1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:00,051 Dr. Gregg Marutzky: 2 00:00:00,051 --> 00:00:02,599 Happy Mother's Day. 3 00:00:02,599 --> 00:00:04,939 Yeah. 4 00:00:04,970 --> 00:00:07,139 We're celebrating moms today. 5 00:00:07,559 --> 00:00:09,219 We're thankful for moms. 6 00:00:09,219 --> 00:00:11,540 Without moms, we wouldn't be here. 7 00:00:11,540 --> 00:00:11,740 Amen. 8 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:14,290 It's the start of our story. 9 00:00:14,290 --> 00:00:14,509 Exactly. 10 00:00:15,380 --> 00:00:19,749 Our mothers gave us life, and we are so very grateful. 11 00:00:19,749 --> 00:00:24,079 And I am one of the very blessed people in all life to have an 12 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:29,009 amazing mother, a loving mother that taught me secure attachment, 13 00:00:29,439 --> 00:00:34,520 that was a tremendous caregiver for me and my three older brothers. 14 00:00:35,079 --> 00:00:37,539 And, uh, I adore my mother. 15 00:00:38,039 --> 00:00:43,199 My wife thinks it's too much sometimes, but, uh, there really... 16 00:00:43,199 --> 00:00:48,520 I- Somebody had to be mama's boy, and, uh, the other three 17 00:00:48,879 --> 00:00:51,259 passed, so I took up the position. 18 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,280 My mom is 95 years old. 19 00:00:54,349 --> 00:00:58,289 She's in a memory care facility in Grand Junction, Colorado. 20 00:00:58,829 --> 00:01:01,149 She no longer recognizes me. 21 00:01:01,829 --> 00:01:04,879 It, uh, broke my heart the first time that happened. 22 00:01:04,989 --> 00:01:09,129 I walked in and said, "Hi, Mom," and she just gave me that blank 23 00:01:09,129 --> 00:01:10,760 stare, and then she faked it. 24 00:01:10,930 --> 00:01:13,239 And she's that kind of loving person. 25 00:01:13,669 --> 00:01:17,989 She started s- telling me hi and all these things. 26 00:01:17,989 --> 00:01:19,330 She didn't say son. 27 00:01:19,789 --> 00:01:24,750 And, uh, sometimes she would call me Jody or Sam or Philip, 28 00:01:24,750 --> 00:01:25,949 my other brothers' names. 29 00:01:26,519 --> 00:01:30,150 But, uh, uh, eventually she caught on and remembered. 30 00:01:30,869 --> 00:01:34,259 But, uh, I'll call her today, and she'll fake it. 31 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:36,799 And that will make me feel good. 32 00:01:36,799 --> 00:01:36,940 Amen. 33 00:01:39,580 --> 00:01:40,539 But we love you, Mom. 34 00:01:41,049 --> 00:01:41,140 Yes. 35 00:01:43,169 --> 00:01:43,470 Amen. 36 00:01:43,470 --> 00:01:47,989 And we know you did the best you could, and nobody's perfect. 37 00:01:48,878 --> 00:01:53,919 And today, the sermon is to encourage you, and it's really not as much 38 00:01:53,919 --> 00:01:58,669 for you as for all the rest of us to tell us how to love you- Yeah 39 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:02,769 how to honor you, how to obey you, how to respect you, how 40 00:02:02,769 --> 00:02:04,780 to give you our very best. 41 00:02:05,830 --> 00:02:08,259 But I wanna start with a story. 42 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,199 We should never mess with moms. 43 00:02:11,199 --> 00:02:13,459 You've heard about mama bear, right? 44 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:19,630 You've heard of different stories about how you, uh, need to be careful 45 00:02:20,059 --> 00:02:25,030 and not, uh, rile a mom while she's, uh, taking care of her chicks. 46 00:02:25,030 --> 00:02:30,449 And, and, uh, a mother came out of the store, uh, she'd been shopping. 47 00:02:30,449 --> 00:02:35,059 She was going to the car with her small child, and she got to the car, 48 00:02:35,059 --> 00:02:36,579 and there were four men in her car. 49 00:02:36,579 --> 00:02:36,668 Wow. 50 00:02:38,220 --> 00:02:39,339 And it really upset her. 51 00:02:39,959 --> 00:02:43,668 And she dropped the bag and, and she put her daughter behind 52 00:02:43,668 --> 00:02:45,800 her, and she pulled out her gun. 53 00:02:47,309 --> 00:02:47,369 Whoa. 54 00:02:47,369 --> 00:02:50,418 Not in the state of California, all right? 55 00:02:51,499 --> 00:02:56,290 And she turned her gun on the four men and said, "Get out of my car right now." 56 00:02:57,030 --> 00:03:01,090 And they did, and they went running off, and she got in the car, put her 57 00:03:01,090 --> 00:03:05,079 child in the car, and she tried to turn the car on and it wouldn't start. 58 00:03:07,079 --> 00:03:11,970 And she realized her car was four spaces down. 59 00:03:13,770 --> 00:03:17,460 So she went right to the police station to turn herself in. 60 00:03:17,489 --> 00:03:18,960 She had such a good heart. 61 00:03:19,259 --> 00:03:23,790 She went there to turn herself in, and the, the sergeant on duty 62 00:03:23,790 --> 00:03:28,510 just started laughing and he said, "Ma'am, look down the, the counter." 63 00:03:29,180 --> 00:03:33,250 And there were the four men reporting a carjacking. 64 00:03:34,450 --> 00:03:35,879 No charges were filed. 65 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:37,109 No charges were filed. 66 00:03:38,079 --> 00:03:40,890 I have no idea whether that was a true story or not. 67 00:03:43,340 --> 00:03:45,050 But don't mess with mama. 68 00:03:45,050 --> 00:03:45,110 No. 69 00:03:46,620 --> 00:03:47,529 Don't mess with her. 70 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:55,620 There's a, a few great quotes that I wanna share with you by Abraham Lincoln and by 71 00:03:55,620 --> 00:03:59,989 George Washington about, uh, Mother's Day. 72 00:04:01,050 --> 00:04:04,009 And, uh, they talk about... 73 00:04:05,169 --> 00:04:13,679 They say this, and never use your phone for reference with my eyesight. 74 00:04:15,550 --> 00:04:19,600 Abraham Lincoln said, "No man is poor who has a godly miner- mother." 75 00:04:20,350 --> 00:04:21,230 That's a great quote. 76 00:04:22,009 --> 00:04:25,850 "I remember my mother's prayers, and they have always followed me. 77 00:04:25,850 --> 00:04:29,840 They have clung to me all of my life." 78 00:04:30,879 --> 00:04:34,820 That resonates with me because one of the great memories of my life is 79 00:04:34,820 --> 00:04:39,690 my mother coming into m- my room and getting on her knees beside my bed, 80 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,109 praying for me and our whole family. 81 00:04:42,789 --> 00:04:47,000 Maybe that's why I'm a minister, because I witnessed her faith and her 82 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,930 love for God and love for our family. 83 00:04:48,930 --> 00:04:53,739 George Washington said, "My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. 84 00:04:54,150 --> 00:04:57,339 All I, uh, am I owe to my mother. 85 00:04:57,729 --> 00:05:02,939 I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical 86 00:05:02,939 --> 00:05:06,309 education I received from her." 87 00:05:06,890 --> 00:05:08,080 My mother's cute. 88 00:05:08,309 --> 00:05:10,580 She's short, little Hispanic lady. 89 00:05:11,159 --> 00:05:11,769 She, uh... 90 00:05:11,769 --> 00:05:16,199 I didn't put up a picture because, uh, she wouldn't have wanted me to. 91 00:05:16,710 --> 00:05:21,400 All her life her mother was a hairdresser, so she'd always have fancy hair, and 92 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:26,199 now that she's older, she just puts it back in a bun and she would refuse, 93 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,119 almost refuse, to have her picture taken. 94 00:05:29,460 --> 00:05:34,739 And the most beautiful woman in my life is my wife, so, uh, I can't say 95 00:05:34,739 --> 00:05:36,519 that about my mom, but she's cute. 96 00:05:39,620 --> 00:05:40,489 One last quote. 97 00:05:43,099 --> 00:05:44,920 "Life doesn't come with a manual. 98 00:05:45,450 --> 00:05:46,550 It comes with a mother." 99 00:05:47,379 --> 00:05:47,639 Amen? 100 00:05:47,639 --> 00:05:47,830 Amen. 101 00:05:48,769 --> 00:05:51,120 Turn your Bibles over to the Book of Ruth. 102 00:05:51,909 --> 00:05:59,074 We're gonna see how and a- A daughter, an adopted daughter, an 103 00:05:59,074 --> 00:06:03,574 in-law daughter, loved a mother. 104 00:06:04,625 --> 00:06:08,975 And if she can love her mother, then we can love our mothers. 105 00:06:09,034 --> 00:06:09,364 Amen? 106 00:06:09,364 --> 00:06:09,534 Amen. 107 00:06:12,075 --> 00:06:13,565 But we love our moms why? 108 00:06:13,715 --> 00:06:15,905 They bandaged our wounds. 109 00:06:17,174 --> 00:06:24,055 I don't know about your mom, but my mom would always pour antiseptic on our leg. 110 00:06:24,444 --> 00:06:27,354 We'd scream a little bit, and she'd blow on it. 111 00:06:29,324 --> 00:06:34,065 I don't know how, uh, healthy that is, but it felt good. 112 00:06:35,524 --> 00:06:37,355 She bandaged our wounds. 113 00:06:38,344 --> 00:06:39,085 What else? 114 00:06:39,675 --> 00:06:40,964 She changed our diaper. 115 00:06:41,124 --> 00:06:45,324 Now if you remember that, I don't believe you. 116 00:06:46,335 --> 00:06:54,265 She cooked our meals, and in our home the staple was Mexican food, so amen to that. 117 00:06:54,265 --> 00:06:54,385 Amen. 118 00:06:55,645 --> 00:06:57,425 She read us stories. 119 00:06:59,344 --> 00:07:01,015 She played games with us. 120 00:07:02,785 --> 00:07:05,964 She held and hugged us. 121 00:07:06,445 --> 00:07:09,405 And last of all, Mom loved us. 122 00:07:09,405 --> 00:07:09,664 Amen? 123 00:07:09,664 --> 00:07:09,855 Amen. 124 00:07:11,525 --> 00:07:14,534 And if you didn't have a mom that loved you, I'm sorry. 125 00:07:15,954 --> 00:07:16,844 I wish you did. 126 00:07:18,044 --> 00:07:23,014 There's some people that become moms and don't mean to, and become moms 127 00:07:23,014 --> 00:07:27,854 before they should and before they're able to mature, so give 'em some grace. 128 00:07:28,794 --> 00:07:29,825 Extend them love. 129 00:07:30,734 --> 00:07:34,824 They did the best they could, but they tried to love us, 130 00:07:34,945 --> 00:07:40,094 and those that did, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. 131 00:07:40,094 --> 00:07:41,204 Here's our outline today. 132 00:07:41,204 --> 00:07:45,254 I always tell you where I'm going before we go there in case I get lost on the way. 133 00:07:45,335 --> 00:07:45,815 Amen? 134 00:07:46,695 --> 00:07:47,585 Love your mom. 135 00:07:48,034 --> 00:07:49,965 That's what I'm gonna challenge you to do today. 136 00:07:49,965 --> 00:07:53,614 Serve your mom, obey your mom, and honor your mom. 137 00:07:53,614 --> 00:07:55,484 Just a few passages here. 138 00:07:55,804 --> 00:07:56,894 And you know this story. 139 00:07:56,894 --> 00:07:58,655 This is an incredible story. 140 00:07:59,204 --> 00:07:59,675 All right? 141 00:07:59,894 --> 00:08:05,154 It has tragedy in it, it has hardship in it, it has love and romance in it. 142 00:08:05,465 --> 00:08:09,495 It might have even a little mature audience stuff in it. 143 00:08:09,495 --> 00:08:10,815 We won't go there, though. 144 00:08:11,414 --> 00:08:11,865 All right? 145 00:08:11,925 --> 00:08:18,045 But Ruth 1:16 and 17 says, "But Ruth replied, 'Don't urge me to 146 00:08:18,045 --> 00:08:20,664 leave you or to turn back from you. 147 00:08:21,234 --> 00:08:25,435 Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. 148 00:08:26,154 --> 00:08:29,084 Your people will be my people and your God my God. 149 00:08:29,615 --> 00:08:33,145 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. 150 00:08:33,635 --> 00:08:39,334 May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but 151 00:08:39,334 --> 00:08:42,715 death separates you from me.'" 152 00:08:42,715 --> 00:08:43,734 We know the story. 153 00:08:44,855 --> 00:08:50,435 Naomi and her husband left the promised land and went to a far-off country because 154 00:08:50,435 --> 00:08:55,754 of a famine in their land- And they went there, and all the, the men died. 155 00:08:56,074 --> 00:08:58,335 The husband died, the sons died. 156 00:08:59,014 --> 00:09:04,934 And the sons had married some, some foreign women, and one of them was Ruth. 157 00:09:05,725 --> 00:09:09,475 And the other two decided that they would go back to their families 158 00:09:09,475 --> 00:09:14,014 because in the ancient world, a woman was very, very, very vulnerable. 159 00:09:14,475 --> 00:09:16,545 Very vulnerable, all right? 160 00:09:17,014 --> 00:09:20,934 And they had to be protected, and they needed to be taken care of, especially 161 00:09:20,934 --> 00:09:23,235 by their father, and that was his charge. 162 00:09:23,555 --> 00:09:27,195 And so the other girls went home, but this is what Ruth said. 163 00:09:27,644 --> 00:09:29,484 And we use it at weddings sometimes. 164 00:09:29,484 --> 00:09:34,844 It's a call of great love and commitment and loyalty. 165 00:09:35,695 --> 00:09:37,844 "Where you go, I will go. 166 00:09:38,714 --> 00:09:41,074 Where you die, I will die." 167 00:09:42,484 --> 00:09:45,445 And, and Naomi said, "No. 168 00:09:45,574 --> 00:09:46,285 No. 169 00:09:46,315 --> 00:09:48,304 No, you're not doing that." 170 00:09:48,335 --> 00:09:50,905 She was trying to be a good mother to Ruth. 171 00:09:50,905 --> 00:09:53,515 She says, "You need to go home to your people. 172 00:09:53,975 --> 00:09:55,504 I can't take care of you. 173 00:09:56,215 --> 00:09:58,044 That is not a good idea." 174 00:09:58,804 --> 00:10:03,685 But there was something in Ruth that wanted to take care of 175 00:10:03,685 --> 00:10:09,075 Naomi, that wanted to take care of this woman who had lost so much. 176 00:10:09,105 --> 00:10:11,374 She saw her grief, she saw her pain. 177 00:10:11,645 --> 00:10:19,685 She had her own grief and pain, but she wanted to take care of Naomi. 178 00:10:20,224 --> 00:10:21,774 And so what does it teach us? 179 00:10:22,825 --> 00:10:23,164 Love. 180 00:10:24,414 --> 00:10:26,374 Sacrificial love. 181 00:10:27,715 --> 00:10:30,675 Love in our world is so misunderstood. 182 00:10:32,164 --> 00:10:33,565 It's quid pro quo. 183 00:10:33,925 --> 00:10:35,154 If you love me, I'll love you. 184 00:10:36,044 --> 00:10:37,885 To the degree you love me, I'll love you. 185 00:10:38,255 --> 00:10:41,524 I do a lot of marriage counseling, and most of it's sad. 186 00:10:41,565 --> 00:10:42,615 It's hard work. 187 00:10:43,425 --> 00:10:47,694 I do it every Wednesday night before church with a couple 188 00:10:47,694 --> 00:10:49,904 that doesn't come to our church. 189 00:10:49,904 --> 00:10:53,444 It's a long story, but I, I, uh, like doing it. 190 00:10:53,444 --> 00:10:58,124 I like just to, to, uh, you know, keep my skills up. 191 00:10:58,395 --> 00:11:02,205 And, uh, God always gives me a complicated situation. 192 00:11:02,925 --> 00:11:04,044 And I love these people. 193 00:11:04,775 --> 00:11:06,044 I love them individually. 194 00:11:06,744 --> 00:11:12,264 I wish they loved each other as much as I love them, and sometimes they do. 195 00:11:12,955 --> 00:11:18,574 And sometimes I think, "Wow, it's going awesome," and then right before we 196 00:11:18,574 --> 00:11:20,665 end our session, it's not so awesome. 197 00:11:23,025 --> 00:11:25,344 And that's what happened this week before midweek. 198 00:11:26,745 --> 00:11:33,694 And it's good for me to, to wrestle with people and to love people sometimes 199 00:11:33,694 --> 00:11:36,885 that are easy to love and sometimes people that aren't easy to love. 200 00:11:36,885 --> 00:11:37,074 Yeah. 201 00:11:39,364 --> 00:11:42,065 But all I have to do is remember how much my mom loved me. 202 00:11:43,805 --> 00:11:49,264 And I know all of you didn't have a mom that was tireless, that worked day and 203 00:11:49,264 --> 00:11:55,649 night- That didn't need to be thanked, that did the very best, cleaned our 204 00:11:55,649 --> 00:12:01,410 clothes, and cleaned our house, and tucked us in, and fed us great food. 205 00:12:01,689 --> 00:12:05,080 Every morning, got up, she'd make us toast and eggs, and we'd say, 206 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:06,439 "Mom, we don't want toast and eggs. 207 00:12:06,439 --> 00:12:07,320 We just want cereal." 208 00:12:07,579 --> 00:12:09,640 "No, honey, you need toast and eggs." 209 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,820 And half the time, the, the eggs would stay on the table and the 210 00:12:13,820 --> 00:12:16,749 brothers wouldn't eat them, but I'd always eat them, you can tell. 211 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:24,469 'Cause I love my mama, and I appreciated the work that she put in. 212 00:12:26,090 --> 00:12:30,210 And I, I would get up when she'd tell me to get up, and, oh, I didn't wanna get up. 213 00:12:30,699 --> 00:12:32,649 What teenager wants to get up on time? 214 00:12:33,649 --> 00:12:38,840 I mean, I was normal in that way, but I'd still get up 'cause she wanted me 215 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:44,370 ready to go to school before she went off to work, and I didn't need to be ready 216 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:49,670 when she left 'cause school wasn't for another 45 minutes, but she just wanted 217 00:12:49,670 --> 00:12:55,140 to make sure I was dressed, and cleaned, and presentable, and up, and ready. 218 00:12:55,780 --> 00:12:56,910 And so what would I do? 219 00:12:57,890 --> 00:13:02,530 I had some time, so I would clear the dishes and I'd put them in the dishwasher. 220 00:13:03,030 --> 00:13:07,330 And our family had to buy, I think, four dishwashers as I was growing up 221 00:13:07,330 --> 00:13:09,749 because I didn't scrape the dishes. 222 00:13:11,019 --> 00:13:15,550 And now supposedly that, that would, will work for modern dishwashers, 223 00:13:15,620 --> 00:13:17,080 but the old days, it burned them up. 224 00:13:18,070 --> 00:13:24,109 But my mother never got on me as she appreciated me trying at least. 225 00:13:24,779 --> 00:13:25,580 I was a dumb kid. 226 00:13:26,539 --> 00:13:28,450 Would've been easy to rinse them, right? 227 00:13:29,550 --> 00:13:29,899 But 228 00:13:32,260 --> 00:13:35,159 yeah, Greg, you're a dumb kid. 229 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:37,930 Love your mom. 230 00:13:38,770 --> 00:13:41,540 Whether she loved you or not, love her now. 231 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:46,020 Love her now, 'cause what goes around comes around, right? 232 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:48,580 And love her before she's gone. 233 00:13:48,610 --> 00:13:48,700 Yes. 234 00:13:49,580 --> 00:13:51,530 Some of us, our moms have left. 235 00:13:52,460 --> 00:13:53,530 Thankfully, mine hasn't. 236 00:13:53,669 --> 00:13:56,819 My dad has, though, and that's, that's tough. 237 00:13:57,839 --> 00:14:00,179 It's tough if you've lost your mom. 238 00:14:00,179 --> 00:14:03,210 And, and there's some pains that never go away. 239 00:14:04,579 --> 00:14:09,889 A child that passes before their time, especially a stillborn, never goes away. 240 00:14:10,959 --> 00:14:15,200 But a mom that leaves, too, even though it's a natural course 241 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:17,790 of things, it still hurts. 242 00:14:17,790 --> 00:14:18,959 You miss them. 243 00:14:18,959 --> 00:14:20,810 They're a touchstone for your life. 244 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,970 When everything's spinning, when everything's surreal 245 00:14:23,970 --> 00:14:26,529 at times, you just want mom. 246 00:14:26,529 --> 00:14:31,020 Like Charlie shared, sometimes you just need to hear her voice. 247 00:14:33,770 --> 00:14:34,410 Can I get an amen? 248 00:14:34,410 --> 00:14:34,560 Amen. 249 00:14:35,780 --> 00:14:37,479 Happy Mother's Day. 250 00:14:37,859 --> 00:14:44,980 Second little snippet we wanna look at is when N- Naomi, uh, 251 00:14:45,699 --> 00:14:47,079 was having her pity party. 252 00:14:48,369 --> 00:14:52,560 And she, you know, some people are entitled when they've lost so much, 253 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,049 and they're hurting, they're grieving. 254 00:14:54,119 --> 00:14:54,819 It's okay. 255 00:14:55,189 --> 00:14:56,229 They've gotta process. 256 00:14:56,229 --> 00:15:01,559 But in Ruth 1:20 and 21 it says, "Don't call me Naomi," which means 257 00:15:01,559 --> 00:15:08,350 pleasant, she told them, "Call me Mara," which means bitter, "because the 258 00:15:08,350 --> 00:15:11,580 Almighty has made my life very bitter. 259 00:15:12,159 --> 00:15:14,149 I went away full, but the Lord..." 260 00:15:14,149 --> 00:15:14,969 She blames God. 261 00:15:15,020 --> 00:15:16,539 Why do we always blame God? 262 00:15:17,559 --> 00:15:18,639 Don't blame God. 263 00:15:19,739 --> 00:15:21,660 Blame the author of evil and death. 264 00:15:22,809 --> 00:15:24,429 Blame the father of lies. 265 00:15:24,679 --> 00:15:25,640 Blame Satan. 266 00:15:26,660 --> 00:15:27,809 Well, God made Satan. 267 00:15:27,809 --> 00:15:28,820 No, he didn't make Satan. 268 00:15:28,820 --> 00:15:34,160 He made all of us with free will, and Satan chose to take the evil course, 269 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:38,830 just like there are wicked people in our world that take the evil course. 270 00:15:39,510 --> 00:15:40,820 We all have free will. 271 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:42,199 All right? 272 00:15:42,870 --> 00:15:44,120 But do not blame God. 273 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:44,980 She blamed God. 274 00:15:45,699 --> 00:15:48,100 "But the Lord has brought me back empty. 275 00:15:48,940 --> 00:15:50,629 Why call me pleasant? 276 00:15:51,469 --> 00:15:52,840 Why call me Naomi? 277 00:15:53,849 --> 00:15:55,760 The Lord has afflicted me. 278 00:15:56,429 --> 00:15:59,910 The Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." 279 00:16:01,279 --> 00:16:06,569 You know, that was the ancient, unfortunate, false theology that they 280 00:16:06,569 --> 00:16:11,410 held to, that if you were blessed, you were prosperous, you were rich, and if God 281 00:16:11,410 --> 00:16:15,109 was against you, you were poor, and you were impoverished, and you were enslaved. 282 00:16:15,410 --> 00:16:15,660 It's... 283 00:16:15,660 --> 00:16:20,669 Life's not that simple because of Satan and wickedness in the 284 00:16:20,669 --> 00:16:22,060 world because of free will. 285 00:16:22,990 --> 00:16:25,440 Sometimes you try to simplify things. 286 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:30,130 You alway- we always want answers, but sometimes we don't get the answers. 287 00:16:31,730 --> 00:16:34,200 Please, please, God is good. 288 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:35,060 Don't blame God. 289 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:43,090 Naomi was hard to love at this point, but Ruth still loved her. 290 00:16:44,910 --> 00:16:48,459 Please, love your parents if they're hard to love. 291 00:16:49,660 --> 00:16:51,819 I had one that was easy and one that was hard. 292 00:16:53,169 --> 00:16:54,630 I had it pretty easy, I guess. 293 00:16:55,889 --> 00:17:00,779 Some kids, and I've counseled some, both parents were difficult to love. 294 00:17:02,779 --> 00:17:10,819 Both were selfish and so full of their own desires that they neglected their 295 00:17:10,819 --> 00:17:15,150 kids, or they abused their kids, or they let someone else abuse their kids. 296 00:17:16,559 --> 00:17:18,240 It's heartbreaking, and I'm sorry. 297 00:17:19,009 --> 00:17:20,819 I'm sorry if that was your life. 298 00:17:21,858 --> 00:17:23,279 But please don't get bitter. 299 00:17:24,849 --> 00:17:27,699 But God will love you out of your bitterness, and that's what we 300 00:17:27,699 --> 00:17:29,380 see in this story with Naomi. 301 00:17:30,029 --> 00:17:30,639 Amen? 302 00:17:32,390 --> 00:17:35,900 'Cause Naomi was destined, and every one of us is destined. 303 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:40,460 She had a great destiny, a destiny to be in the lineage of the 304 00:17:40,460 --> 00:17:42,889 Messiah, the lineage of Christ. 305 00:17:43,189 --> 00:17:49,250 She would go from widow, not Herb, but Ruth, to wife, but she would help, 306 00:17:49,490 --> 00:17:55,850 uh, Ruth to become that wife, and she helped to find a kinsman redeemer. 307 00:17:55,850 --> 00:18:00,479 This is such a noble thing in the Jewish community. 308 00:18:01,219 --> 00:18:07,609 Oh, if we just had it, if we had a rescuer for our life, if we had that uncle that 309 00:18:07,609 --> 00:18:12,210 could pay our bills and get us out of debt, if we had that relative that was 310 00:18:12,210 --> 00:18:17,830 a goel, that was what the, the Hebrew word was, that provided this kind of 311 00:18:17,980 --> 00:18:22,580 hesed, redeeming love for their relative. 312 00:18:23,190 --> 00:18:29,050 But the Jewish community had a system because they didn't have a government like 313 00:18:29,050 --> 00:18:36,120 ours that has services, social services, and welfare, and some other things to take 314 00:18:36,120 --> 00:18:41,400 care of people relatives needed to, and that's what they had in the ancient world. 315 00:18:42,130 --> 00:18:45,620 Stay with me in Ruth 2:10-12. 316 00:18:46,580 --> 00:18:47,459 Serve your mother. 317 00:18:48,940 --> 00:18:50,319 I was a pretty rotten kid. 318 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:55,510 I told you the one thing I did do, load the dishwasher. 319 00:18:57,539 --> 00:19:00,630 I would tell my brothers to take off their shoes, but they wouldn't take off the 320 00:19:00,630 --> 00:19:05,090 shoes, so I didn't clean the floor that often, and I didn't vacuum that often. 321 00:19:06,139 --> 00:19:08,150 Now, I am a great house cleaner. 322 00:19:09,349 --> 00:19:09,440 To... 323 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:10,120 Ask Cathy. 324 00:19:10,489 --> 00:19:11,529 I'm a great house cleaner. 325 00:19:12,209 --> 00:19:12,529 All right? 326 00:19:13,219 --> 00:19:17,830 Now, I don't do all the things around the house, 'cause she does them better 327 00:19:17,830 --> 00:19:19,069 and she doesn't want me to do them. 328 00:19:20,120 --> 00:19:26,739 Like, I don't wash clothes because I don't separate them. 329 00:19:28,150 --> 00:19:29,200 I didn't in college. 330 00:19:29,279 --> 00:19:30,090 Why start now? 331 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:36,530 And so there's some things she doesn't let me do, but the things 332 00:19:36,530 --> 00:19:39,229 that I do do, I try to do them well. 333 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:45,069 And I love to vacuum, and I love to get those, those, th- 334 00:19:45,149 --> 00:19:47,090 those lines going, you know? 335 00:19:47,540 --> 00:19:47,569 Oh. 336 00:19:48,069 --> 00:19:51,049 And I hate it when I walk on those lines. 337 00:19:51,149 --> 00:19:53,700 Oh, bums me out. 338 00:19:54,879 --> 00:19:59,649 U- usually when we've bought houses, because one daughter's allergic to cats 339 00:19:59,649 --> 00:20:03,820 and one's, daughter's allergic to dogs, we'd always have to buy new carpet. 340 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:09,359 And so I tried so hard, we'd take off our shoes so we could keep those lines. 341 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:09,489 Amen. 342 00:20:11,230 --> 00:20:14,929 And even when we sold our house in Palmville, I put the 343 00:20:14,929 --> 00:20:17,239 lines in before we moved out. 344 00:20:18,969 --> 00:20:21,250 Oh, the simple pleasures of life. 345 00:20:22,850 --> 00:20:25,649 See, sometimes you gotta just make yourself happy. 346 00:20:26,679 --> 00:20:27,300 Amen. 347 00:20:27,300 --> 00:20:30,535 M&M's, lines in the carpet, amen. 348 00:20:32,965 --> 00:20:33,974 Serve your mother. 349 00:20:34,065 --> 00:20:36,504 Let's read together verses 10 and 12. 350 00:20:37,055 --> 00:20:41,515 "Boaz replied," and Boaz was the kinsman redeemer, the goel. 351 00:20:41,865 --> 00:20:44,124 He wasn't the first in line, though. 352 00:20:44,124 --> 00:20:47,994 We see in the story as we read the book of Luth- Ruth. 353 00:20:48,384 --> 00:20:52,665 He was second in line, but he was a shrewd guy, and he figured 354 00:20:52,665 --> 00:20:54,395 out a way, and we'll get to that. 355 00:20:54,735 --> 00:20:59,145 "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since 356 00:20:59,145 --> 00:21:02,444 the death of your husband, how you have left your father and mother and 357 00:21:02,444 --> 00:21:06,354 your homeland and come to live with a people you did not know before. 358 00:21:06,755 --> 00:21:09,395 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. 359 00:21:10,055 --> 00:21:15,555 May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose 360 00:21:15,555 --> 00:21:19,095 wings you have come to take refuge." 361 00:21:20,555 --> 00:21:21,555 What's the point there? 362 00:21:22,404 --> 00:21:23,525 Always do the right thing. 363 00:21:25,124 --> 00:21:28,885 And in this world, guys, there is so much evil propaganda. 364 00:21:29,485 --> 00:21:35,325 The three terrible, evil spokesmen for Satan. 365 00:21:36,644 --> 00:21:37,764 Think about them for a minute. 366 00:21:38,305 --> 00:21:39,504 Guess who they might be. 367 00:21:39,824 --> 00:21:41,345 I'm gonna tell you who I think they are. 368 00:21:42,775 --> 00:21:47,735 Freud, Marx, all right? 369 00:21:49,544 --> 00:21:55,794 And I forgot the third one on the way here this morning, too. 370 00:21:55,824 --> 00:21:56,724 What's the matter with me? 371 00:21:57,345 --> 00:21:58,455 But I know where to look. 372 00:21:59,775 --> 00:22:02,724 Sometimes you just gotta know how to do research, folks. 373 00:22:02,724 --> 00:22:03,904 All right? 374 00:22:04,415 --> 00:22:05,874 Just gotta know how to research. 375 00:22:05,874 --> 00:22:06,934 Here it is right here. 376 00:22:08,474 --> 00:22:08,974 Nietzsche. 377 00:22:09,724 --> 00:22:10,705 Oh, yeah. 378 00:22:10,805 --> 00:22:12,305 Those are the evil ones in my mind. 379 00:22:13,014 --> 00:22:13,794 See, Nietzsche... 380 00:22:14,154 --> 00:22:19,805 What are the three great temptations according to 2 Timothy 3, and according to 381 00:22:20,044 --> 00:22:22,644 Luke, where Jesus goes out and is tempted? 382 00:22:22,724 --> 00:22:24,245 What are the three great temptations? 383 00:22:25,754 --> 00:22:29,275 Money, power, and love. 384 00:22:30,794 --> 00:22:34,775 Freud said it's all about sex. 385 00:22:36,754 --> 00:22:42,675 It's all about sex, and he came up with some really perverted thoughts 386 00:22:43,234 --> 00:22:49,854 and philosophies about how young men have these thoughts about their mother. 387 00:22:49,854 --> 00:22:50,724 That's garbage. 388 00:22:50,724 --> 00:22:51,594 I never had them. 389 00:22:52,455 --> 00:22:52,865 You know? 390 00:22:52,895 --> 00:22:55,875 He had them, and he projected them on all of us. 391 00:22:57,295 --> 00:22:59,895 He thought the world was about sex. 392 00:23:00,434 --> 00:23:06,994 And Nietzsche thought it was all about power, that leave people to themselves. 393 00:23:07,285 --> 00:23:12,285 Some will rise to power, and those will be the men that we should follow. 394 00:23:14,765 --> 00:23:16,815 His philosophy helped create Hitler. 395 00:23:18,635 --> 00:23:19,675 Helped create Hitler. 396 00:23:21,414 --> 00:23:22,555 And then who? 397 00:23:22,654 --> 00:23:23,295 Marx. 398 00:23:24,194 --> 00:23:25,114 Says it's all about money. 399 00:23:26,444 --> 00:23:27,494 It's all about money. 400 00:23:28,795 --> 00:23:35,584 And that's- What's caused a couple of overthrows of countries and of peoples 401 00:23:35,584 --> 00:23:42,425 and enslavement of peoples and, and genocide of peoples throughout the world. 402 00:23:43,614 --> 00:23:48,274 I think those three false prophets of Satan are wrong. 403 00:23:48,274 --> 00:23:48,434 Amen. 404 00:23:49,454 --> 00:23:55,905 And if you go after sex, love, uh, I mean, sex, money, and power... 405 00:23:56,274 --> 00:23:57,944 No, go after love, please. 406 00:23:59,444 --> 00:24:03,984 It, I mean, isn't this at what Hollywood and just up the road 407 00:24:03,984 --> 00:24:05,434 is known for, those three things? 408 00:24:05,434 --> 00:24:05,535 Yeah. 409 00:24:07,704 --> 00:24:12,004 But let's always do the right thing, folks, 'cause what was Jesus all about? 410 00:24:12,905 --> 00:24:17,144 He- Love and sacrifice and giving and serving. 411 00:24:17,975 --> 00:24:20,614 Serve your mama. 412 00:24:21,024 --> 00:24:21,815 Think of a way. 413 00:24:22,905 --> 00:24:29,774 You know, my daughter brought Cathy what she really wanted, a new suitcase. 414 00:24:31,204 --> 00:24:32,295 Isn't that what all you moms want? 415 00:24:32,295 --> 00:24:32,434 Amen. 416 00:24:34,975 --> 00:24:39,595 She travels every once in a while with me and travels to go help the 417 00:24:39,595 --> 00:24:44,464 grandkids in Texas, and she get, uh, a- and, and Love Field just takes 418 00:24:44,464 --> 00:24:47,004 a long time to get your luggage. 419 00:24:47,424 --> 00:24:48,545 I don't mean to be critical. 420 00:24:49,265 --> 00:24:51,214 I'm sure those people are working hard. 421 00:24:51,744 --> 00:24:52,085 All right? 422 00:24:52,884 --> 00:24:58,225 And so she wanted just a big enough suitcase where she can carry 423 00:24:58,225 --> 00:25:03,595 it on, but have all her stuff, and she got that this morning. 424 00:25:03,924 --> 00:25:04,854 "Greg, what'd you get her?" 425 00:25:05,275 --> 00:25:09,314 I got her the most thoughtful card and the most fluorescent 426 00:25:09,314 --> 00:25:11,055 flowers you have ever seen. 427 00:25:11,335 --> 00:25:11,455 Amen. 428 00:25:11,455 --> 00:25:16,095 She's not my mom, but I wanted to encourage her, and I told 429 00:25:16,095 --> 00:25:17,875 her what I really believe. 430 00:25:17,975 --> 00:25:22,994 I think she's one of the most outstanding mothers in all the world, and she always 431 00:25:22,994 --> 00:25:27,205 tells me after Mother's Day service, "S- I wish you would stop saying that, Greg. 432 00:25:28,405 --> 00:25:30,564 I, I'm not all that." 433 00:25:30,864 --> 00:25:32,475 And I s- "Yes, you are." 434 00:25:32,655 --> 00:25:34,955 And we have these arguments, you know? 435 00:25:36,034 --> 00:25:37,345 But I believe that. 436 00:25:38,145 --> 00:25:40,425 And women, you're way too hard on yourself. 437 00:25:40,425 --> 00:25:41,384 You're like Cathy. 438 00:25:41,384 --> 00:25:43,125 You're way too hard on yourself. 439 00:25:43,854 --> 00:25:45,065 You are awesome. 440 00:25:45,505 --> 00:25:45,664 Yep. 441 00:25:45,705 --> 00:25:50,205 You are amazing, and we need to tell you, and we need to thank you, and 442 00:25:50,205 --> 00:25:54,125 we need to honor you, and we need to serve you, and we need to love you. 443 00:25:54,765 --> 00:25:57,545 And if we can't love our mom, we can love you. 444 00:25:58,524 --> 00:25:58,994 All right? 445 00:25:59,054 --> 00:26:01,974 And we won't treat you like Mama, but we'll love you. 446 00:26:02,455 --> 00:26:02,634 All right? 447 00:26:02,634 --> 00:26:02,905 Yeah. 448 00:26:06,005 --> 00:26:06,134 Amen. 449 00:26:06,134 --> 00:26:11,765 10 women lived with us over the years, 10 younger girls, college grads 450 00:26:11,765 --> 00:26:17,655 usually, before they went off to their careers, and every one of them are 451 00:26:17,655 --> 00:26:19,985 faithful to the Lord and great mothers. 452 00:26:21,054 --> 00:26:22,375 And it isn't because of Greg. 453 00:26:23,905 --> 00:26:25,584 It's because of, because of Cathy. 454 00:26:26,615 --> 00:26:26,645 Aw. 455 00:26:26,925 --> 00:26:30,505 And our daughters- They, uh, they, they, they're not perfect people, 456 00:26:31,454 --> 00:26:32,345 but they're great mothers Amen. 457 00:26:33,515 --> 00:26:38,075 And I've gotten to live with my daughter, my older daughter, for the last 10 months. 458 00:26:38,104 --> 00:26:41,215 We just got a house, praise the Lord, amen. 459 00:26:41,594 --> 00:26:44,115 If you wanna help unpack, just give me a text. 460 00:26:44,244 --> 00:26:44,635 All right? 461 00:26:45,535 --> 00:26:46,615 We're taking our time. 462 00:26:46,615 --> 00:26:48,235 We're still living with our daughter. 463 00:26:48,625 --> 00:26:53,514 But, you know, when you've moved as much as us, you're not in a rush. 464 00:26:54,135 --> 00:26:54,524 All right? 465 00:26:55,155 --> 00:26:59,565 And we're weaning oursel- up off slowly, getting into the new hou- 466 00:26:59,824 --> 00:27:03,664 'cause we're having to downsize a lot, but that's a good thing now. 467 00:27:05,004 --> 00:27:10,815 But I've loved watching our daughter with her kids, and the patience 468 00:27:10,815 --> 00:27:15,184 and the kindness and the verbiage and how she explains things and 469 00:27:15,184 --> 00:27:17,365 how she says things and, and 470 00:27:18,925 --> 00:27:23,274 Oh, I just think it's so amazing, and I know she didn't learn it from me. 471 00:27:23,274 --> 00:27:23,385 No. 472 00:27:25,394 --> 00:27:26,725 But she learned it from Cathy. 473 00:27:28,074 --> 00:27:33,865 Moms, thank you, and you're a gift that's will be giving for generations 474 00:27:33,905 --> 00:27:37,095 to come, so happy Mother's Day. 475 00:27:37,095 --> 00:27:39,704 Can I get an amen? 476 00:27:39,704 --> 00:27:39,824 Amen. 477 00:27:40,115 --> 00:27:40,824 And then 478 00:27:43,205 --> 00:27:48,424 I believe mothers are goels today, kinsmen redeemers. 479 00:27:48,765 --> 00:27:53,675 Says, "The name of the man I work for today is Boaz," she said. 480 00:27:54,295 --> 00:27:57,085 "The Lord bless him," Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. 481 00:27:57,085 --> 00:28:01,425 "He has stopped, sh- he, he has not stopped showing his kindness to the 482 00:28:01,425 --> 00:28:04,204 living and to the dead," she added. 483 00:28:04,804 --> 00:28:06,974 "That man is our close relative. 484 00:28:06,974 --> 00:28:10,214 He's one of our kinsmen redeemers." 485 00:28:11,345 --> 00:28:17,264 And we know the story how he talked the closest kinsman redeemer into 486 00:28:17,514 --> 00:28:23,165 not choosing Boaz because he would, h- that person would have to not 487 00:28:23,165 --> 00:28:28,264 only take Ruth, which was the real prize, but have to take Naomi as well. 488 00:28:28,514 --> 00:28:33,394 And Naom- Naomi did not have quite the same reputation that Ruth had. 489 00:28:33,394 --> 00:28:33,804 All right? 490 00:28:34,104 --> 00:28:37,124 So this is a little bit of good thing that she was bitter and angry 491 00:28:37,124 --> 00:28:39,405 and ornery for a little while. 492 00:28:39,405 --> 00:28:39,795 All right? 493 00:28:40,174 --> 00:28:42,255 Sorta worked out for Boaz that way. 494 00:28:42,635 --> 00:28:44,124 Everything works together. 495 00:28:44,935 --> 00:28:49,125 But I think, moms, you are the goels of society today. 496 00:28:50,064 --> 00:28:53,784 You're the ones that redeem and, and save us so often. 497 00:28:54,085 --> 00:28:55,674 You're the ones that rescue us. 498 00:28:56,235 --> 00:28:59,615 You're the ones that, that blow on our wounds. 499 00:28:59,954 --> 00:29:00,295 All right? 500 00:29:01,064 --> 00:29:05,344 And help heal us from the different pains of life. 501 00:29:05,405 --> 00:29:06,545 So thank you, Mama. 502 00:29:07,185 --> 00:29:07,674 Thank you. 503 00:29:08,784 --> 00:29:10,714 Ruth 3:1-5. 504 00:29:10,714 --> 00:29:11,735 Let's read together. 505 00:29:12,454 --> 00:29:17,664 "One day, Naom- Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, 'My daughter, should 506 00:29:17,664 --> 00:29:22,774 I not try to find a home for you where you will be well provided for? 507 00:29:23,075 --> 00:29:28,914 Is not Boaz- With whose servant girls you have been a kinsman of ours. 508 00:29:29,315 --> 00:29:32,905 Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 509 00:29:32,905 --> 00:29:36,655 Wash and perfume yourself, put on your best clothes, then go 510 00:29:36,655 --> 00:29:38,134 down to the threshing floor. 511 00:29:38,525 --> 00:29:43,064 But don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 512 00:29:43,254 --> 00:29:46,455 And when he lies down, note the place where he is lying, then go 513 00:29:46,455 --> 00:29:49,064 and uncover his feet and lie down. 514 00:29:49,215 --> 00:29:51,834 He will tell you what to do. 515 00:29:52,205 --> 00:29:55,684 I will do whatever you say, Ruth answered. 516 00:29:56,924 --> 00:29:58,485 I will do whatever you say. 517 00:29:59,035 --> 00:29:59,764 Obey your mom. 518 00:30:01,055 --> 00:30:02,994 It all worked out 'cause she obeyed her mom. 519 00:30:04,605 --> 00:30:09,924 And what mother was asking, what Naomi was asking Ruth to do, 520 00:30:10,274 --> 00:30:13,145 was to be incredibly vulnerable. 521 00:30:14,325 --> 00:30:20,075 Some commentators, I don't agree with them, and you can decide for yourself, 522 00:30:20,445 --> 00:30:23,735 they say this is a little bit risque. 523 00:30:24,845 --> 00:30:28,325 That this eu- this is a euphemism, uncover his feet. 524 00:30:28,325 --> 00:30:32,505 This, this, he's saying crawl into bed with him. 525 00:30:32,594 --> 00:30:35,664 No, I don't believe that's what it says, especially when I read you 526 00:30:35,664 --> 00:30:37,274 the next verse I'm about to read. 527 00:30:38,494 --> 00:30:43,984 'Cause Ruth always had a noble character, always had a great reputation, and 528 00:30:43,984 --> 00:30:50,884 even obeying Naomi didn't s- didn't blemish that re- that reputation. 529 00:30:52,274 --> 00:30:58,585 So what it was was going to him at, at night and uncovering his feet. 530 00:30:58,984 --> 00:30:59,725 What's gonna happen? 531 00:30:59,765 --> 00:31:00,694 He's gonna wake up. 532 00:31:01,844 --> 00:31:05,874 I, I just read recently the way to get back to sleep at 533 00:31:05,874 --> 00:31:08,234 night is to warm your feet. 534 00:31:10,045 --> 00:31:14,535 I get hot at night, so I throw off all the covers, and then my 535 00:31:14,535 --> 00:31:19,384 feet get cold, and about 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, I wake up. 536 00:31:21,075 --> 00:31:26,704 And I look at my Apple, you know, phone, and I see it's only 537 00:31:26,704 --> 00:31:27,725 2:00 or 3:00, I'm like, "Oh." 538 00:31:29,494 --> 00:31:32,485 And then I start trying to fall asleep, and I can't fall asleep. 539 00:31:33,244 --> 00:31:35,944 And then I put my feet under the covers. 540 00:31:35,944 --> 00:31:39,095 I don't put the rest of my body, 'cause like I said, I get hot. 541 00:31:39,914 --> 00:31:43,215 I'm a warm-blooded, you know, big man. 542 00:31:43,215 --> 00:31:44,224 All right? 543 00:31:45,024 --> 00:31:45,565 Don't laugh. 544 00:31:46,685 --> 00:31:48,075 Some of you started to. 545 00:31:48,965 --> 00:31:49,705 I heard that. 546 00:31:50,875 --> 00:31:51,534 No, it's all right. 547 00:31:53,664 --> 00:31:55,125 And I go back to sleep. 548 00:31:56,325 --> 00:31:59,815 And so when she uncovered his feet, what happened? 549 00:32:00,175 --> 00:32:01,024 He woke up. 550 00:32:02,494 --> 00:32:08,784 And here's this younger, beautiful, awesome character, noble woman, 551 00:32:09,724 --> 00:32:11,345 and he's a little surprised. 552 00:32:12,265 --> 00:32:16,744 And let's go to the next verse, because it's truly a great story. 553 00:32:17,864 --> 00:32:19,644 Again, happy Mother's Day. 554 00:32:21,974 --> 00:32:22,925 "Who are you?" 555 00:32:23,244 --> 00:32:23,784 he asked. 556 00:32:25,485 --> 00:32:29,524 You wake up any guy in the middle of the night, he's not gonna see clearly, 557 00:32:29,524 --> 00:32:31,085 and he's gonna ask this question. 558 00:32:32,055 --> 00:32:32,444 All right? 559 00:32:32,955 --> 00:32:37,925 There's even times, if you're like me, you've looked at the light on the TV 560 00:32:38,224 --> 00:32:42,565 and as you're waking up, you think it's the eyes of the devil looking at you. 561 00:32:43,125 --> 00:32:43,485 You know. 562 00:32:44,694 --> 00:32:46,645 But I don't ask the devil who he is. 563 00:32:46,645 --> 00:32:49,655 He, I just stay quiet and sneak it away. 564 00:32:50,864 --> 00:32:52,885 "I am your servant, Ruth," she said. 565 00:32:53,325 --> 00:32:59,154 "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman redeemer." 566 00:33:00,025 --> 00:33:03,935 So she's asking him, "Is it okay if I stay? 567 00:33:04,924 --> 00:33:06,305 Is it okay if I'm here?" 568 00:33:07,075 --> 00:33:08,825 "The Lord bless you, my daughter." 569 00:33:09,825 --> 00:33:12,865 He's recognizing the difference of their age. 570 00:33:13,474 --> 00:33:18,115 "This kindness is greater than that which you have showed earlier. 571 00:33:18,985 --> 00:33:22,354 You have not run after younger men, whether rich or poor. 572 00:33:22,625 --> 00:33:24,904 And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. 573 00:33:25,384 --> 00:33:27,724 I will do for you all you ask. 574 00:33:27,724 --> 00:33:34,994 All m- my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character." 575 00:33:36,374 --> 00:33:39,344 She basically asks, "Is it okay if I'm here? 576 00:33:40,454 --> 00:33:42,704 I'm putting myself out there. 577 00:33:43,674 --> 00:33:45,164 I want it, you to marry me. 578 00:33:45,164 --> 00:33:46,844 I want you to take care of me." 579 00:33:47,475 --> 00:33:48,395 He's asking her. 580 00:33:48,914 --> 00:33:49,785 She's asking him. 581 00:33:51,435 --> 00:33:55,054 And you know, you see these dances between young couples. 582 00:33:55,965 --> 00:33:59,965 They're, they're, they're afraid to say how m- how they feel about 583 00:33:59,965 --> 00:34:03,854 each other, and they make movies about it all the time, and they just 584 00:34:03,854 --> 00:34:05,755 keep passing in the dark, you know? 585 00:34:05,755 --> 00:34:07,954 They just, they keep missing each other. 586 00:34:07,954 --> 00:34:09,244 They ke- quit... 587 00:34:09,244 --> 00:34:11,804 They don't admit their love for each other. 588 00:34:11,804 --> 00:34:15,725 Neither one chooses to be vulnerable to the other one. 589 00:34:16,795 --> 00:34:23,364 But here's Naomi telling Ruth, "Ruth, go be vulnerable to this man." 590 00:34:24,824 --> 00:34:28,174 And you know, Boaz is like, he is fired up. 591 00:34:28,215 --> 00:34:29,505 He wants to say, "Yeah! 592 00:34:30,795 --> 00:34:31,545 I'll marry you. 593 00:34:31,545 --> 00:34:33,824 I've been wanting to marry you since I met you. 594 00:34:33,824 --> 00:34:37,174 It was love at first sight, but I thought you would reject me, 'cause, 595 00:34:37,174 --> 00:34:41,063 you know, and I didn't want you to marry me just for my money." 596 00:34:41,684 --> 00:34:42,085 All right? 597 00:34:43,264 --> 00:34:45,885 But he knows, and he's done the research. 598 00:34:46,043 --> 00:34:47,255 This is how we know. 599 00:34:47,475 --> 00:34:49,495 It's what's in between the lines. 600 00:34:49,674 --> 00:34:55,454 He has checked out whether he was the first goel or not, and he knows he's not. 601 00:34:55,454 --> 00:34:56,335 He's bummed out. 602 00:34:56,335 --> 00:35:01,824 When he found out that day he wasn't, he's like, "Oh, I could be married to Ruth, 603 00:35:02,964 --> 00:35:05,025 but oh, what's-his-name's gonna get her." 604 00:35:06,654 --> 00:35:07,785 But then he schemed. 605 00:35:08,464 --> 00:35:10,794 He figured out a way to get Ruth. 606 00:35:11,645 --> 00:35:14,734 And so we know the rest of the story. 607 00:35:14,734 --> 00:35:19,464 He does, and they marry, and then what happens? 608 00:35:19,965 --> 00:35:22,274 Ruth honors Naomi with a child. 609 00:35:22,865 --> 00:35:25,595 Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. 610 00:35:26,265 --> 00:35:30,204 Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, 611 00:35:30,565 --> 00:35:31,944 and she gave birth to a son. 612 00:35:32,414 --> 00:35:37,715 And the women said to Naomi, "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not 613 00:35:37,715 --> 00:35:39,694 left you without a kinsman redeemer. 614 00:35:40,104 --> 00:35:42,434 May he become famous throughout Israel. 615 00:35:42,794 --> 00:35:46,245 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. 616 00:35:46,665 --> 00:35:51,525 For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than 617 00:35:51,525 --> 00:35:55,755 seven sons, has given birth to him." 618 00:35:57,854 --> 00:36:02,115 You know, there's a lot of moms in this audience, and you don't 619 00:36:02,115 --> 00:36:03,654 have to be related to be a mom. 620 00:36:06,575 --> 00:36:10,694 I got a little choked up driving here as I remembered a lot 621 00:36:10,694 --> 00:36:12,395 of moms in the church to me. 622 00:36:13,794 --> 00:36:19,424 I got choked up about, uh, Mrs. 623 00:36:19,424 --> 00:36:20,895 Ryan in Boulder. 624 00:36:22,364 --> 00:36:22,735 Mrs. 625 00:36:22,735 --> 00:36:26,684 Ryan would pass me a note after my sermons on Sunday night. 626 00:36:28,095 --> 00:36:32,165 The main preacher would preach in the morning, I'd preach at night, and 627 00:36:32,165 --> 00:36:38,844 she'd pass me a note after my sermon, and it had all my grammatical errors. 628 00:36:41,295 --> 00:36:48,165 And the first time she did that, Mary Ryan, I was, I was just crushed. 629 00:36:48,545 --> 00:36:50,175 I didn't ever wanna speak again. 630 00:36:51,925 --> 00:36:52,665 It's a true story. 631 00:36:54,095 --> 00:36:56,464 See, I had a speech impediment when I was a kid. 632 00:36:57,495 --> 00:36:58,904 I couldn't speak very well. 633 00:36:59,634 --> 00:37:01,634 Some of the things I couldn't pronounce. 634 00:37:02,294 --> 00:37:04,984 All through grade school, I got taken out of class. 635 00:37:04,984 --> 00:37:06,245 Yeah, I was one of those. 636 00:37:07,265 --> 00:37:10,165 No wonder I stayed in school my whole life, you know? 637 00:37:11,454 --> 00:37:15,665 I had to go to Peggy Saxton, who was a mom to me and taught me how to talk. 638 00:37:17,115 --> 00:37:22,775 But Mary Ryan made me work harder at speaking so I wouldn't sound 639 00:37:22,775 --> 00:37:28,144 like Jethro on Beverly Hillbillies. 640 00:37:30,985 --> 00:37:35,065 And then Raylene Walker, my secretary, first secretary 641 00:37:35,065 --> 00:37:36,474 when I was a campus minister. 642 00:37:37,374 --> 00:37:39,455 She told me, "Greg, just read more books. 643 00:37:40,474 --> 00:37:45,735 It will help you to, to learn better grammar just by reading more books." 644 00:37:45,735 --> 00:37:48,665 And that's why I've read so many books in my life. 645 00:37:49,675 --> 00:37:55,765 So I would s- not sound ignorant when I speak, you know? 646 00:37:56,804 --> 00:37:58,235 And praise God for Raylene. 647 00:37:59,005 --> 00:38:03,684 I remember the first time on a Wednesday afternoon, I handed her my notes. 648 00:38:03,684 --> 00:38:07,945 I said, "Would you type this up and run off copies for my midweek tonight?" 649 00:38:07,974 --> 00:38:08,565 She said, "Nope." 650 00:38:10,184 --> 00:38:11,440 I said, "What?" 651 00:38:12,340 --> 00:38:14,539 Said, "No sir, I'm not doing that. 652 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:18,740 You need to give me these notes on Monday, and I'll type them up, and I'll 653 00:38:18,740 --> 00:38:24,260 run them off on the mimeograph, uh, machine, but it takes a while, and I'm 654 00:38:24,260 --> 00:38:28,740 not gonna r- you know, stay late and just because you're undisciplined." 655 00:38:33,230 --> 00:38:34,559 And boy did that sting. 656 00:38:35,589 --> 00:38:39,080 And boy did I want to claim to be the boss, which I knew I would 657 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:40,619 never be the boss of Raylene. 658 00:38:43,489 --> 00:38:48,219 But I started getting my papers in on Mondays- ... 'cause of Raylene, and 659 00:38:48,219 --> 00:38:50,289 I've always got my papers on in time. 660 00:38:50,289 --> 00:38:50,898 It's cool. 661 00:38:50,928 --> 00:38:52,329 Maybe because of Raylene. 662 00:38:53,928 --> 00:38:57,049 And then they don't even have to say much, some of you moms. 663 00:38:58,129 --> 00:39:04,329 After a sermon one Sunday up in Antelope Valley, I was walking down the aisle after 664 00:39:04,329 --> 00:39:14,479 the sermon, and one of the older Black women came up to me, and she did this. 665 00:39:15,540 --> 00:39:17,240 And I thought, "Uh-oh, I'm in trouble." 666 00:39:18,369 --> 00:39:22,549 And when Alma tells you to come on over, you go on over. 667 00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:32,159 And she's this shorter lady, and she goes, "Greg, look at me." 668 00:39:32,990 --> 00:39:34,740 I must've been looking down or... 669 00:39:35,079 --> 00:39:37,030 I was scared. 670 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:39,439 A- and she says, "Look at me." 671 00:39:40,020 --> 00:39:41,559 She goes, "I'm proud of you." 672 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:45,030 And then she walks away. 673 00:39:46,599 --> 00:39:49,900 And to this day, I don't know what she's proud about. 674 00:39:51,670 --> 00:39:55,029 But this morning as I'm driving here, and I'm thinking about the mothers 675 00:39:55,029 --> 00:40:00,700 in the church, I think about her and what she said, and oh, it feels good. 676 00:40:01,620 --> 00:40:02,800 I've just decided I... 677 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:06,139 She c- she's proud about, about a lot of things. 678 00:40:06,810 --> 00:40:07,099 All right? 679 00:40:07,570 --> 00:40:10,800 And she probably isn't, but I've decided that's the end of this 680 00:40:10,849 --> 00:40:12,439 or the rest of the story, amen? 681 00:40:13,620 --> 00:40:13,780 Amen. 682 00:40:14,610 --> 00:40:19,500 Be a mom, moms, to as many as you can, 'cause it'll make 683 00:40:19,500 --> 00:40:21,080 a whole lot of difference. 684 00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:25,189 And I could go on and on with people and stories like this, 685 00:40:25,750 --> 00:40:29,189 because moms make a difference. 686 00:40:29,189 --> 00:40:29,309 Amen. 687 00:40:30,829 --> 00:40:32,050 They make a difference. 688 00:40:32,329 --> 00:40:33,599 So we love you, Mom. 689 00:40:34,410 --> 00:40:37,079 We love you deeply from the heart. 690 00:40:37,079 --> 00:40:39,579 We wanna love you more, and we wanna love you better. 691 00:40:40,269 --> 00:40:42,439 And moms, we wanna serve you. 692 00:40:43,099 --> 00:40:46,660 You serve so much, and you should be served back. 693 00:40:47,559 --> 00:40:50,879 And so we honor and celebrate you this morning, and we 694 00:40:50,879 --> 00:40:52,590 wanna obey you the first time. 695 00:40:52,590 --> 00:40:57,059 We don't want you to have to nag us and to continue to prod us. 696 00:40:57,579 --> 00:40:58,390 We wanna listen. 697 00:40:58,700 --> 00:41:00,390 We don't wanna turn you off. 698 00:41:00,870 --> 00:41:05,090 We wanna do the right thing, 'cause just like Naomi helped Ruth, 699 00:41:05,450 --> 00:41:07,169 you're just saying it for our good. 700 00:41:07,980 --> 00:41:10,495 And then we want our lives to honor you. 701 00:41:12,744 --> 00:41:19,594 My first, uh, doctorate degree, I g- asked for two copies. 702 00:41:19,784 --> 00:41:22,034 Paid some extra money and got a second copy. 703 00:41:22,833 --> 00:41:26,184 Went down to the frame shop and got a frame, and then got 704 00:41:26,184 --> 00:41:29,264 a plaque for my mom and dad. 705 00:41:29,264 --> 00:41:35,674 I said, "You know, I'm a doctor now, doctor of the church, but I'd never have 706 00:41:35,674 --> 00:41:38,344 gotten here without the both of you." 707 00:41:40,375 --> 00:41:43,445 And I now have that frame. 708 00:41:44,404 --> 00:41:49,335 My brother left it at our house for the estate sale, and I know no one 709 00:41:49,335 --> 00:41:54,234 would buy it, and I knew my mother wouldn't know what it was about anymore. 710 00:41:54,885 --> 00:42:01,165 So I have it, and it's behind my bookshelf up there in my office because 711 00:42:01,165 --> 00:42:06,025 I am what I am because of my parents, and especially because of my mama. 712 00:42:06,535 --> 00:42:11,165 And so this, this sermon this morning is dedicated to all of you moms. 713 00:42:11,165 --> 00:42:16,925 We celebrate you, we love you, and we thank you, and God bless you.