Not a Chance

Sunday Sermon
May 24th 2009
Rhema Community Church

Sermonic Skeleton

Sermonic Scripture: ESV Ruth 2:1-7 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, "The LORD be with you!" And they answered, "The LORD bless you." 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.' So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest."

Sermonic Theme: The Providence of God (God will provide)

Sermonic Subject: Chance or Providence (Though there be no such thing as Chance in the world; our ignorance of the real cause of any event has the same influence on the understanding, and begets a like species of belief or opinion. David Hume)

Sermonic Sentence: God will provide what you need when you need it where you need it how you need it, and who you may need to achieve it. (He may not come when you want Him, but you are going to want Him when He comes.)

Sermonic Tension: There are no accidents in the life of believers. “Chance, when strictly examined, is a mere negative word, and means not any real power which has anywhere a being in nature.” David Hume

Sermonic Background: Providence from the Latin providere, “to provide.” The word “providence” does not occur in the Bible. It refers, however, to three biblical concepts: (1) In theology, providence is the general foresight, love, and care of God for people. (Romans 8.28) Providence can also refer to the idea that (2) God had divinely ordained or preordained certain events, or that (3) the universe is under God’s control so that ultimately good will be produced.

Redemption from the Latin redemption, from redimere, “to redeem,” to buy back again.” In theology, the idea that Christ “redeemed” or “bought back” mankind by delivering us from sin and its punishment, therefore making salvation possible. Jesus came to redeem all of fallen creation and to pay the price for human sin.

NLT Mark 10:45 For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."

NIV Luke 2:38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

ESV Luke 24:21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

KJV Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

NIV 1 Corinthians 1:30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

ESV Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us- for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"-

NIV Galatians 4:5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Hume clearly acknowledges that chance has no existence: there is “no such thing as chance in the world.” He also speaks of the real cause of any event. We may be ignorant of the real cause, but it emphatically does not follow that there is no real cause. We know that chance can never be the real cause of anything because there is no such thing (res) in the world as chance. Speaking of “chance” in a causal way is begotten from ignorance of real causes. Chance is an unreal cause, which is no cause.

Sermonic Structure:

I. The family you have do you think that’s by chance. (Verse 1)

II. The friends you have do you think that’s by chance. (Verse 2)

III. The field you’re in do you think that’s by chance. (Verse 3-5)

IV. The footsteps you’ve made do you think that’s by chance. (Verse 6)

V. The favor you are receiving do you think that’s all by chance. (Verse 7)