we began to go deeper into the theology that God is sovereign, good, and kind; He keeps His word no matter what! Before we get to the next part of Ruth, we must first understand that all of Ruth’s history is a redemptive love story.

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE We learned last week that Ruth’s story is meant to remind us that our past doesn’t have to decide our future. There used to be a phrase that was spoken a lot: “it’s all in the name.” This week we see that that is overwhelmingly true! God is faithful and the heart of the Gospel is that everything that comes to you is either from the hand of God or has passed through the hand of God.

DOWNLOAD PDF SERMON NOTES HERE The story of Ruth is meant to remind us that our past doesn’t have to decide our future and whatever curse you may feel upon your life can and will be broken by the grace of God. Jesus, because He is God, can bring hope to any situation because the Gospel is true and all things rest in the providential hand of God.

God is big enough to handle it when we are faced with ideas or things that make us say “What in the world?!” This week is no exception. But this week, there is no black and white answer. This week’s What in the World question is: “The Catholic Church just released direction to Catholics about what they can and can’t do with cremated ashes in order for the soul to be ready when Jesus returns. I thought the body is just a shell that gets left behind. What does it matter what is done to it – burial or cremation? Scattered ashes vs buried vs hung on the mantle. What does the bible actually say about this and what do Christian churches believe vs the Catholic Church?”

This week’s question is, “Why did Jesus curse the fig tree in Mark 11:12? It says that figs were not in season. There must be more to this than it appears.” In Mark 11 Jesus uses a living example, in a fig tree, to illustrate not just His own power and authority, but also what the deadness of cold religion brings. Too often in our own lives we settle for less than eternal life because our own idea of religion is more important to us than God. We have leaves, like a tree, but our leaves reflect us and we don’t bear any real fruit that tastes like the Gospel of Jesus.

Today we look at the question of Jesus being called “good” in the midst of a question about eternal life. In Jesus’ answer He will talk about camels, needles, and God being able to do the impossible. This week’s What in the World question is: “In Mark 10:17-27 I am confused. Does Jesus imply that He isn’t good? Does He say it is bad to have riches? AND what is the eye of a needle?”

Today we are in week 15 and this is the question we are answering today: “It has always bothered me that Jesus said stuff like destroy this temple and I will raise it again in 3 days,” and not expect that people would think He’s a nut! They had no way of knowing He was referring to His body, so why didn’t He say it more clearly?”

The consistency of God is important because it guarantees that the promises of God, made 2000 + years ago, are still applicable to us today. God’s consistancy leads us to trust Him and we do not have to worry about Him changing His mind or regretting what He has said. He is good despite the ever changing nature of humanity and we do in the world.

If God is a God of love, as clearly shown by Jesus, the What in the World question is: [then why] “did God command genocide?” This week’s question comes about because of a focus in our culture where people want to discount God’s sovereign goodness. Many people today see a disparity between the God of the Old Testament and who Jesus portrays God to be in the New Testament. This disparity is not something Jesus Himself would have said was there as He held the Old Testament as authoritative and true, and that God has always been the same “yesterday, today, and forever.”

We believe that God inspired and led human beings to write the Bible as His revelation to us; meaning that all of Scripture is written by Him for our teaching, reproof, correction, and for training us in righteousness. And yet this all knowing, all powerful, all loving God forsakes His own son on the cross. This week’s What in the World question is: “When Jesus says, “My God My God, why have you forsaken me?” Why did He say it? Was it faltering resolve? Was He questioning God’s love? Was He regretting God’s choice to Sacrifice Him?” What in the world?!

At the end of last year, Element did a series that answered some questions about scripture that people have commonly asked. As the series ended, we asked the people of Element to write down their own questions that we would answer in 2017. This week’s question deals with one of the most bizarre stories recorded in Scripture. Here is the question: “[In] Judges 19-21. There is a Levite and he throws his concubine to a group of rapists. He then dismembers her body and sends the pieces to all of Israel and incites a war. Why is this in the Bible? How does it represent God and His grace?” While we may ask “What in the world?!” we also believe that all of the Bible is written by God for our teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.