Join us in person or here on Sunday at 10:00AM for the English Sunday message. The Chinese message starts at 11:00AM . You can also join us on our Youtube Channel or Facebook Live .

(06/30/2024) Eddie Lo

A Redeemer is Born

Scriptures: Ruth 4:13-22

A. A Son is Born. (Ruth 4:13-17a)
1. The tide is turned. (Ruth 4:13)
2. A Son is Born to 3 Parents. (Ruth 4:14, 16)
3. A Son is Born to Be a Redeemer. (Ruth 4:14-17a)

B. The Unusual Lineage under God’s Plan. (Ruth 4:17b-22)
1. This boy points to the Messiah who is the “Suffering Servant of the Lord.” (Ruth 4:17a)
2. A 10-Generation Genealogy That Points to The Entry of the Messiah. (Ruth 4:18-22)

Speaker: Eddie Lo

Reflection and Discussion
1. We have completed the whole Book of Ruth this morning. I am sure that at this point we are all convinced that the speculation about the two sons of Elimelech, Mahlon & Kilion, who disobeyed God’s commands by marrying Moabite women, and therefore God punished them by causing both of them childless and died prematurely, does not hold water at all. If that was the case, then Boaz, a man of God, who was also married to a Moabite woman, Ruth, will also be punished by God, otherwise God would be accused of “double standard.” Obviously, Boaz had a son from that Moabite woman. And the author did not tell us that Boaz died as a result of his disobedience. This reminds us that our God is not like a Superior Court Judge whose main task and objective is to render harsh judgement and punish disobedience harshly. Our God is full of grace and mercy and compassion.

2. Whenever Christians encounter misfortune or serious problems, they are taught to pray for God’s intervention and to faithfully wait for God’s time for resolution. There is a thin line between to remain inactive while waiting solely for God to take action and to take proper initiative while waiting God to intervene. In this story, we observe proactive initiatives taken by all parties involved: Ruth took the initiative to ask permission from her mother-in-law to go to the field and glean the harvest. Naomi took the risky initiative of sending her daughter-in-law at the middle of the night into the tent of Boaz to remind him of his legal obligation. Boaz took the initiative of convening a town legal assembly to raise the goel redemption issue of Ruth. May God grant us wisdom to weigh and balance between the two alternatives.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1. West Coast Christian Conference (WCCC) 2024: In lieu of having our summer conference, this year we encourage brothers and sisters to attend West Coast Christian Conference 2024 together. It will take place from 7/24 to 7/28 (Wednesday to Sunday) at Biola University.  The registration window for WCCC 2024 is from 4/15/24 to 5/15/24, or until capacity is reached. Registrations can be completed at the conference website https://www.westcoastchristianconference.com/2024/registration.php. The capacity usually fills up in about two weeks so please register early. If you attended WCCC in the past, you may use your security code when registering on their website. However, if you have never attended WCCC or need a new security code, please get in touch with Richer Shaw, Alan Ngo or Caleb. We will obtain one for you.  You can find out more about the conference by visiting West Coast Christian Conference 2024.
2. In-Person Meeting: Welcome back! English group, Chinese group and children Sunday School is back to in person meetings. Our meeting schedule has changed, Sunday morning starts 9:15AM with Breaking of Bread followed by worship and message at 10:00AM. Please refer to the schedule for details.
3. Prayer Meeting: Prayer Meetings are Tuesdays from 8:00 to 9:15PM, joining via Webex for the combined session of the meeting (Meeting number: 6 2 7 5 6 4 2 7 4 Password: 4 0 0 0). We are using Zoom for the English group session, please reach out to Richer for login information.
4. Bible Reading Plan: For 2024 Bible-in-a-year reading, we will follow “More Jesus Reading Plan 365” and will read through the Bible in a year. With a reading plan, we can keep one another accountable in our Bible reading. For more details or to join the plan, click here.
5. Offering: If you would like to make offerings, you can drop it into the offering box or send your checks to: Home of Christians, L.A., PO Box 507, Monterey Park, CA 91754.
6. Feature Pages: Checkout our worship YouTube channel for our latest music productions. Also checkout the two new webpages on the Chinese site featuring hymns and the sharing of our brothers and sisters.
7. Howto: There are several ways to watch the HOC Sunday Sermon. Here are two methods

See our sermons page for past sermons.

Eddie Lo