1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:06,720 You’re listening to a sermon from Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible 2 00:00:06,720 –> 00:00:11,900 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN-365 3 00:00:11,900 –> 00:00:15,840 or visit our website Open the Bible dot org 4 00:00:15,840 –> 00:00:17,559 Let’s get to the message 5 00:00:17,559 –> 00:00:18,559 Here is Pastor Colin 6 00:00:18,559 –> 00:00:23,799 Well, please have your Bible opened at the passage that’s been read for us in Ruthen 7 00:00:23,799 –> 00:00:25,180 Chapter 1 8 00:00:25,200 –> 00:00:31,559 We are following the story of the lives, loves and losses of an ordinary family 9 00:00:31,559 –> 00:00:39,240 and we are seeing how our extraordinary God weaves His hidden plan into their lives 10 00:00:39,240 –> 00:00:42,599 in order to bring blessing to the world 11 00:00:42,599 –> 00:00:47,939 Now the spotlight in this first chapter of Ruth is on the Naomi 12 00:00:47,939 –> 00:00:52,240 Who lived in Bethlehem with her husband Elimelech 13 00:00:52,259 –> 00:00:55,820 And her two sons, Melon and Chilean 14 00:00:55,820 –> 00:01:01,759 And when this family were faced with a famine they moved to Moab 15 00:01:01,759 –> 00:01:05,519 While they were there, Melon and Chilean got married 16 00:01:05,519 –> 00:01:10,320 And the names of their wives were Orpah and Ruth 17 00:01:10,320 –> 00:01:12,139 But along with this joy 18 00:01:12,139 –> 00:01:16,919 Naomi suffered great loss through a triple bereavement 19 00:01:16,919 –> 00:01:19,940 She lost her husband Elimelech 20 00:01:19,940 –> 00:01:24,260 And then she lost both of her sons, Melon and Chilean 21 00:01:24,260 –> 00:01:31,040 So this is a story of great grief and of great loss 22 00:01:31,040 –> 00:01:35,099 Now when Naomi heard that the famine in Bethlehem was over 23 00:01:35,099 –> 00:01:38,260 She decided that it was time for her to return home 24 00:01:38,260 –> 00:01:43,019 And we saw last time that in an astonishing act 25 00:01:43,019 –> 00:01:45,739 Of loving commitment 26 00:01:45,739 –> 00:01:50,820 and faith, her daughter-in-law, Ruth, decided to go with her 27 00:01:50,820 –> 00:01:53,559 Where you go, I will go 28 00:01:53,559 –> 00:01:57,099 And where you lodge, I will lodge 29 00:01:57,099 –> 00:02:01,220 Your God will be my God 30 00:02:01,220 –> 00:02:05,300 So that’s the story that we now take up in verse 19 31 00:02:05,300 –> 00:02:10,380 Which was read to us where Ruth and Naomi arrive back in Bethlehem 32 00:02:10,380 –> 00:02:12,539 So the two of them went on 33 00:02:13,539 –> 00:02:16,100 Until they came to Bethlehem 34 00:02:16,100 –> 00:02:19,259 And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred 35 00:02:19,259 –> 00:02:20,740 because of them 36 00:02:20,740 –> 00:02:22,539 and the women said 37 00:02:22,539 –> 00:02:23,899 Is this Naomi? 38 00:02:25,020 –> 00:02:27,440 Now 10 years had passed 39 00:02:27,440 –> 00:02:30,380 since Naomi had left Bethlehem 40 00:02:30,380 –> 00:02:31,899 10 years is a long time 41 00:02:31,899 –> 00:02:35,119 A lot changes in 10 years 42 00:02:35,119 –> 00:02:38,940 And three bereavements had clearly taken their toll on Naomi 43 00:02:39,759 –> 00:02:44,259 And when she arrived home, her friends barely even recognized her 44 00:02:44,259 –> 00:02:46,919 Is this Naomi? 45 00:02:47,740 –> 00:02:52,479 She had left Bethlehem, of course, with her husband, and her two sons 46 00:02:52,479 –> 00:02:57,419 And so when her friends realized that indeed it was Naomi back 47 00:02:57,419 –> 00:03:00,259 The natural first thing for them to say 48 00:03:00,259 –> 00:03:00,960 would be 49 00:03:00,960 –> 00:03:02,740 Oh, Naomi, welcome home 50 00:03:02,740 –> 00:03:03,880 How’s Limeligh? 51 00:03:04,699 –> 00:03:11,720 Oh, he died shortly after we moved to Moab 52 00:03:11,720 –> 00:03:13,539 Oh, Naomi, so sorry 53 00:03:13,539 –> 00:03:16,679 So you were left all on your own with these two lads 54 00:03:16,679 –> 00:03:20,679 How are the boys doing? 55 00:03:20,679 –> 00:03:23,360 Oh, they both died too 56 00:03:23,360 –> 00:03:28,800 So no wonder, the whole town was stirred 57 00:03:29,759 –> 00:03:35,740 by the grief and the sorrow of this returning woman 58 00:03:35,740 –> 00:03:38,740 Now the title of our message today is, is grief 59 00:03:38,740 –> 00:03:41,820 And we’re looking at the words of Naomi 60 00:03:41,820 –> 00:03:45,899 And from them I want us to gather two things today 61 00:03:45,899 –> 00:03:50,399 I think there is some real wisdom for us here 62 00:03:50,399 –> 00:03:52,380 in regards to navigating sorrow 63 00:03:52,380 –> 00:03:56,800 For anyone who endures trauma 64 00:03:56,800 –> 00:03:59,660 who endures loss 65 00:03:59,660 –> 00:04:03,740 who walks the path of sorrow in any way 66 00:04:03,740 –> 00:04:06,800 there is wisdom that we can gain here 67 00:04:06,800 –> 00:04:08,839 from the words and the experience of Naomi 68 00:04:08,839 –> 00:04:10,179 That’s the first thing 69 00:04:10,179 –> 00:04:12,899 wisdom for navigating sorrow 70 00:04:12,899 –> 00:04:17,220 And the second is going to be a strategy 71 00:04:17,220 –> 00:04:19,559 for growing in faith 72 00:04:19,700 –> 00:04:22,720 The things then wisdom for navigating sorrow 73 00:04:22,720 –> 00:04:26,140 and a strategy for growing in faith 74 00:04:26,140 –> 00:04:28,959 First, wisdom for navigating sorrow 75 00:04:28,959 –> 00:04:30,040 and I want you to notice 76 00:04:30,040 –> 00:04:32,839 it seems quite clear to me here 77 00:04:32,839 –> 00:04:34,519 that we are being reminded of this truth 78 00:04:34,519 –> 00:04:37,079 that sorrow comes in waves 79 00:04:37,079 –> 00:04:38,660 It does not come at one time 80 00:04:38,660 –> 00:04:42,119 it overwhelms at particular moments 81 00:04:42,119 –> 00:04:44,940 and for particular reasons 82 00:04:44,940 –> 00:04:47,079 Verses 19 and 20 83 00:04:47,299 –> 00:04:48,640 So the two of them went on 84 00:04:48,640 –> 00:04:52,519 until they came to Bethlehem 85 00:04:52,519 –> 00:04:55,519 and when they came to Bethlehem 86 00:04:55,519 –> 00:04:58,160 the whole town was stirred because of them 87 00:04:58,160 –> 00:04:59,160 and the woman said 88 00:04:59,160 –> 00:05:00,160 Is this Naomi? 89 00:05:00,160 –> 00:05:01,160 and she said 90 00:05:01,160 –> 00:05:02,160 Do not call me Naomi 91 00:05:02,160 –> 00:05:03,160 Call me Marah 92 00:05:03,160 –> 00:05:04,160 for the almighty has dealt 93 00:05:04,160 –> 00:05:08,519 very bitterly with me 94 00:05:08,519 –> 00:05:09,760 Now I’m struck by the fact 95 00:05:09,760 –> 00:05:13,299 that when Naomi began the journey back 96 00:05:13,459 –> 00:05:17,619 it seems that she was really doing quite well 97 00:05:17,619 –> 00:05:19,700 and when we read the rest of the story 98 00:05:20,579 –> 00:05:22,940 she seems remarkable in her poise 99 00:05:22,940 –> 00:05:25,459 and in her steadiness and in her faith 100 00:05:26,820 –> 00:05:29,239 when she reached the crossroads 101 00:05:29,239 –> 00:05:31,359 with her two daughters-in-law 102 00:05:31,359 –> 00:05:33,399 and the conversation took place 103 00:05:33,399 –> 00:05:35,119 that we looked at last time 104 00:05:35,119 –> 00:05:38,380 she was quite composed as she spoke to them 105 00:05:38,380 –> 00:05:41,059 she was clear in her counsel 106 00:05:41,059 –> 00:05:43,000 she was steady in her resolve 107 00:05:43,000 –> 00:05:45,959 she was generous in her spirit as she prayed 108 00:05:46,600 –> 00:05:48,320 for God’s blessing to be on them 109 00:05:48,320 –> 00:05:50,359 and for his peace to go with them 110 00:05:50,359 –> 00:05:53,799 but when she came back to Bethlehem 111 00:05:53,799 –> 00:05:55,160 oh, she was hit 112 00:05:56,760 –> 00:06:03,399 by an overwhelming and perhaps even unexpected wave of sorrow 113 00:06:03,399 –> 00:06:05,559 you see that the two of them went on their way 114 00:06:05,559 –> 00:06:08,040 until they came to Bethlehem 115 00:06:08,040 –> 00:06:09,079 Bethlehem 116 00:06:09,480 –> 00:06:16,040 well of course this was where Elemelech had courted Neomy 117 00:06:16,040 –> 00:06:19,799 this was where Neomy had had a wedding 118 00:06:19,799 –> 00:06:22,119 this was where the boys had been born 119 00:06:22,119 –> 00:06:23,880 this is where they had played 120 00:06:25,799 –> 00:06:29,480 every street in this little town 121 00:06:29,480 –> 00:06:32,760 evoked memories of Neomy’s past life 122 00:06:32,760 –> 00:06:34,679 and when she returned to Bethlehem 123 00:06:34,679 –> 00:06:35,320 oh boy 124 00:06:35,959 –> 00:06:38,359 then the memories flooded back 125 00:06:38,359 –> 00:06:40,679 and she was absolutely overwhelmed with sorrow 126 00:06:42,519 –> 00:06:46,920 everyone who endures shock, trauma 127 00:06:47,799 –> 00:06:48,600 or loss 128 00:06:49,799 –> 00:06:51,000 knows what this is like 129 00:06:52,440 –> 00:06:53,799 the crisis comes 130 00:06:55,239 –> 00:06:56,679 and you endure it 131 00:06:58,359 –> 00:06:59,720 and you think you’ve got through it 132 00:07:01,799 –> 00:07:03,640 and then something triggers 133 00:07:03,640 –> 00:07:06,119 a whole new wave of sorrow 134 00:07:06,119 –> 00:07:13,640 and you find, to your surprise, that your loss feels even more painful than it did before 135 00:07:15,880 –> 00:07:17,079 sorrow comes in waves 136 00:07:19,000 –> 00:07:20,760 one passes, another comes 137 00:07:22,200 –> 00:07:26,359 so here, as we’re gathering, wisdom for navigating sorrow’s path 138 00:07:26,359 –> 00:07:28,279 is something that we should expect 139 00:07:28,279 –> 00:07:31,559 to be forewarned is to be forearmed 140 00:07:31,559 –> 00:07:33,880 waves of sorrow come and go 141 00:07:33,880 –> 00:07:39,320 in the wake of trauma, of shock, and of loss 142 00:07:39,320 –> 00:07:40,200 that’s the first thing 143 00:07:41,160 –> 00:07:44,760 second observation from this is that grief distorts 144 00:07:46,440 –> 00:07:48,359 notice what she says in verse 21 145 00:07:49,720 –> 00:07:55,320 I went away full and the Lord has brought me back empty 146 00:07:56,359 –> 00:08:02,359 now these are the words of a believing woman when her heart was filled with sorrow 147 00:08:03,320 –> 00:08:06,600 and what Naomi says here is clearly true 148 00:08:07,480 –> 00:08:12,839 when she had left Bethlehem, Naomi had a husband and she had two sons 149 00:08:13,399 –> 00:08:16,519 but none of them were with her when she returned 150 00:08:16,519 –> 00:08:22,200 I went away full, the Lord has brought me back empty 151 00:08:23,320 –> 00:08:28,839 when she left it does appear that Naomi may have been quite prosperous 152 00:08:28,839 –> 00:08:30,359 she certainly owned some land 153 00:08:30,679 –> 00:08:36,200 but when she came back it’s clearly the case that she arrived in poverty 154 00:08:37,559 –> 00:08:40,119 so what Naomi says here is true 155 00:08:41,880 –> 00:08:43,159 but it’s not the whole truth 156 00:08:44,599 –> 00:08:45,400 it’s not the whole truth 157 00:08:47,479 –> 00:08:49,719 I went away full 158 00:08:52,039 –> 00:08:53,799 yes but why did she go away? 159 00:08:55,640 –> 00:08:59,159 she went away because there was famine in the land 160 00:08:59,320 –> 00:09:05,320 so life was not as full as her grieving memory was suggesting 161 00:09:07,239 –> 00:09:11,400 and then she says the lord has brought me back empty 162 00:09:13,159 –> 00:09:16,440 well then Naomi who is this who is standing beside you? 163 00:09:18,440 –> 00:09:25,239 Ruth has made an extraordinary commitment of love and of lifelong loyalty to her mother-in-law 164 00:09:26,200 –> 00:09:31,159 where you go I will go where you lodge I will lodge 165 00:09:31,159 –> 00:09:35,320 nothing but death will ever separated me from you 166 00:09:35,320 –> 00:09:42,200 Naomi with a love like that you can hardly say the lord has brought you back empty 167 00:09:42,359 –> 00:09:45,580 grief distorts 168 00:09:47,880 –> 00:09:51,799 it embellishes what God gave in the past 169 00:09:53,640 –> 00:09:58,119 and it loses sight of what God is providing now 170 00:10:00,280 –> 00:10:04,919 so here is wisdom for navigating sorrow’s path 171 00:10:04,919 –> 00:10:09,559 when you feel the weight of how much you have lost 172 00:10:10,119 –> 00:10:14,119 look at what God is providing for you now 173 00:10:14,119 –> 00:10:19,159 the help you receive the opportunities that you enjoy 174 00:10:19,159 –> 00:10:22,280 the people that God has placed around you 175 00:10:22,280 –> 00:10:26,280 making much of what God has given will help you to bear 176 00:10:27,799 –> 00:10:29,799 what he has taken away 177 00:10:31,479 –> 00:10:33,479 grief comes in waves 178 00:10:35,559 –> 00:10:37,559 grief distorts 179 00:10:38,520 –> 00:10:42,679 But surely the most obvious area of wisdom as we look at these verses 180 00:10:42,679 –> 00:10:49,320 is the reminder to us here that bitterness lurks at sorrow’s door 181 00:10:50,200 –> 00:10:52,760 it’s in verse 13 and in verse 20 182 00:10:52,760 –> 00:10:56,919 Know my daughters. It is exceedingly bitter for me 183 00:10:56,919 –> 00:11:01,320 for to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me 184 00:11:01,320 –> 00:11:03,159 that’s verse 13, verse 20 185 00:11:03,159 –> 00:11:06,520 She said to them, Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara 186 00:11:07,080 –> 00:11:13,320 which means bitter, for the almighty has dealt very bitterly with me 187 00:11:14,679 –> 00:11:18,919 Now the name Naomi as many of you will know means pleasant 188 00:11:19,880 –> 00:11:27,400 and after her great loss and the experience of these years of grief 189 00:11:27,400 –> 00:11:32,200 Naomi just did not feel that her name was a good fit for her experience 190 00:11:32,200 –> 00:11:35,400 Pleasant that certainly doesn’t describe my life 191 00:11:36,200 –> 00:11:38,440 Call me Mara which means bitter 192 00:11:38,440 –> 00:11:42,359 that’s what these last years have been for me 193 00:11:43,960 –> 00:11:47,640 Now here’s a question and again you’ll find that folks who write on Ruth 194 00:11:47,640 –> 00:11:50,520 Come to Different Conclusions on this 195 00:11:51,159 –> 00:11:53,479 Was Naomi bitter? 196 00:11:56,039 –> 00:12:01,000 Or was it simply that her experience was bitter? 197 00:12:01,080 –> 00:12:05,479 Now that here there’s obviously a big difference between these two things 198 00:12:07,159 –> 00:12:10,359 I don’t think that Naomi was bitter 199 00:12:11,799 –> 00:12:17,640 One reason for that is just to look at how she prays for Orpa and for Ruth 200 00:12:17,640 –> 00:12:19,000 we looked at this last time 201 00:12:19,000 –> 00:12:20,760 that God’s blessing would be on them 202 00:12:20,760 –> 00:12:22,919 that God’s peace would go with them 203 00:12:22,919 –> 00:12:26,599 You can’t pray for another person like that if your heart is filled with bitterness 204 00:12:27,719 –> 00:12:28,280 You just can’t 205 00:12:28,280 –> 00:12:33,559 There’s a big difference between enduring a bitter experience 206 00:12:33,559 –> 00:12:36,280 that all of us will do in some ways at some times 207 00:12:36,280 –> 00:12:38,679 and becoming a bitter person 208 00:12:39,320 –> 00:12:42,119 and I don’t think that Naomi herself was bitter 209 00:12:42,119 –> 00:12:46,840 What is certain is that she had a great battle with bitterness 210 00:12:48,119 –> 00:12:51,559 and there may have been times as with all of us 211 00:12:51,559 –> 00:12:55,320 where what she was battling against got the better of her 212 00:12:55,320 –> 00:12:57,479 it may have been that it got the better of her 213 00:12:57,479 –> 00:12:59,320 when she returned to Bethlehem 214 00:13:00,359 –> 00:13:05,640 but bitterness did not win the battle in the heart of this godly woman 215 00:13:07,239 –> 00:13:13,320 I want us to take in today that there are certain sins 216 00:13:14,359 –> 00:13:17,159 that we need to guard against at particular times 217 00:13:17,159 –> 00:13:19,640 and in particular circumstances of our lives 218 00:13:20,520 –> 00:13:23,320 Knowing what they are is very important to winning the battle 219 00:13:24,280 –> 00:13:28,280 there are certain sins that we need to guard against 220 00:13:28,280 –> 00:13:32,599 at particular times and in particular circumstances of our lives 221 00:13:32,599 –> 00:13:36,840 and when you endure trauma, sorrow or loss 222 00:13:38,760 –> 00:13:41,960 watch out for bitterness 223 00:13:42,840 –> 00:13:47,799 Because bitterness lurks at sorrow’s door 224 00:13:47,799 –> 00:13:55,479 The letter of Hebrews in the New Testament was written 225 00:13:55,479 –> 00:14:01,080 very specifically to believers who had suffered great loss 226 00:14:02,559 –> 00:14:04,559 and the writer says there 227 00:14:05,719 –> 00:14:11,239 see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God 228 00:14:11,239 –> 00:14:20,520 that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled. 229 00:14:21,239 –> 00:14:28,679 Now you see he is writing with a pastoral heart to people who have experienced great loss 230 00:14:29,880 –> 00:14:33,479 and he is warning them about a primary danger 231 00:14:33,479 –> 00:14:37,320 that they will face inevitably in this situation. 232 00:14:37,320 –> 00:14:45,000 A great danger that you will face when you experience great loss, he identifies it the 233 00:14:45,000 –> 00:14:51,400 thing that you’re going to battle against the most is the temptation to become bitter. 234 00:14:53,080 –> 00:14:55,719 When you endure sorrow, when you endure loss, 235 00:14:57,239 –> 00:15:05,880 the seeds of bitterness they’re going to be blowing in the wind like the seeds of dandelions 236 00:15:05,880 –> 00:15:11,880 in the spring. You know all these white little seeds? And they’re all over the grass and they’re 237 00:15:11,880 –> 00:15:22,679 blowing in your face. They’re everywhere. Seeds of bitterness will be blowing everywhere 238 00:15:23,719 –> 00:15:28,760 when you endure sorrow and loss. And you see what he’s saying? 239 00:15:29,159 –> 00:15:37,719 These seeds will land, but if you let them remain in your heart. 240 00:15:39,400 –> 00:15:44,919 They will spring up and at all costs, you must make sure that that does not happen. 241 00:15:46,520 –> 00:15:52,200 You must not allow these seeds of bitterness that will blow around you in a season of 242 00:15:52,200 –> 00:15:58,520 loss. You must not allow them to grow because if you allow them to take root in your heart, 243 00:15:58,520 –> 00:16:04,599 they will spring up, and they will produce a poisonous plant that—notice what he says, 244 00:16:04,599 –> 00:16:13,960 causes trouble. If you allow bitterness to take root in your soul, it will cause you all kinds 245 00:16:13,960 –> 00:16:22,840 of trouble. It will take hold of you. It will make you its prisoner and when it has you captive, 246 00:16:22,840 –> 00:16:32,440 it will torture you. And if you allow bitterness to grow within you, something else will happen. 247 00:16:33,799 –> 00:16:42,119 It will spill out onto the lives of people around you. Notice what he says. By it, that is, 248 00:16:42,119 –> 00:16:49,239 by a root of bitterness that might spring up, many become defiled. Many become defiled. 249 00:16:49,880 –> 00:16:55,320 If you allow bitterness to grow in your heart it will spill out onto your loved ones, 250 00:16:55,320 –> 00:17:04,359 onto your children, your neighbors, your friends. Nobody wants that. So what are you to do? 251 00:17:05,719 –> 00:17:15,560 Well he says, see to it, see to it, see to it that no root of bitterness springs up and causes 252 00:17:16,439 –> 00:17:20,439 up and causes trouble. Give bitterness no place in your life. 253 00:17:22,199 –> 00:17:31,400 Refuse to indulge it, reject it, give it no accommodation and no space whatsoever. 254 00:17:32,359 –> 00:17:39,719 And notice what he says, by the grace of God you will be able to do this. 255 00:17:40,599 –> 00:17:44,119 And taking up the same theme, it’s so important in the New Testament, 256 00:17:44,119 –> 00:17:45,599 the Apostle Paul says, 257 00:17:45,599 –> 00:17:53,719 do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 258 00:17:55,400 –> 00:18:01,479 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, 259 00:18:02,839 –> 00:18:04,000 along with all malice. 260 00:18:04,000 –> 00:18:10,800 What are you to do instead? Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, 261 00:18:12,640 –> 00:18:20,160 forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. 262 00:18:21,520 –> 00:18:22,479 You see what he’s saying? 263 00:18:23,760 –> 00:18:25,760 The Spirit of God lives in you. 264 00:18:27,599 –> 00:18:30,239 You’re a redeemed child of God. 265 00:18:30,479 –> 00:18:37,280 God has loved you, and God has forgiven you all your sins in Jesus Christ. 266 00:18:37,280 –> 00:18:42,160 Now, bitterness has no place in your life. 267 00:18:44,560 –> 00:18:45,280 Put it away. 268 00:18:48,160 –> 00:18:53,839 Forgive others as God in Christ forgave you. 269 00:18:54,800 –> 00:18:56,719 Forgive you all your sins. 270 00:18:58,719 –> 00:19:02,640 Now, clearly we can only do this with the help 271 00:19:03,119 –> 00:19:06,400 of God. That’s why in Hebrews it says don’t miss the grace of God, 272 00:19:06,400 –> 00:19:10,959 otherwise you’ll not be able to do what we are being called to do here. 273 00:19:10,959 –> 00:19:14,719 And that leads us to the second thing today. 274 00:19:15,680 –> 00:19:17,680 We’ve looked at navigating sorrow. 275 00:19:18,400 –> 00:19:20,000 Sorrow comes in waves. 276 00:19:20,000 –> 00:19:21,199 Grief distorts. 277 00:19:21,199 –> 00:19:23,439 Bitterness lurks at sorrow’s door. 278 00:19:24,079 –> 00:19:28,239 Now, how are we to overcome these waves of sorrow? 279 00:19:28,239 –> 00:19:31,280 How are we to deal with these distortions of grief? 280 00:19:31,280 –> 00:19:38,880 How are we to stand against the bitterness that lurks at sorrow’s door? 281 00:19:39,920 –> 00:19:46,319 Well, again, I want us to see from Naomi’s example a strategy for growing in faith. 282 00:19:46,319 –> 00:19:47,920 Notice what she does, and 283 00:19:47,920 –> 00:19:52,000 we’re going to see the good fruit that comes from it as we follow her story 284 00:19:52,000 –> 00:19:53,119 in the weeks to come. 285 00:19:54,479 –> 00:20:00,640 First, when you face great trauma, great sorrow, great loss, 286 00:20:02,160 –> 00:20:06,959 affirm that God is sovereign. 287 00:20:08,800 –> 00:20:14,800 Now, I want you to notice here that Naomi speaks about God in two distinct ways, 288 00:20:15,599 –> 00:20:18,319 and both of them are really important. 289 00:20:19,119 –> 00:20:23,359 The first is that she describes God as the Almighty. 290 00:20:23,359 –> 00:20:24,239 She does it twice. 291 00:20:24,239 –> 00:20:25,119 Verse 20. 292 00:20:25,119 –> 00:20:29,359 The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 293 00:20:30,479 –> 00:20:36,319 The Almighty, verse 21, has brought calamity upon me. 294 00:20:37,199 –> 00:20:38,079 The Almighty. 295 00:20:39,119 –> 00:20:43,839 You see what we learn here, that when Naomi’s sorrow was at its height, 296 00:20:44,000 –> 00:20:49,599 she affirmed the sovereignty of God. 297 00:20:49,599 –> 00:20:52,640 He is Almighty. 298 00:20:55,199 –> 00:20:58,959 Now, when suffering comes we feel our own helplessness. 299 00:21:00,239 –> 00:21:05,599 Never more so than in bereavement, where clearly things were out of our control. 300 00:21:06,880 –> 00:21:11,599 You’ve seen that this year in multiple disasters that have caused our hearts 301 00:21:11,680 –> 00:21:16,560 to grieve with great sympathy with those who’ve been caught up in fires and floods 302 00:21:16,560 –> 00:21:21,359 and earthquakes—situations in which people have no control whatsoever. 303 00:21:24,560 –> 00:21:28,880 And the same is true when you lose a loved one. 304 00:21:30,160 –> 00:21:34,479 The same is true when you’re diagnosed with a really serious illness. 305 00:21:35,760 –> 00:21:39,839 Same is true when you are caught up in some traumatic event. 306 00:21:42,560 –> 00:21:46,400 And when those things happen and you’re very, very conscious 307 00:21:46,400 –> 00:21:51,439 that you have not been in control, the question you inevitably ask is, who is? 308 00:21:53,199 –> 00:21:55,040 And there are only three possibilities, 309 00:21:57,199 –> 00:22:03,280 that God is in control or that evil has triumphed, 310 00:22:05,040 –> 00:22:09,359 or that no one is in control at all, and that what happens is simply a matter of random chance. 311 00:22:11,599 –> 00:22:16,239 And Naomi has absolutely no doubt whatsoever about which of these is true. 312 00:22:16,239 –> 00:22:22,640 The Almighty has dealt with me bitterly. The Almighty has brought calamity upon me. 313 00:22:25,280 –> 00:22:31,920 Now, obviously, what Naomi says here raises all kinds of questions. 314 00:22:33,359 –> 00:22:41,040 But Naomi speaks with faith here because she recognizes the hand of God 315 00:22:41,920 –> 00:22:48,959 even in the hardest things of life. God is Almighty. 316 00:22:50,880 –> 00:22:56,560 And that means that He is in control even when the worst things happen. 317 00:22:59,199 –> 00:23:05,520 So when trouble comes, Naomi says God is in the trouble. 318 00:23:05,760 –> 00:23:13,199 Now, the sovereignty of God might seem to you like the last place you would look for comfort 319 00:23:13,199 –> 00:23:15,359 when sorrow and loss invade your life. 320 00:23:15,359 –> 00:23:16,959 You may find a sense of dissonance 321 00:23:16,959 –> 00:23:22,479 even as you try to take what Naomi says here into your mind and into your heart. 322 00:23:22,479 –> 00:23:24,000 But I want to commend this to you, 323 00:23:24,000 –> 00:23:27,520 that Naomi really does have something important to teach us here. 324 00:23:27,520 –> 00:23:31,280 And believers through the centuries have found 325 00:23:31,280 –> 00:23:34,479 that this great truth of the sovereignty of God 326 00:23:34,479 –> 00:23:40,479 gives great comfort in times of sorrow. 327 00:23:40,479 –> 00:23:46,000 I’ll never forget hearing Dr. Joe Stole 328 00:23:46,000 –> 00:23:48,800 tell a story about how on one occasion 329 00:23:48,800 –> 00:23:54,479 he was preaching on this theme of the sovereignty of God. 330 00:23:54,479 –> 00:23:56,800 And afterwards, a couple came up to him 331 00:23:56,800 –> 00:24:00,000 to thank him for his message 332 00:24:00,000 –> 00:24:03,680 which they said had been a great comfort to them 333 00:24:03,839 –> 00:24:06,800 and then they told him their story. 334 00:24:07,599 –> 00:24:09,040 They had lost their son 335 00:24:10,160 –> 00:24:13,760 through a tragic and sudden illness. 336 00:24:15,119 –> 00:24:20,400 They had gone to their pastor stricken with grief 337 00:24:20,400 –> 00:24:23,359 and their pastor had identified 338 00:24:23,359 –> 00:24:27,599 with great sympathy and compassion with their sorrow. 339 00:24:27,760 –> 00:24:28,719 With their sorrow. 340 00:24:30,719 –> 00:24:31,839 But they wanted more! 341 00:24:33,920 –> 00:24:36,800 They were looking for something that they could cling to. 342 00:24:38,479 –> 00:24:42,000 Something that they could hold on to in their sorrow! 343 00:24:43,199 –> 00:24:44,479 And their pastor said 344 00:24:46,640 –> 00:24:48,160 I don’t know what to tell you 345 00:24:50,160 –> 00:24:54,000 except that sometimes even God makes mistakes. 346 00:24:54,800 –> 00:25:00,079 Friends, the sovereignty of God leaves us with a thousand unanswered questions. 347 00:25:02,640 –> 00:25:08,000 But I would rather live with a thousand unanswered questions about the Sovereignty 348 00:25:08,000 –> 00:25:14,560 of God, than plunge into the abyss of believing that somehow the hardest things 349 00:25:14,560 –> 00:25:19,119 of life were outside the loving planning control of God Almighty. 350 00:25:19,119 –> 00:25:21,760 Outside the loving planning control of God Almighty. 351 00:25:23,199 –> 00:25:27,920 There is no comfort whatsoever in the idea of a God who makes mistakes. 352 00:25:29,119 –> 00:25:32,719 No help in a God who lets things slip through His fingers, 353 00:25:32,719 –> 00:25:37,199 no hope in a God who cannot get His Will done. 354 00:25:37,199 –> 00:25:41,599 And Naomi gives us, I think the most marvelous example of faith, 355 00:25:41,599 –> 00:25:47,359 in the depth of her sorrows, she says, I believe in God Almighty. 356 00:25:50,079 –> 00:25:51,199 I have great sorrow, 357 00:25:53,359 –> 00:25:55,280 but this is why I’m not in despair. 358 00:25:58,160 –> 00:26:03,760 I am persuaded that nothing in death nor in life can derail His good purpose for me. 359 00:26:05,439 –> 00:26:10,000 I am not in despair because I dare to believe 360 00:26:11,280 –> 00:26:15,439 that God is sovereign even over this. 361 00:26:15,439 –> 00:26:27,280 God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own. 362 00:26:28,640 –> 00:26:33,439 Though trials may press us and burdens distress us, 363 00:26:33,439 –> 00:26:36,239 he never will leave us alone. 364 00:26:36,400 –> 00:26:40,079 God is still on the throne, 365 00:26:41,520 –> 00:26:43,599 and He will remember His own. 366 00:26:45,199 –> 00:26:46,560 His promise is true. 367 00:26:48,239 –> 00:26:50,479 He will not forget you. 368 00:26:52,239 –> 00:26:55,439 God is still on the throne. 369 00:26:57,199 –> 00:27:00,479 And that, dear friend, is true on the worst 370 00:27:00,479 –> 00:27:03,520 day of your life as much as it’s true on the best, 371 00:27:03,520 –> 00:27:06,319 and it’s on the worst day of your life 372 00:27:06,319 –> 00:27:10,800 that you most need to know and affirm it. 373 00:27:13,040 –> 00:27:17,119 That’s the first thing, strategy for growing in faith. 374 00:27:18,800 –> 00:27:22,719 What Naomi does is, she affirms the sovereignty of God. 375 00:27:23,920 –> 00:27:29,920 Second, remember that the Lord has made a covenant with you. 376 00:27:29,920 –> 00:27:33,000 Naomi speaks twice about the Almighty, 377 00:27:33,000 –> 00:27:35,219 but I wonder if you notice that she speaks 378 00:27:35,219 –> 00:27:40,219 about the Lord five times in this chapter. 379 00:27:41,219 –> 00:27:42,839 She says in verse eight, 380 00:27:42,839 –> 00:27:44,439 to Ruth and to Orpa, 381 00:27:44,439 –> 00:27:47,479 may the Lord deal kindly with you 382 00:27:47,479 –> 00:27:50,119 as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 383 00:27:50,119 –> 00:27:51,959 And then she says to them in verse nine, 384 00:27:51,959 –> 00:27:54,719 the Lord grant that you may find rest 385 00:27:54,719 –> 00:27:57,099 each of you in the house of her husband. 386 00:27:57,780 –> 00:28:00,459 And Naomi believes that blessing comes from the Lord, 387 00:28:00,459 –> 00:28:02,079 then she prays for her daughters-in-law 388 00:28:02,079 –> 00:28:03,459 that they will enjoy the blessing 389 00:28:03,459 –> 00:28:07,939 and the peace that God the Lord gives. 390 00:28:07,939 –> 00:28:09,339 Then in verse 13, 391 00:28:09,339 –> 00:28:14,339 Naomi says the hand of the Lord has gone out against me, 392 00:28:14,599 –> 00:28:16,339 verse 21, I went away full 393 00:28:16,339 –> 00:28:19,540 and the Lord has brought me back empty. 394 00:28:19,540 –> 00:28:23,000 Verse 21 again, the Lord has testified against me 395 00:28:23,000 –> 00:28:25,819 and the almighty has brought me back empty. 396 00:28:25,880 –> 00:28:29,540 And the almighty has brought calamity upon me. 397 00:28:29,540 –> 00:28:31,939 Now notice that in each of these cases, 398 00:28:31,939 –> 00:28:36,939 the Lord in the Bible is printed with four capital letters. 399 00:28:37,359 –> 00:28:39,079 And whenever you see Lord 400 00:28:39,079 –> 00:28:41,900 with four capital letters in the Bible, 401 00:28:41,900 –> 00:28:43,680 it’s a reference to the name 402 00:28:43,680 –> 00:28:46,780 by which God made himself known to Moses. 403 00:28:46,780 –> 00:28:49,199 And this is the name that God used 404 00:28:49,199 –> 00:28:54,199 especially in relation to his covenant with his people, 405 00:28:54,520 –> 00:28:59,060 the special bond that God has with his own people. 406 00:28:59,060 –> 00:29:02,099 They know him as the Lord. 407 00:29:02,099 –> 00:29:03,300 This is the name, 408 00:29:03,300 –> 00:29:06,660 that the covenant name that he has given to them. 409 00:29:06,660 –> 00:29:11,579 It is the Lord who said I will be your God 410 00:29:11,579 –> 00:29:13,140 and you will be my people. 411 00:29:13,140 –> 00:29:17,599 Moses tells us that it was the Lord who said to Abraham, 412 00:29:17,599 –> 00:29:21,319 I will bless you and through you 413 00:29:21,319 –> 00:29:25,119 all the families of the earth will be blessed. 414 00:29:25,119 –> 00:29:26,280 Now you see these two things, 415 00:29:26,280 –> 00:29:28,260 and they’re both very important. 416 00:29:28,260 –> 00:29:31,819 Naomi speaks about God as almighty 417 00:29:31,819 –> 00:29:34,819 recognizing that he is sovereign, 418 00:29:34,819 –> 00:29:38,979 but she speaks even more about the Lord 419 00:29:38,979 –> 00:29:43,979 recognizing that God has made an unbreakable covenant 420 00:29:44,339 –> 00:29:48,599 with her and with all of his people. 421 00:29:49,520 –> 00:29:51,420 You put these two things together, 422 00:29:52,599 –> 00:29:56,160 God is Almighty. 423 00:29:58,319 –> 00:30:00,160 And you look at my experience 424 00:30:00,160 –> 00:30:02,640 and it seems that he’s against me. 425 00:30:04,319 –> 00:30:09,319 But I know his name, he is the Lord. 426 00:30:10,579 –> 00:30:13,199 And the Lord has made a covenant with his people 427 00:30:13,199 –> 00:30:15,920 and by his grace, that includes me. 428 00:30:16,000 –> 00:30:20,739 Therefore, I can know and believe that God is for me 429 00:30:21,959 –> 00:30:26,959 even when it seems that he is against me. 430 00:30:29,300 –> 00:30:33,020 Isaiah in chapter 43 puts this so beautifully. 431 00:30:33,020 –> 00:30:36,140 Now, thus says the Lord, 432 00:30:37,420 –> 00:30:41,660 God says this in his covenant with you. 433 00:30:42,920 –> 00:30:44,680 He who created you, O Jacob, 434 00:30:44,680 –> 00:30:46,800 he who formed you, O Israel, 435 00:30:46,800 –> 00:30:49,719 fear not for I have redeemed you, 436 00:30:49,719 –> 00:30:51,459 I have called you by name, 437 00:30:51,459 –> 00:30:54,520 you are mine. 438 00:30:54,520 –> 00:30:57,280 That’s the heart of the giving of this name. 439 00:30:57,280 –> 00:30:58,339 You are my people, 440 00:30:58,339 –> 00:31:00,400 I am your God and the Lord, 441 00:31:00,400 –> 00:31:01,400 you are mine. 442 00:31:02,959 –> 00:31:06,280 So when you pass through the waters, 443 00:31:06,280 –> 00:31:07,380 I will be with you. 444 00:31:09,020 –> 00:31:09,859 And through the rivers, 445 00:31:09,859 –> 00:31:11,160 they shall not overwhelm you. 446 00:31:11,160 –> 00:31:12,500 When you walk through fire, 447 00:31:12,500 –> 00:31:13,760 you shall not be burned 448 00:31:13,800 –> 00:31:15,939 and the flame shall not consume you, why? 449 00:31:15,939 –> 00:31:19,099 For I am the Lord, 450 00:31:19,099 –> 00:31:20,040 your God, 451 00:31:20,959 –> 00:31:22,400 the Holy One of Israel, 452 00:31:23,640 –> 00:31:26,079 your Savior. 453 00:31:27,540 –> 00:31:28,780 That’s what you hold on to 454 00:31:28,780 –> 00:31:30,500 when you’re in Naomi’s shoes. 455 00:31:32,180 –> 00:31:34,400 God has made a covenant 456 00:31:34,400 –> 00:31:37,719 and by his grace that covenant includes me. 457 00:31:39,140 –> 00:31:40,780 That covenant has been sealed 458 00:31:40,780 –> 00:31:43,319 by the precious blood of God’s own Son 459 00:31:43,339 –> 00:31:46,599 who came into this world of grief and sorrow 460 00:31:46,599 –> 00:31:48,140 and trauma and loss 461 00:31:48,140 –> 00:31:50,280 to redeem us and to bring us 462 00:31:50,280 –> 00:31:53,839 into the everlasting joy of his presence. 463 00:31:55,000 –> 00:31:57,599 When you are tempted to bitterness, 464 00:31:58,560 –> 00:32:01,199 when you feel abandoned and when you feel alone, 465 00:32:02,400 –> 00:32:05,520 when you feel that God himself may be against you, 466 00:32:05,520 –> 00:32:08,260 remember that he has made a covenant with you, 467 00:32:08,260 –> 00:32:10,260 he is the Lord 468 00:32:11,099 –> 00:32:12,380 and he is for you 469 00:32:13,479 –> 00:32:17,540 even when it seems that he is against you. 470 00:32:19,199 –> 00:32:20,500 William Cowper, 471 00:32:20,500 –> 00:32:24,040 who went through gray trials and darkness in his own life, 472 00:32:24,900 –> 00:32:26,619 grasped this marvelous truth 473 00:32:26,619 –> 00:32:28,300 and expressed it in a hymn, 474 00:32:28,300 –> 00:32:29,300 that some of you will know, 475 00:32:29,300 –> 00:32:31,459 “‘God Moves in a Mysterious Way.’” 476 00:32:31,459 –> 00:32:32,959 He writes these words, 477 00:32:32,959 –> 00:32:37,319 “‘Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 478 00:32:37,400 –> 00:32:42,180 but trust Him for His grace. 479 00:32:42,180 –> 00:32:46,719 Behind a frowning providence 480 00:32:46,719 –> 00:32:50,579 He hides a smiling face. 481 00:32:51,780 –> 00:32:56,500 His purposes will ripen fast, 482 00:32:56,500 –> 00:32:59,739 unfolding every hour. 483 00:32:59,739 –> 00:33:04,500 The bud may have a bitter taste, 484 00:33:04,500 –> 00:33:08,180 but sweet will be the flower. 485 00:33:09,500 –> 00:33:13,780 See, faith looks beyond the bitter experiences of life, 486 00:33:13,780 –> 00:33:16,199 it dares to believe that even here 487 00:33:16,199 –> 00:33:18,500 God is working for our good 488 00:33:18,500 –> 00:33:22,859 and it waits to see what blessing God will bring 489 00:33:22,859 –> 00:33:26,380 through what we have endured. 490 00:33:27,300 –> 00:33:29,780 A strategy for growing in faith 491 00:33:30,800 –> 00:33:32,920 as you’re navigating sorrow’s path, 492 00:33:33,880 –> 00:33:36,819 you affirm that God is sovereign, 493 00:33:36,819 –> 00:33:40,640 you remember that God has made a covenant with you 494 00:33:40,640 –> 00:33:42,099 and then briefly and finally, 495 00:33:42,099 –> 00:33:46,000 you walk with the man of sorrows. 496 00:33:46,979 –> 00:33:49,839 The prophet Isaiah spoke about the savior 497 00:33:49,839 –> 00:33:52,239 who was to come and described him 498 00:33:52,239 –> 00:33:57,239 as the man of sorrows acquainted with grief 499 00:33:58,459 –> 00:34:01,459 and surely this theme as we look at it in the old testament 500 00:34:01,459 –> 00:34:04,459 points us to this wonderful reality 501 00:34:04,459 –> 00:34:09,459 that Jesus knows what it is to walk sorrow’s path 502 00:34:10,979 –> 00:34:15,239 and therefore when you walk the path of sorrow and loss, 503 00:34:15,239 –> 00:34:17,159 you are actually walking a place 504 00:34:17,159 –> 00:34:20,739 where Jesus Christ especially may be found 505 00:34:22,179 –> 00:34:24,459 and I’d been thinking and I’ve been moved again 506 00:34:24,459 –> 00:34:28,800 by this this week about how Naomi’s words 507 00:34:28,800 –> 00:34:32,719 about her affliction actually describe 508 00:34:32,719 –> 00:34:36,520 the experience of our Lord Jesu Christ himself. 509 00:34:37,540 –> 00:34:40,360 Remember that when he went to the cross, 510 00:34:40,360 –> 00:34:43,659 our sins were laid on him. 511 00:34:43,659 –> 00:34:48,659 He bore our sins in his own body on the tree. 512 00:34:49,679 –> 00:34:53,399 All that was due to us on account of our sins 513 00:34:53,399 –> 00:34:56,239 was poured out on him, 514 00:34:56,239 –> 00:34:58,379 the wrath of God! 515 00:34:59,159 –> 00:35:03,139 Was on him in a way that it will never be on you 516 00:35:03,139 –> 00:35:05,080 if you are in Jesus Christ. 517 00:35:07,080 –> 00:35:11,820 And what that means is that Jesus could say 518 00:35:11,820 –> 00:35:13,800 as no one else could ever say 519 00:35:15,320 –> 00:35:18,879 the hand of God has gone out against me. 520 00:35:20,479 –> 00:35:24,919 Jesus could say as no one else could ever say 521 00:35:25,860 –> 00:35:29,899 the Almighty has brought calamity upon me. 522 00:35:36,600 –> 00:35:38,679 I was talking with someone just this week 523 00:35:39,679 –> 00:35:44,679 who has endured some very bitter experiences. 524 00:35:47,760 –> 00:35:49,000 He told me his story 525 00:35:50,959 –> 00:35:54,540 and then I asked him this question. 526 00:35:55,679 –> 00:36:00,679 Can you see any parallels 527 00:36:02,500 –> 00:36:04,479 to what you have experienced 528 00:36:05,620 –> 00:36:08,280 in the life and the ministry of our Lord Jesus? 529 00:36:10,120 –> 00:36:12,620 He thought about that for a minute 530 00:36:12,620 –> 00:36:16,340 and then he gave a very perceptive answer. 531 00:36:19,479 –> 00:36:22,100 Was Jesus ever insulted? 532 00:36:22,979 –> 00:36:24,300 Yes, he was. 533 00:36:26,639 –> 00:36:29,239 Was Jesus ever abused? 534 00:36:31,260 –> 00:36:32,399 Yes, he was. 535 00:36:34,500 –> 00:36:37,580 Was Jesus ever abandoned by friends 536 00:36:37,580 –> 00:36:39,040 who should’ve stood with him? 537 00:36:40,820 –> 00:36:41,899 Yes, he was. 538 00:36:44,179 –> 00:36:49,179 Did Jesus ever know what it was to cry out in agony 539 00:36:49,500 –> 00:36:51,239 because he could no longer feel 540 00:36:51,239 –> 00:36:53,260 the comfort of his father’s love? 541 00:36:54,540 –> 00:36:55,479 Yes, he did. 542 00:36:57,820 –> 00:36:59,560 My God, my God. 543 00:37:00,820 –> 00:37:02,979 Why have you forsaken me? 544 00:37:05,739 –> 00:37:10,739 Can you see any parallels to what you have endured 545 00:37:12,280 –> 00:37:14,479 in the life and ministry of Jesus? 546 00:37:14,560 –> 00:37:17,760 Because if when you look at what you have suffered, 547 00:37:17,760 –> 00:37:21,439 you can see that Jesus himself has been there 548 00:37:21,439 –> 00:37:24,320 and that he, therefore, really knows what it is like, 549 00:37:24,320 –> 00:37:29,320 you will be drawn to walk with him in your sorrow. 550 00:37:32,120 –> 00:37:35,120 And any path on which you come closer to him 551 00:37:36,159 –> 00:37:38,439 is a path that will be blessed, 552 00:37:39,600 –> 00:37:42,479 even in disguise. 553 00:37:43,399 –> 00:37:45,639 Even if it is a path 554 00:37:45,639 –> 00:37:49,520 that you would never have chosen to walk. 555 00:37:51,320 –> 00:37:52,280 Let’s pray together. 556 00:37:55,560 –> 00:38:00,560 Father, I pray for every person in the congregation 557 00:38:02,479 –> 00:38:07,000 who has endured trauma, shock, loss, 558 00:38:12,600 –> 00:38:16,560 and experiences great grief, great sorrow, 559 00:38:18,379 –> 00:38:20,939 knows what it is to be tempted to bitterness. 560 00:38:23,260 –> 00:38:25,360 Father, will You cause Your Word 561 00:38:26,360 –> 00:38:31,360 to settle in our minds and in our hearts to do us good? 562 00:38:32,959 –> 00:38:34,979 Will You grant that each and every one of us, 563 00:38:34,979 –> 00:38:38,560 whatever our circumstances of life, may grow in faith 564 00:38:39,159 –> 00:38:43,100 as we affirm that You are indeed All-mighty 565 00:38:44,760 –> 00:38:47,520 and as we remember that You, yourself, 566 00:38:47,520 –> 00:38:49,280 have made a covenant with us 567 00:38:49,280 –> 00:38:52,780 sealed in the shed blood of Your own Son. 568 00:38:55,080 –> 00:38:57,659 Thank You that Jesus knows what it is 569 00:38:57,659 –> 00:39:00,219 to walk sorrow’s path and that that path 570 00:39:00,219 –> 00:39:02,979 is a place where He is especially found. 571 00:39:04,620 –> 00:39:06,340 Please help us, we pray, 572 00:39:06,379 –> 00:39:08,659 in the hardest experiences of life 573 00:39:09,540 –> 00:39:12,600 to walk sorrow’s path with the man of sorrows 574 00:39:13,580 –> 00:39:17,020 and so to find the blessing that He alone is able to give. 575 00:39:18,379 –> 00:39:22,179 And these things we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 576 00:39:23,379 –> 00:39:24,219 Amen. 577 00:39:25,860 –> 00:39:27,100 You’ve been listening to a sermon 578 00:39:27,100 –> 00:39:29,479 with Pastor Colin Smith of Open the Bible. 579 00:39:29,479 –> 00:39:34,479 To contact us, call us at 1-877-OPEN365 580 00:39:34,479 –> 00:39:37,560 or visit our website OpenTheBible.org.