The Blessing of Honor
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The Gravity of Honor | The Blessing of Honor
Pastor Dean Deguara
Honor pulls people together, yet dishonor pushes people apart.
Ruth 3:1-4 (NKJV)
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.” 5 And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”
Honor Prepares for what is Promised
Kinsman-redeemer: a close family member who could step in and restore what the family had lost.
Ruth 3:1-3 (NKJV)
“My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative?...3Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment…
Honor Adheres to God’s Principles over Personal Interest
Ruth 3:12–13 (NKJV)
Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.
Honor refuses to gain the right thing the wrong way.
Leviticus 25:25 (NKVJ)
If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold.
Ruth 4:8-10 (NKJV)
Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” So he took off his sandal. 9 And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”
HONOR Trusts God’s Process
DISHONOR Forces OutcomesHONOR Chooses Integrity
DISHONOR Chooses ShortcutsHONOR Waits Faithfully
DISHONOR Manipulates ImpatientlyHONOR Protects Others
DISHONOR Uses OthersHONOR Submits to God’s Order
DISHONOR Prioritizes Personal DesireHonor Redeems, Restores, and Recovers
Ruth 4:13-17 (NKJV)
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! 15 And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Jesus wants to take you from a bitter life to a blessed life.
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Graduates, college graduates, how many of you have been to at least one graduation party?
Thanks for going.
You're hitting the ones that we haven't been to, so thank you guys so much.
We're actually on a three-weekend-in-a-row wedding.
We've been to three weddings, three weekends in a row, and so it's going to be a busy summer.
But how many of you know that's a good sign of a healthy church, right?
We're getting married, we're sending our children off.
And God is doing some amazing things.
We baptized, here's a quick testimony.
We baptized 41 people last Sunday.
So that was amazing.
We had a lot going on, but between all the services, we were baptizing people outside on the patio there, and it is just awesome to see God moving through people's lives.
You can get all the notes for today's message in the YouVersion app.
Go to the YouVersion app, Events, Real Life Church Sacramento, and then all the notes are there to encourage and strengthen you in your walk, help you apply them.
If you follow us, you'll get a five-day devotional throughout the week that Pastor Taylor prepares.
Again, that'll just help you, encourage you in your walk with God, but it's all right there in the YouVersion app.
Share that.
It just helps broaden our influence in the community and beyond.
Are you guys ready to get in the Word today?
Two weeks ago, we kicked off the message series, a mini-series that I've titled The Gravity of Honor, centered around the book of Ruth.
We learned that in the midst of a dishonoring culture, the book of Ruth was
was written in the period of Judges.
It was one of the darkest times in all of history.
The last verse in the book of Judges said, everybody was doing right in their own eyes.
And we discovered that even in that dark, broken culture, this story of Ruth is written.
And we learned this, and we discovered this together, that honor pulls people together, even in darkness...
Okay, this is gonna be this crowd.
Even in darkness, honor pulls people together.
Even in chaos, honor pulls people together.
Come on, even in a divided culture, honor pulls people together, yet dishonor pushes people apart.
And in Ruth chapter 1 and 2, we watched honor begin to pull broken people towards redemption.
And we learned that honor stays, honor serves, and honor trusts.
We've seen this in the life of Ruth.
stayed and chose to stay in covenant relationship with Naomi over convenience.
What would have been easy for her to just go back to Moab, but she says, no, wherever you go, I'm going.
You can't get rid of me that easy.
She served faithfully on the fringes of the field, and on that field, she just happened to wander into Boaz's field, and she experienced God's providence and provision, and then Ruth trusted Moab
what Boaz said about her, not what culture labeled her as a widow, a Moabitess, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
And slowly we began to see, and if you haven't saw the message or listened to the message, you can go to our YouTube channel, RLC SAC TV and catch up.
But what we witnessed was God pulling an outsider, someone who didn't belong, and we seen God pull her into a
place of belonging and family.
Because how many know that's what honor does?
It moves towards people, not away from people.
Man, y'all.
You see, God never meant to stop with just pulling people together.
with honor pulling people together.
Because honor isn't just about fixing a relationship, honor is about creating a legacy.
Everybody say legacy.
Legacy.
And so today we're gonna look at chapters three and four.
I'm gonna do an overview.
Again, we're going to see that honor doesn't just restore relationships, honor can, listen, change the trajectory of generations.
How many of you guys were here last Sunday?
This is what we witnessed last Sunday on Next Gen Sunday.
We gave our team an opportunity to lead us.
I don't know about you, but last Sunday was one of the best services of the year.
I'm just telling you.
Come on, we got leaders raising up.
And I don't know about you, but last week I saw legacy.
Come on, I saw this church 50 years from now.
When I'm dead and gone, I've seen a church still thriving and flourishing right here in North Sacramento in the Natomas community.
And we're going to read, we're going to pick up in Ruth 3, 1 through 4.
We're going to touch at some end of chapter 2 as well.
and head into chapter four as we wrap it up, but it says this, Ruth chapter three, one through four, then Naomi, her mother-in-law, talking about Ruth, said to her, my daughter, shall I not seek security for you that it may be well with you?
Now Boaz, whose young woman you were with in the field, is he not our relative?
In fact, he's winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
I want you to highlight this in your app or underline it in your Bible.
Verse three, therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself.
and put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
Then it shall be when he lies down that you shall notice the place where he lies and you shall go in and uncover his feet and lie down and he will tell you what you should do.
And Ruth responds and says, all that you say to me, I will do.
Naomi's instructions to Ruth show us that the first way honor begins to create legacy is not waiting for God's promises to unfold.
It leads me to my first point, and it's this.
Honor prepares for what is promised.
When Naomi realizes that Ruth had been gleaning in the fields of Boaz.
How many know that wasn't an accident, that was providence?
Who by God's providence was experiencing over and above provision.
She says this at the end of chapter two, verse 20.
Naomi says this to Ruth.
She says, "'Blessed be he of the Lord "'who has not forsaken his kindness "'to the living and the dead.'"
Referring to Boaz.
In other words, Naomi was telling Ruth, you have no idea how everything can change through this relationship with Boaz.
He's our closest relative.
He's our cousin.
He's our next of kin.
Remember, again, at the beginning of the story, when Elimelech, her husband and her son's
Naomi's sons died, she lost everything over a span of 10 years.
She lost her security, she lost her provision, she lost her protection, she lost her stability, and eventually even the family property would be given up and lost.
In that culture, land was deeply connected to your inheritance, your family identity, your future security.
And without a husband or sons, Naomi's family line was about to disappear from history.
And that is why this term, which it's not in every translation, the kinsman redeemer.
Everybody say kinsman redeemer.
This is why the kinsman redeemer mattered so much.
A kinsman redeemer was a close family member who could step in and restore what the family had lost.
So what we need to understand is Boaz is not simply just being a nice guy.
How many appreciate nice guys?
He's more than that.
He stepped up and he stepped in to redeem a legacy, to restore, to protect, to preserve, and bring security back to Naomi and Ruth.
And if this sounds familiar this morning, it's because Boaz is symbolic of what Jesus, our redeemer, did for us.
Because how many know, through sin, we lost everything.
We lost fellowship with God.
We lost our spiritual inheritance, our security, our identity, our belonging.
And how many are thankful that Jesus stepped up and stepped in as our redeemer to recover, to restore, and redeem all that was lost?
And at the end of chapter two, before we jumped into chapter three there, Naomi is basically saying, hey, don't lose sight of Boaz.
Keep an eye on Boaz.
As blessed as you are, Ruth, in the barley harvest, stay close and don't let the current blessing blind you from where God wants to take you.
Amen.
Because this is what I know, church, sometimes we think the real danger in life is only when life hits hard.
But have you noticed how easy it is to drift away, come on, when life gets comfortable?
When prayers get answered?
Come on, when bills get paid?
Come on, when the job is stable?
Have you ever caught yourself enjoying the blessing and slowly forgetting the one who blessed you?
Who actually gave it to you?
Come on, you was tithing and God blessed you and then you said, hallelujah, I've arrived.
Well, all right.
And slowly you look up one day and you realize you're not as close to him as you once were.
This is important because Naomi doesn't want Ruth to just get caught up and enjoy the blessing of the barley harvest.
She wants her to prepare and get ready for the bigger work that God is desiring to do in and through her life.
And she says, Ruth, don't take your eyes off Boaz.
Ruth 3, one and three, again, my daughter, that's covenant language.
Shall I not seek security?
That word means rest.
Shall I not seek rest for you that it may be well with you?
Now Boaz, young women, you were with, he is he, not our relative.
Therefore, wash yourself.
Everybody say wash yourself.
Anoint yourself.
Everybody say anoint yourself.
And put on your best garment.
Say put on your best garment.
You see, Naomi is instructing Ruth, you have to stop seeing yourself as a Moabitess, an outsider, and a maidservant, and now you have to start seeing yourself as Boaz sees you.
Basically, she says, Ruth, you gotta stop dressing like
who you used to be.
You got to stop seeing yourself through your pain.
You got to stop seeing yourself and defining yourself through your past.
You're not a servant anymore.
You belong in the family.
And Naomi expresses to Ruth that Boaz has the ability as their kinsman redeemer to
or first cousin or closest cousin to reverse the downward spiral that they were experiencing.
She was saying, Ruth, Boaz has the ability to recover and restore everything that we've lost over these last 10 years.
Now, I'm sure Naomi was grateful for the bundles of blessing.
If you remember last week, Boaz's workmen were dropping bundles of blessing in front of Ruth on purpose.
Amen.
How many thankful for blessings on purpose?
And I'm sure she was grateful, but she wasn't about to let Ruth settle for the blessing because she knew blessings were here today and gone tomorrow.
Amen.
Naomi was interested in Ruth belonging to something that could outlast the blessing, and that was being part of a bigger legacy that God was wanting to create in their lives.
Church, I've had to learn sometimes that the hard way that if I chase the blessing instead of the one who blesses, come on, I end up empty, I end up dissatisfied, discontent, frustrated.
Anybody ever been there before?
You see, I don't wanna build my life around the blessings because blessings come and go.
I wanna build a life of honor and obedience that outlives me because when I honor and obey, how many know the blessings of life chase after me?
This is what the psalmist said in Psalm 23, verse 6.
David wrote, surely your goodness and love.
In the Amplified it says, surely your goodness, love, mercy, unfailing love will follow.
That word follow means chase and pursue me all the days of my life.
Amen.
You see, Ruth washed herself.
She anointed herself.
She put on the new garments.
And more than changing her appearance, she was marking a new season in her life.
And that's exactly what the Holy Spirit wants to do in your life today.
He wants to mark you.
Church, it's a new season.
It's time to say goodbye to the old and say hello to the new.
Ruth was no longer dressing like a widow defined by law.
She was preparing herself for the possibility of being redeemed.
You see, the outward change reflected an inward shift that God was doing on the inside of her.
And some of us need that same shift, that same change today.
For some of us, today could be the day, listen, where you come clean.
Today could be the day when you separate yourself from what's been holding you back.
Today could be the day where you take off the old clothes and put on the new.
And for some of us, even that idea of new feels scary.
Because you've worn the old identity for so long, it almost feels comfortable.
And the Holy Spirit is inviting you and I to step into new mindsets, new direction, new habits, new relationship.
And can I just tell you, the gravity of honor helps us do that.
You see, honor stops dressing for the season that God has already delivered you from.
When honor is embraced and applied in our lives, the dishonor of your failure, your pain, your addiction, the things that you're ashamed of, your bitterness, your past, they no longer get the final word in your life.
In fact, they lose their power over your life.
Ruth's new garments did not redeem her, but they reflected her faith that redemption was possible through Boaz.
And she goes to Boaz.
She throws herself at his feet.
And it's important to understand, because when you're studying this, you're reading all kinds of different commentaries, and a lot of people have different things to say.
But it's important to understand that Ruth was not making a romantic move as much as she was making a request to be redeemed.
She was asking Boaz to do what only he could do, to step in as a role of a kinsman redeemer, to recover, to restore, and to redeem everything that had been lost in Naomi and her life.
You see, to restore what Naomi's family had lost through tragedy and death, she was asking for covering.
She was asking for restoration.
She was asking for redemption.
And Ruth does her part by honoring Naomi's counsel and humbly asking Boaz to be redeemed.
And now the story changes from Ruth's honor to Boaz's honor.
I've read this story so many times.
And when I was reading it early in the week as I was preparing, I saw something that I never saw before that I want to share with you.
Because this story shifts from Ruth's honor of Naomi and Boaz to Boaz's honor.
Because honor is not only revealed in how we pursue redemption, honor is also revealed in how we respond when we have the opportunity to redeem.
And Boaz's response shows us something powerful about honor, and it's this.
Honor adheres to God's principles over personal interest.
Let that one sit for a minute.
Amen.
Because it's right there.
Honor is not just treating somebody well and going above and beyond.
Can I just tell you, honor submits itself to God's way even when selfishness would be easier.
Ruth 3, 12 to 13 says this.
He acknowledged both, says, you're right, I am a close cousin.
He's all, but I'm not your closest cousin.
Look at verses 12 and 13.
Now it's true that I'm close relative.
However, there is a relative closer than I. This is what I've never saw before.
Stay this night and in the morning it shall be that if he, your closest cousin, if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you, good.
Let him do it.
But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then Boaz says, I'll perform the duty for you as the Lord lives, lie down until morning.
In other words, he said, you're going to have to trust God in this.
Boaz wanted to redeem Ruth, yet he refused to violate God's order to get what he wanted.
Amen.
Boaz had every reason to take the shortcut.
He loved Ruth.
He had the resources.
He had the opportunity.
Nobody probably would have questioned it.
But here's the thing.
The scriptures don't directly say it, but because he has this knowledge, he is a man of the word.
Amen.
He is a man who honors God's way over his ways.
And he's referring to a law found in Leviticus 25 verse 25.
Now I'm just going to read verse 25, but you can read more about the kinsmen redeemer law in verses 47 through 55 of the same chapter.
Leviticus 25, 25 says this.
If one of your brethren becomes poor or
or loses everything, that's Pastor Dean's paraphrased version, and has sold some of his possessions or lost all of his possessions.
And if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold or lost.
Boaz teaches this.
Come on, when you honor God's word over your ways, come on, have you know, God will honor you.
And here's an important truth that we all must get down in our spirit, especially in the day that we live in.
Honor refuses to gain the right thing the wrong way.
Boaz could have justified bypassing the closer relative.
Come on, have you done the old bypass before?
He cared for Ruth, he protected Ruth, he loved Ruth, he desired Ruth, he had the resources to take care of Ruth, he had the ability, but we've gotta understand, honor does not manipulate outcomes for selfish gain.
And Boaz, oh, the man of God that he was, Boaz chooses integrity instead of insisting on doing things his way.
Church, honor refuses to gain the right thing the wrong way.
Boaz understood that just because you can do something doesn't mean you should bypass God's principles to do it.
Boaz's honor is huge in the day that he's living.
Remember, everybody is doing what's right in their own eyes.
And if we're honest, it sounds a lot like the world we're living in right now because my friend's dishonor has crept into the church.
I'm talking about the big C church.
We say things like, do you.
You have to do what's right for everybody.
You have to live by your truth.
You don't need anybody's permission, feedback, or input.
You don't need to submit your plans to anyone.
You don't need their blessing.
Your pastor don't need to be all up in your business.
Until you get in a crisis and you need a 911 rescue, then the phone is ringing off the hook.
You're grown.
Come on, we say things like you're grown.
You don't need anybody's advice.
Get what you deserve.
Follow your heart.
Take the shortcut as long as it works.
But honor says, I'm going to trust God enough to do things his way.
Honor helps me recognize I'd rather lose an opportunity than lose my integrity.
And because Boaz refuses to take the shortcut and chooses God's order over his own desire, watch what happens next at the city gate in chapter four.
Verses eight through 10, it says, therefore the close relative said to Boaz,
Again, he defers.
And he tells Boaz, buy it yourself.
And so he took off his sandal, and there's a lot of great meaning in this.
Don't have time to get into it today.
And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, you are witnesses this day that I bought all of Elimelech's and all of Kilion and Milan's from the hand of Naomi.
Moreover, Ruth, the Moabitess, the widow of Milan, I have acquired as my wife, check out these powerful words, to perpetuate the name of the dead woman.
through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his brethren and from his position at the gate.
You are witnesses to this day.
Boaz honors the closest relative by allowing him to have the first option to redeem the land.
Come on, and he says, and in turn, because he does the right thing, the closest relative defers to Boaz and says, you buy it.
Come on, turn to your neighbor and say, you buy it.
Come on.
You see, Boaz trusted that obedience to God's law would never cost him God's best.
You see, this is a sign of maturity, folks, a sign of honor in our day.
You see, honor, and there's a lot to be said about honor.
There's this stuff about honor culture, and people have called it horror culture.
I am not talking, I'm talking about how to honor in a culture of dishonor.
Many of you guys know, and I'm not sharing this story to pat myself on the back, but I want to tell you this story because I have not told too many about the backstory of how we received the $1 million to purchase 1900 Del Paso in 2024.
How many remember when we got that check from Pastor Justin?
We had a whole service here.
He presented us a check for almost $1 million, and we said, praise God, hallelujah, thank you, Jesus, amen?
That was amazing.
But to get to that place required trusting God and honoring God's process.
You see, what many don't know is months before, a couple of months before,
Pastor Justin had called me and he said, Pastor Dean, we have decided to close the doors of our church.
They were just right down the street here on Arena.
We've decided to close the doors of our church and we wanna write you a check for $1 million.
How many of you know, I wanna say, you could write that out too, real life.
That's what I wanted to do.
But I knew there was a process.
And so I pointed him back.
I said, hey, I would love that one.
Did I tell you it was $1 million?
I said, I would love for you to give us that $1 million.
but it's not mine to take.
And you need to get the blessing of our overseers, Brett Allen, who recently just passed away, and our district officials, Sam Huddleston and Dr. J. I said, I would love to receive the check, but until you talk to them and they tell you it's okay that you give us that gift, I cannot receive it.
Can I just tell you, I started praying, oh God.
Oh God.
You own a cattle on a thousand heels.
Two weeks I waited.
And can I just tell you, man, God, I'm just doing the right thing.
But I know, God, if I get their yes, that means I got your yes.
Yes.
And I remember Justin called and I said, hey, what happened?
What'd they say?
Again, I didn't talk to, and again, I'm a presbyter.
I'm an overseer in this area.
I help oversee pastors and churches.
I could have called them and said, hey, this is what's coming.
Just want to let you know.
You guys know what I'm talking about, right?
I got you, remember?
I didn't do that.
I said, you go and talk to them, and that'll tell me if God is releasing that blessing to us.
He called me, he said, Pastor Dean, I met with Dr. J, Pastor Brett, and Dr. Sam Huddleston.
I said, what'd they say?
He said, as I told them that we were closing our doors and we wanted to write the check to real life, they stopped me and said, that's exactly where it belongs.
We want you to write that check.
Come on.
And in November of 2024, come on, they wrote that check.
And listen, I didn't have to hide it.
Come on, when pastors came to me and say, well, how did you?
I said, I didn't do nothing.
I just follow God's way, God's order.
And I honored him in the process.
And look what he's done.
Come on, I don't got to hide the blessing because the blessings are chasing after me.
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
You see, honor, I got another graph for you.
Honor trusts God's process, dishonor forces outcomes.
Honor chooses integrity, dishonor chooses shortcuts.
Honor waits faithfully, dishonor manipulates impatiently.
Honor protects others, dishonor uses others.
Honor submits to God's order, dishonor prioritizes personal desire.
And most of us don't live in all of one column or this column.
In some areas, we're trusting God's process.
And in other areas, we're trying to force outcomes.
Today isn't about you're in this column or that column.
It's about the Holy Spirit inviting you to take one step out of the dishonor culture, listen, and honor God with everything that you have in life.
Because when honor looks like this, choosing God's way over your own way, it opens the door for God to do what only God can do.
Amen?
And it leads me to my last point.
Honor redeems, restores, and recovers.
Can we just say that?
Honor redeems, restores, and recovers.
Look at verses 13 to 17 again.
So Boaz took Ruth.
They consummated the marriage.
We're not gonna get into the details of that verse.
Verse 14.
Then the women called, women said to Naomi, blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without a close relative.
How many know we have one that sticks closer than a brother?
His name is Jesus.
Jesus.
May his name be famous in Israel and may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age.
For your daughter-in-law, Ruth, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons has born him.
Then Naomi took the child.
Come on, she took the legacy of her grandbaby in her hands.
And they called his name Obed.
He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Sharp contrast between chapter four and chapter one.
Do you remember how Naomi's story began?
Again, this book started in famine and three funerals, emptiness, bitterness, convinced that her future was over.
She literally, in chapter one, says, don't call me Naomi.
Don't call me the pleasant one anymore.
Call me Mara.
Call me bitter.
Convinced that it was over.
She started by saying, God, I can't believe you've dealt me this hand in life.
And yet by the end of the story, she's no longer holding on to bitterness.
Come on.
She's holding on to legacy.
She's holding on to Obed.
And little did she know that through Ruth, God was writing a legacy that would reach all the way to Jesus Christ.
Church, that's the gravity of honor.
It pulls broken people like you and I towards a future, come on, that we could never have imagined.
Notice that her story doesn't skip over the bitterness.
But here's what I want us to walk away with as we close out this mini-series.
Gravity, the gravity of honor, pulled her through the bitterness.
The gravity of honor kept her grounded when all was lost.
The gravity of honor kept her hopeful when everything around her was dismal.
And some of you are standing in the same hard places again.
even now.
And you need, come on, you need the gravity of honor to pull you through.
And church, I came to encourage you.
Honor redeems, honor restores, and honor recovers.
Boaz didn't just do a legal duty.
He willingly stepped into their mess, come on, and made it their own.
We have a value, we call them habits here, called learn empathy.
It means walking in other people's shoes.
Not talking about people's shoes.
Come on, not talking about their circumstances, but actually stepping into their mess and making it your own and walking with people.
I love what Ruth did today.
She says, wherever you go, I'm gonna go.
That's the heart behind honor.
Just like Ruth was redeemed by Boaz, if I could get the worship team to come and help me out, we are redeemed through Jesus Christ.
Church, we were outsiders.
We were spiritually bankrupt, separated from God, isolated in darkness, and yet Jesus stepped in our darkness, he stepped in our brokenness, and he paid the price to bring us back into the family of God.
Honor restores.
Naomi's legacy was restored.
How many know God restored her future, her family?
Come on, her joy, her inheritance, her legacy.
And how many know God can do the same thing for you and I?
Come on, God can restore what's been broken.
God can restore your family, your future, your hope, your identity, your faith.
Jesus.
Everybody say Jesus.
Jesus.
There's power in the name of Jesus.
Jesus is able to restore to you what was meant to devastate you.
You see, Jesus wants to take you and I from a bitter place, come on, to creating legacy in your life.
And honor recovers.
Everybody say honor recovers.
See, maybe somebody listening today, you feel like Naomi felt.
Things have been lost.
How many know that's real?
Years have been lost.
I think I've told you about, I lived for years with regret, thinking that all my 20s was wasted.
Wasted time.
How many know, come on, God can restore what the enemy
Some of you have lost relationships.
Some of you lost purity.
Some of you've lost opportunities.
Some of you've lost hope.
Some of you've lost peace.
And I came here to encourage you today that Jesus still redeems, he still restores, and he still recovers.
And the same redeemer who stepped into Naomi's losses, come on, can step into your story too.
I want you to just say this, my story is not over.
Come on, tell your neighbor, my story is not over.
Tell your other neighbor, your story is not over.
Why?
Because honor has gravity.
Honor prepares for what God has promised.
Honor adheres to God's principles over personal interests.
And in the hands of Jesus, honor will redeem you.
Honor will restore you.
And honor will recover everything that the enemy tried to steal away from you.
And so here's the question today.
Where is God inviting you to walk in honor?
Where is God inviting you to prepare, to put off the old and put on the new, to obey God's word over your ways?
Come on, to trust God's process, even in the problem that you can't figure out, to trust him.
Come on, to trust him more than your gut feeling.
Because church, when you choose honor, you won't just change your day.
You'll change your destiny.
And that's what God wants to do today.
That's what the Holy Spirit wants to do today.
Listen, he wants to change dead ends into destinies.
And some of you, you've been looking at a dead end.
You've been trying to do it your way.
Come on.
In your own strength, in your own power.
And God says, will you honor me?
Will you honor my word?
Will you honor my ways?
And when you do, he says, I'll redeem you.
I'll restore you.
And I will recover everything the enemy's tried to steal from
If that's you this morning, with every head bowed and every eye closed, listen, you need to honor Jesus today.
First things first.
You need to honor Jesus.
You do not have a relationship with Jesus.
And you say, Pastor Dean, I need to honor Jesus first in my life.
I want to make him my Lord and Savior.
If that's you, you say, Pastor Dean, will you pray for me?
I need to honor Jesus.
Before I do anything else, is there anybody in the building?
You say, Pastor Dean, I need to honor Jesus.
Anybody in the building, just by the lifting of your hand, you say, Pastor Dean, will you pray for me?
Anybody in the building?
You say, I'm not going to embarrass you, but I am going to pray for you.
Anybody in the building?
Anybody in the building?
Man, you're just like the first.
Oh, there we go right here.
Praise the Lord.
Come on.
Thank you, Jesus.
Another one.
Yes, another one.
Thank you, Jesus.
Come on.
Several hands.
Just one more time to the count of three.
One, two, three.
Hallelujah.
Thank you for being bold enough to just lift up your hand.
We're going to pray this prayer on the wall behind me together.
And when you do, listen, honor the Lord with all your heart.
Come on, with all your mind, with all your strength, give everything to Jesus that you've been holding back.
Just say, God, I'm going to honor you with my life.
Can we do that on the count of three?
Let's pray the prayer on the back of the screen.
One, two, three.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner and I ask for your gifts.
I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead.
Right now I turn from my sins and invite you to come into my heart and life.
I want to trust and follow you from this day forward.
I confess you as my personal Lord and Savior.
Thank you for saving me.
In Jesus' name.
Can we give God praise this morning for those that have given their lives to Christ?
Listen, this year alone, over 300 people have made decisions for Christ.
Come on, we just add into that number each and every week.
Listen, if you raised your hand, we'd love to put a new Bible in your hand.
My friend Jeff is in the back.
Stop by there.
If you didn't get a card, you want a new Bible on your way out, and you made that prayer, you put your trust in the Lord, we believe you got born again, and we got some resources we wanna put in your hand.
Will you stand with me, church, as our prayer ministers come forward?
Because this is what I know.
Come on, we all, come on, need to take one step out of the column of dishonor, come on, into honoring God with every part of our life.
And if that's you, will you just lift up your hands and say, Pastor Dean, I need to honor God in every area of my life.
If that's you, listen, just lift up your hand.
I wanna pray.
Father, you see every hand in this place.
God, not our ways, but your ways.
God, we trust your process even when it's painful.
God, I pray for deliverance.
God, from circumstances that seem hopeless, God, as we put our hope in your word, God, I pray that you would lift us out of the pit
God, whatever has us bound, God would let us go in the name of Jesus.
Father, I pray as we honor your word, God, that obedience and blessing God would chase after us.
God, that we wouldn't chase the blessing, but we would chase the only one who can give the blessings.
God, that make us rich and not poor.
Father, we thank you and we praise you in Jesus' name.
And everybody said...
Listen, if you need to respond, listen, I believe there is breakthrough in the room.
And if you need to just, listen, you need to just take a step, whatever that means, and honor God in every area of your life, whatever it may be, family, work.
Listen, when nobody's looking, that type of stuff.
Listen, we want to pray for you.
Church, I love you.
God bless you.
Have a great week.
but please respond if the holy spirit is tugging on your heart please come god bless you
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The Power of Honor: Creating a Legacy That Outlasts You
In a world where everyone seems to be doing what's right in their own eyes, there's an ancient story that cuts through the noise with a radical message about honor, redemption, and legacy. The book of Ruth, set during one of Israel's darkest periods, offers a blueprint for how honor can transform not just relationships, but entire generations.
Honor in the Midst of Chaos
The story unfolds against the backdrop of the Judges era—a time of moral chaos and spiritual bankruptcy. Yet within this darkness, we discover something profound: honor has gravity. It pulls people together when everything else is pushing them apart.
Ruth's journey from Moabite widow to honored ancestor of King David—and ultimately Jesus Christ—demonstrates that honor isn't just about being polite or respectful. It's about choosing covenant over convenience, faithfulness over feelings, and God's ways over our own.
Preparing for What God Has Promised
After Ruth had been gleaning in the fields of Boaz, experiencing his extraordinary kindness and provision, her mother-in-law Naomi recognized something significant was unfolding. Boaz wasn't just any landowner—he was their kinsman redeemer, the closest relative who had the legal right and ability to restore everything they had lost.
Naomi's instructions to Ruth reveal a crucial principle: honor prepares for what is promised.
"Wash yourself and anoint yourself, and put on your best garment," Naomi told Ruth (Ruth 3:3). This wasn't merely about physical appearance. It was about stepping into a new identity. Ruth needed to stop seeing herself through the lens of her pain, her past, and her losses. She needed to see herself as Boaz saw her—worthy, valuable, and belonging.
How often do we keep wearing the clothes of our old identity long after God has delivered us from it? We dress for seasons God has already brought us through, allowing past failures, disappointments, and labels to define our present and future.
The outward change in Ruth's appearance reflected an inward shift. She was no longer just a widow defined by loss. She was preparing herself for the possibility of redemption.
The Danger of Settling for Blessings
Here's a subtle truth that's easy to miss: sometimes the real danger in life isn't when things are hard—it's when life gets comfortable. When prayers get answered. When bills get paid. When the job is stable.
Naomi didn't want Ruth to simply enjoy the blessing of the barley harvest. She wanted her to prepare for the bigger work God desired to do. "Don't take your eyes off Boaz," she was essentially saying. "Don't let the current blessing blind you from where God wants to take you."
We can become so focused on chasing blessings that we forget to chase the One who blesses. But when we build our lives around honor and obedience rather than blessings, something remarkable happens: the blessings chase after us.
As the psalmist wrote, "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life" (Psalm 23:6). That word "follow" means to chase and pursue. When we honor God with our lives, His goodness pursues us.
Honor Adheres to Principles Over Personal Interest
When Ruth came to Boaz and asked him to act as her kinsman redeemer, his response reveals something powerful about true honor. Despite his love for Ruth, his resources, and his desire to help, Boaz refused to take a shortcut.
"You're right, I am a close relative," he told her. "However, there is a relative closer than I" (Ruth 3:12-13).
Boaz knew the law found in Leviticus 25—the kinsman redeemer law that established God's order for such situations. The closest relative had the first right to redeem. And even though Boaz could have justified bypassing this closer relative, even though no one might have questioned it, he chose integrity over immediacy.
This teaches us something crucial: honor refuses to gain the right thing the wrong way.
Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should bypass God's principles to do it. Honor doesn't manipulate outcomes for selfish gain. Honor trusts that obedience to God's ways will never cost us God's best.
In our culture of shortcuts, instant gratification, and "do you" mentality, this stands in stark contrast. We're told to follow our hearts, take what we deserve, and not let anyone—not even God—stand in the way of what we want.
But honor says something different. Honor says, "I'd rather lose an opportunity than lose my integrity." Honor submits to God's order even when personal desire screams for immediate satisfaction.
When Honor Trusts the Process
Because Boaz honored God's process, something beautiful unfolded. The closer relative deferred his right, clearing the way for Boaz to legitimately redeem Ruth and Naomi's family inheritance. At the city gate, before witnesses, Boaz declared his intention not just to marry Ruth, but "to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off" (Ruth 4:10).
This is the heart of redemption—stepping into someone else's mess and making it your own. Boaz didn't just fulfill a legal obligation; he willingly embraced their loss as his own and worked to restore what had been taken.
Sound familiar? This is exactly what Jesus did for us. We were outsiders, spiritually bankrupt, separated from God. Yet Jesus stepped into our darkness and brokenness, paying the price to bring us back into the family of God.
From Bitterness to Legacy
The contrast between the beginning and end of Ruth's story is staggering. Naomi started her journey in famine and funerals, convinced her future was over. "Don't call me Naomi," she said. "Call me Mara—bitter—because God has dealt bitterly with me."
But by the end of the story, she's no longer holding bitterness. She's holding her grandson, Obed—a living, breathing legacy. And through this child would come Jesse, then David, and ultimately, Jesus Christ himself.
The story doesn't skip over the bitterness. But here's the key: the gravity of honor pulled her through it. Honor kept her grounded when all was lost. Honor kept her hopeful when everything around her seemed dismal.
Three Truths About Honor's Power
Honor redeems. Just as Ruth was redeemed by Boaz, we are redeemed through Christ. He paid the price to bring us back into relationship with God, transforming our identity from outsiders to family members.
Honor restores. Naomi's legacy was restored—her future, her family, her joy, her inheritance. God can restore what's been broken in your life too: relationships, hope, peace, and purpose.
Honor recovers. Perhaps you feel like things have been lost—time, opportunities, relationships, purity, hope. But the same Redeemer who stepped into Naomi's losses can step into your story. Jesus still redeems, restores, and recovers what the enemy tried to steal.
Your Story Isn't Over
Where is God inviting you to walk in honor today? Where is He calling you to prepare, to put off the old and put on the new? To obey His Word over your ways? To trust His process even when you can't figure out the problem?
When you choose honor, you won't just change your day—you'll change your destiny. God wants to transform dead ends into destinies. He wants to take what looks finished and create a legacy that outlasts you.
The gravity of honor pulls broken people toward a future they could never have imagined. It's not about perfection; it's about taking one step out of dishonor and into honoring God with every part of your life.
Your story, like Ruth's, is still being written. And in the hands of Jesus, honor will redeem, restore, and recover everything the enemy tried to steal from you.