2 Samuel 7:8-17

I believe the book of Judges is in the Bible to show us

the consequences of what should be expected by one who lives a life without

God.  Israel was a religious people, but

when you read the book of Judges, it seems that their religion did not include

the God of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, or even Joshua.  In fact, early in the book of Judges one

reads of the generation that followed Moses and Joshua: “There arose another

generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done

for Israel” (Judges 2:10)

Because all of the other nations that surrounded Israel

had their own king, the Hebrew people wanted one of their own.  It was not Israel’s desire for a king that

was wrong, for God had promised a time would come when He would establish a

king over Israel.  We have one of the

earliest promises of a king in Israel way back in Genesis 49, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor

the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him

shall be the obedience of the peoples” (v. 10).  In

Deuteronomy 17:14-20, Israel was given instructions for the king concerning how

he was to live his life.  The desire for

a king was not wrong; what was wrong had to do with the motivation behind

wanting a king – Israel wanted to be more like the nations than She wanted to

be like God.

The first king

that was chosen for Israel was a guy named Saul… it didn’t go very well.  Sure, he looked kingly; he was handsome,

tall, and strong.  There was only one

problem – he didn’t have a heart for God. 

In fact, he was more concerned about his position as king than he was about

what God thought about him.  The last

straw for God was when He told him to destroy the people group known as the

Amalekites and left some alive along with the king.  So, God spoke to Saul through Samuel:

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt

offerings and sacrifices,

       as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

       and to listen than the fat of

rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of divination,

       and presumption is as iniquity and

idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

       he has also rejected you from being

king.”

When Samuel turned

to walk away Saul cried out, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the

commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed

their voice.”  Samuel responded,

“The

LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a

neighbor of yours, who is better than you” (see 1 Sam. 15).  That neighbor was a young Judean boy by the

name of David – who did not fit the description of a king.

When Samuel went

looking for the king of God’s choosing, he was looking for someone who fit the

typical job description for kings: tall, strong, and impressive.  When Samuel arrived at the home of Boaz and

Ruth’s great-grandson Jesse, the first of his seven sons were presented to the

prophet as potential kings for Israel, and none of them did God choose.  After Samuel looked over Jesse’s oldest, God instructed

him that, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because

I have rejected him, for the LORD sees not as mans sees: man looks on

the outward appearance, but eh LORD looks on the heart” (1 Sam.

16:7).  After seven of Jesse’s sons

passed by Samuel with God’s disapproval of each of them, he asked, “Are all your sons here?”  There was one more that no one considered…

including his own parents.  The youngest

of Jesse’s sons was a boy named David whom everyone discounted because of his

age and size.  After David was presented

to Samuel, God spoke to the prophet: “Arise,

anoint him, for this is he” (v. 12). 

After David was anointed with oil as the next man to reign and rule as

king over Israel, we are told that, “the

Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward” (v. 13). 

David Was God’s Man

The first time we

are given the op

Luke 14

Pastor Keith’s message on why baptism is important and what it means for the follower of Christ.

This Sunday we celebrated the faith of seven people who made the decision to follow Jesus’ command to be baptized! Four people were baptized in the first service and three were baptized in the second service. If you weren’t able to attend you can click below to view the baptisms on our Livestream archive.

Baptism Service Livestream

Never miss a sermon from Meadowbrooke. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Google Play to get new sermons when they are posted.

The post Believer’s Baptism appeared first on Meadowbrooke Church.

Luke 14

Pastor Keith’s message on why baptism is important and what it means for the follower of Christ.

This Sunday we celebrated the faith of seven people who made the decision to follow Jesus’ command to be baptized! Four people were baptized in the first service and three were baptized in the second service. If you weren’t able to attend you can click below to view the baptisms on our Livestream archive.

Baptism Service Livestream

Never miss a sermon from Meadowbrooke. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Google Play to get new sermons when they are posted.

The post Believer’s Baptism appeared first on Meadowbrooke Church.

Luke 14

Pastor Keith’s message on why baptism is important and what it means for the follower of Christ.

This Sunday we celebrated the faith of seven people who made the decision to follow Jesus’ command to be baptized! Four people were baptized in the first service and three were baptized in the second service. If you weren’t able to attend you can click below to view the baptisms on our Livestream archive.

Baptism Service Livestream

Never miss a sermon from Meadowbrooke. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Google Play to get new sermons when they are posted.

The post Believer’s Baptism appeared first on Meadowbrooke Church.

“Sometimes I Doubt it, and So Do You”

The post Doubt appeared first on Meadowbrooke Church.

“Sometimes I Doubt it, and So Do You”

The post Doubt appeared first on Meadowbrooke Church.

“Sometimes I Doubt it, and So Do You”

The post Doubt appeared first on Meadowbrooke Church.

Part 9 of “The Tree” – a study of Jesus’ family tree.

Ruth Chapters 1-4

The story of Ruth begins with, “In the days when the judges ruled…” (v. 1a).

For context, Joshua was 110 years old when he died; he spent

a lifetime of faithful service to Yahweh and Israel.  Shortly before his death, he pleaded with the

people:

Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in

faithfulness.  Put away the gods that

your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the

LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served

in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you

dwell.  But as for me and my house, we

will serve the LORD.” (Josh. 24:14-15)

However, Israel did not keep their promise to Yahweh.  After Joshua’s death, God raised up regional

judges such Gideon, Deborah, and Samson, to lead His people and rescue them

every time they got into trouble.  The

beginning of the book of Judges explains, “the

people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the

Baals.  And they abandoned the LORD, the

God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land Egypt.  They went after other gods, from among the

gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them” (Judges

2:11-12).

When one reads the book of Judges, although God can be seen

moving among His people, it is as if He is not present, because He is not

wanted.  In fact, the final verse in the

book of Judges reads like the epitaph on a gravestone: “In those days there was no king in Israel.  Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  The story of Naomi and Ruth takes place

during this dark age in Israel’s history. 

With the time that we have together, I want to briefly focus our

attention on four people in the story of Ruth

Naomi Suffered Loss  

In chapter one, Naomi suffered the loss of her husband and

her two sons, which meant that she was left with nothing.  When she left her home with her husband and

two boys, because there was a famine in the land (v. 1), Naomi left

“full.”  ).  It seemed like a good idea for the sake of safety

and family to live in Moab, but while in Moab, her husband Elimelech died. If

that were not enough, not only did her two sons take Moabite wives (Orpah and

Ruth), something that God commanded His people not to do (Deut. 7:2-3), but Naomi’s

two sons also died shortly after, which left her with two childless Moabite

daughters-in-law!  Naomi had the three

most important men in her life stripped away from her and she was left with

absolutely nothing regarding lineage and property.  

Considering Naomi’s circumstances, it is completely

understandable that she asked to no longer be referred to as Naomi, which means

“pleasant.” Instead, she wished to be called Mara, which meant “bitter.”  She stated, “The Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.  I went away full, and the LORD has brought me

back empty” (vv. 20-21).  In part,

Naomi was right.  For her to assume that

God was not behind the famine that caused her family to move to Moab would have

been foolish, because she understood that God causes, “the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate,

that he may bring forth food from the earth…” (Ps. 104:14).  When it came to the lives of her husband and

two sons, she understood that God alone has the authority to give life and take

it away, just as Job rightly responded to the death of his family: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and

naked shall I return.  The LORD gave, and

the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21). 

What Naomi failed to see was the good that God was doing in

the midst her pain.  Admittedly, it is

very difficult to see past the kind of grief and despair Naomi must have

suffered from; she literally lost just about everything she held dear. Think,

for a moment, on William Cowper’s lyrics:

Judge not the lor

Part 9 of “The Tree” – a study of Jesus’ family tree.

Ruth Chapters 1-4

The story of Ruth begins with, “In the days when the judges ruled…” (v. 1a).

For context, Joshua was 110 years old when he died; he spent

a lifetime of faithful service to Yahweh and Israel.  Shortly before his death, he pleaded with the

people:

Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in

faithfulness.  Put away the gods that

your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the

LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served

in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you

dwell.  But as for me and my house, we

will serve the LORD.” (Josh. 24:14-15)

However, Israel did not keep their promise to Yahweh.  After Joshua’s death, God raised up regional

judges such Gideon, Deborah, and Samson, to lead His people and rescue them

every time they got into trouble.  The

beginning of the book of Judges explains, “the

people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the

Baals.  And they abandoned the LORD, the

God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land Egypt.  They went after other gods, from among the

gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them” (Judges

2:11-12).

When one reads the book of Judges, although God can be seen

moving among His people, it is as if He is not present, because He is not

wanted.  In fact, the final verse in the

book of Judges reads like the epitaph on a gravestone: “In those days there was no king in Israel.  Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  The story of Naomi and Ruth takes place

during this dark age in Israel’s history. 

With the time that we have together, I want to briefly focus our

attention on four people in the story of Ruth

Naomi Suffered Loss  

In chapter one, Naomi suffered the loss of her husband and

her two sons, which meant that she was left with nothing.  When she left her home with her husband and

two boys, because there was a famine in the land (v. 1), Naomi left

“full.”  ).  It seemed like a good idea for the sake of safety

and family to live in Moab, but while in Moab, her husband Elimelech died. If

that were not enough, not only did her two sons take Moabite wives (Orpah and

Ruth), something that God commanded His people not to do (Deut. 7:2-3), but Naomi’s

two sons also died shortly after, which left her with two childless Moabite

daughters-in-law!  Naomi had the three

most important men in her life stripped away from her and she was left with

absolutely nothing regarding lineage and property.  

Considering Naomi’s circumstances, it is completely

understandable that she asked to no longer be referred to as Naomi, which means

“pleasant.” Instead, she wished to be called Mara, which meant “bitter.”  She stated, “The Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.  I went away full, and the LORD has brought me

back empty” (vv. 20-21).  In part,

Naomi was right.  For her to assume that

God was not behind the famine that caused her family to move to Moab would have

been foolish, because she understood that God causes, “the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate,

that he may bring forth food from the earth…” (Ps. 104:14).  When it came to the lives of her husband and

two sons, she understood that God alone has the authority to give life and take

it away, just as Job rightly responded to the death of his family: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and

naked shall I return.  The LORD gave, and

the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21). 

What Naomi failed to see was the good that God was doing in

the midst her pain.  Admittedly, it is

very difficult to see past the kind of grief and despair Naomi must have

suffered from; she literally lost just about everything she held dear. Think,

for a moment, on William Cowper’s lyrics:

Judge not the lor

Part 9 of “The Tree” – a study of Jesus’ family tree.

Ruth Chapters 1-4

The story of Ruth begins with, “In the days when the judges ruled…” (v. 1a).

For context, Joshua was 110 years old when he died; he spent

a lifetime of faithful service to Yahweh and Israel.  Shortly before his death, he pleaded with the

people:

Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in

faithfulness.  Put away the gods that

your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the

LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served

in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you

dwell.  But as for me and my house, we

will serve the LORD.” (Josh. 24:14-15)

However, Israel did not keep their promise to Yahweh.  After Joshua’s death, God raised up regional

judges such Gideon, Deborah, and Samson, to lead His people and rescue them

every time they got into trouble.  The

beginning of the book of Judges explains, “the

people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the

Baals.  And they abandoned the LORD, the

God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land Egypt.  They went after other gods, from among the

gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them” (Judges

2:11-12).

When one reads the book of Judges, although God can be seen

moving among His people, it is as if He is not present, because He is not

wanted.  In fact, the final verse in the

book of Judges reads like the epitaph on a gravestone: “In those days there was no king in Israel.  Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  The story of Naomi and Ruth takes place

during this dark age in Israel’s history. 

With the time that we have together, I want to briefly focus our

attention on four people in the story of Ruth

Naomi Suffered Loss  

In chapter one, Naomi suffered the loss of her husband and

her two sons, which meant that she was left with nothing.  When she left her home with her husband and

two boys, because there was a famine in the land (v. 1), Naomi left

“full.”  ).  It seemed like a good idea for the sake of safety

and family to live in Moab, but while in Moab, her husband Elimelech died. If

that were not enough, not only did her two sons take Moabite wives (Orpah and

Ruth), something that God commanded His people not to do (Deut. 7:2-3), but Naomi’s

two sons also died shortly after, which left her with two childless Moabite

daughters-in-law!  Naomi had the three

most important men in her life stripped away from her and she was left with

absolutely nothing regarding lineage and property.  

Considering Naomi’s circumstances, it is completely

understandable that she asked to no longer be referred to as Naomi, which means

“pleasant.” Instead, she wished to be called Mara, which meant “bitter.”  She stated, “The Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.  I went away full, and the LORD has brought me

back empty” (vv. 20-21).  In part,

Naomi was right.  For her to assume that

God was not behind the famine that caused her family to move to Moab would have

been foolish, because she understood that God causes, “the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate,

that he may bring forth food from the earth…” (Ps. 104:14).  When it came to the lives of her husband and

two sons, she understood that God alone has the authority to give life and take

it away, just as Job rightly responded to the death of his family: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and

naked shall I return.  The LORD gave, and

the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21). 

What Naomi failed to see was the good that God was doing in

the midst her pain.  Admittedly, it is

very difficult to see past the kind of grief and despair Naomi must have

suffered from; she literally lost just about everything she held dear. Think,

for a moment, on William Cowper’s lyrics:

Judge not the lor