Introduction.

1. In 1976 Francis Schaeffer said our society would become one where ‘the majority of people adopted two impoverished values: personal peace and affluence. Personal peace means just to be let alone, not to be troubled by the troubles of other people, whether across the world or across the city - to live one's life with the minimal possibilities of being personally disturbed. Personal peace means wanting to have my personal life pattern undisturbed in my lifetime, regardless of what the result will be in the lifetimes of my children and grandchildren. Affluence means an overwhelming and ever increasing prosperity - a life made up of things, things, and more things - a success judged by an ever-higher level of material abundance.'  Personal peace by its very definition demands a very self-centred individualistic attitude that is only concerned about looking after number one. Affluence which is defined as the endless accumulation of things once more places the emphasis and focus on the individual. We are compelled to recognise that 30 years later our society has embraced the core values of personal peace and affluence.
   
   
2. These self-centred core values have permeated into every aspect of life and are slowly re-organising and restructuring the family, education, work, and even the church. Working from a self-centred focus it is easy to understand how the basic motivation for doing things becomes lawless and amoral expediency. I believe that when the Minister for Health, Tony Abbot in the debate on the use the abortion tablet RU 486 said, "We have a bizarre double standard in this country where someone who kills a pregnant woman's baby is guilty of murder, but a woman who aborts an unborn baby is simply exercising choice" was sighting a case of lawless and amoral expediency. The choice the women exercises is based on lawless and amoral expediency. Over and over again people are being advised to do whatever has the best outcome for them as individuals. A life-coach employed by one of the big banks advised an executive not to think about his wife or children, but to think about himself and do what is best for himself, to do what would make him happy and meet his expectations in life. Our ruthlessly self-centred society is much closer to the society Ruth left in Moab than the society she found in Bethlehem. The core values of God's people are summed up by Jesus in Mark 12:29-31 when asked the question, ‘Which is the first commandment of all??' He answered "The first of all the commandments is: ?‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ^? And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.?' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ??‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.?' There is no other commandment greater than ??these.?"love. Not love that is unbridled self-indulgent pleasure, but love as expressed in 1Corinthians 13. It is interesting to note that the Apostle Paul spends more time telling us what love does not do than on what love actually does. Listen to verses 4-7, ‘Love suffers long and is ??kind; love ?does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not ?puffed up; ^?does not behave rudely, ??does not seek its own, is not provoked, ??thinks no evil; ?does not rejoice in iniquity, but ??rejoices in the truth; ?bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.' The corruption of sin has so disfigured love by self-centredness that it is almost unrecognisable. Love that is sanctified by the Holy Spirit is not self orientated in anyway. In Ruth 2: we have a snap-shot of a lifestyle that is not ruled by self-centredness. Do not think that it was perfect, it was not, but it was not dominated by individuals obsessed with themselves and the accumulation of material things. Ruth 2 The fundamental principle that ought to govern all that God's people do is teaches us 2 important lessons concerning a society that is not self-centred.

1.  Self-centredness destroys the importance of the family.

1. When we read about the family in the Bible, Old or New Testament it never means a Father and mother and 2.3 children. Family in the Bible refers to a very wide network of relationships, linked by blood-ties and living together. Living together often involved a ‘compound or household' arrangement rather than living under the same roof. A household included servants, widows and orphan who lived under the protection of the house and were all counted as family. This inclusiveness of the household is seen most clearly in Genesis 17 where Abraham is given circumcision as the sign of the covenant. Listen to Genesis 17:10-13, ‘This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: ?Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be ?a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you ??shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.' The family was one of the primary aspects of the covenant relationship with God's people. They were family and bonded together by the covenant. When God made a covenant with Noah it included Noah's sons and their wives. Jacob's household included three generations. On the night of the first Passover the blood of the lamb applied to the door posts and lintel of the house secured the family from death. When the Passover was celebrated the paschal-lamb made provision for the entire household. God chose to work in families; his covenant relationship with his people had a very strong emphasis and focus on family. Family members (those with a blood link) had God given obligations, duties and responsibilities towards each other.
   
   
2. The covenant relationship of God's people was fundamental to the system of land-tenure. God owned the Promised Land and gave portions of it to families as their inheritance. The land was seen as a God given gift, a perpetual symbol of his love, mercy, goodness and blessing. The entire family worshipped, worked and socialised together. The wider family formed a safety net that caught members who needed help or protection. Family members were strongly obligated to each other. We see this sense of family obligation in Genesis 14 where Abraham rescues Lot and his household who had been taken captive by a coalition of kings led by Chedorlaomer. Abraham did this because Lot was family and a covenantal bond united them. Family looked out for one another and were obligated to help those in need. Families shared life and everything that the Lord gave them.
   
   
3. The society into which Ruth entered in Bethlehem was essentially locked unto three things; God, family and land. It is important to remember that the Israelites were disenfranchised slaves in Egypt and then nomads for 40 years in the wilderness. Having land to call your own and build a home on was a wonderful blessing. The concept of the family home was much more than a historical and sentimental thing, it was a concrete demonstration of God's goodness and the benefits the Covenant had for the Lord's people. Families worshipped God, worked the land and enjoyed each other, recognising that all they had came from the hand of God. Boaz was family of Elimelech and that fact had huge significance on the lives of Ruth and Naomi. The way Ruth 2:1-3 reads it is very clear that the writer does not want you to miss the family connection between Naomi and Boaz. Because Boaz was family of Elimelech he had God given obligations and responsibilities to Naomi. The New Covenant does not discontinue the God given obligations, responsibilities and duties towards (blood-link) family. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5: 8, ‘But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.' To say to a person who is a Christian, you have denied the faith and have acted worse that an unbeliever, is the strongest condemnation possible. Families are very important in the eyes of God and therefore they ought to be extremely important to us.
   
   
4. The New Testament does not end the covenantal bond in the family. As circumcision was applied to the household in the Old Testament, so baptism is applied to households in the New Covenant. Of the ten instances of Covenant Baptism recorded in the New Testament six refer specifically to households, two refer to bachelors who had no household, one was a special case of 12 disciples of John the Baptist and the last instance involved 3000 on the day of Pentecost. Those on the day of Pentecost were told, ‘For the promise is to you and ??to your children, and ??to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call' which they would have understood as a continuation of the Covenantal bond. The principles of family established in the Old Testament follow through to the New Testament. In our modern society where self-centred individualism dominated the attitude is every-man-for-himself families are fragmenting. Life in Bethlehem in the days of Ruth and life in Brisbane today have this in common; life essentially involves worship, family, work and play. Attitudes and priorities on worship, family, work and play reveal exactly where your heart is. I believe ‘modern man worships his work, works at his play,  plays at his worship, and tolerates his family' because he is pursuing personal peace and affluence.

2.  Self-centredness is a product of denying dependence upon God.

1. In Ruth 2:4 Boaz greets the reapers labouring in his field saying, ‘The LORD be with you!' to which the reapers answer, ‘The LORD bless you.' Boaz blessed his reapers and they in turn blessed him. What did Boaz mean when he said ‘The LORD be with you'?  Matthew Henry understands it as a prayer asking that the LORD be with them to prosper them, and give them health and strength, and preserve them from any disaster. The reapers ask that the LORD bless Boaz, which has it roots in the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:24-26,"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." The reapers ask the Lord to continue Boaz' prosperity as they saw that their own livelihood depended upon God's goodness towards Boaz. Concerning the relationship between master and servants Matthew Henry says, ‘Things are likely to go on well in a house where there is... joint-dependence upon the divine providence. They express their kindness to each other by praying one for another. They show not only their courtesy, but their piety, and acknowledgement that all good comes from the presence and blessing of God, which therefore we should value and desire above any thing else both for ourselves and others.' It is very clear that a great deal of respect and goodwill prevailed between Boaz and his workers. G. A. Cooke adds the comment that ‘A religious spirit governs the relations between employer and employed on this estate.'
   
   
2. The values embraced by a society are seen in the relationship that exists between employer and employees. In our society where the self-centred values of personal peace and affluence have been embraced goodwill and mutual respect are absent. Employers are largely seen as greedy exploiters who are totally focused on profits and therefore will constantly seek to rob workers. Employees are largely regarded as lazy and unproductive workers who do not really want to work but are compelled to in order to live. Trade unions demonise employers and employers often follow the letter of the law in providing absolute minimum wages, benefits and working conditions. The relationship between employer and employees is often one of suspicion and distrust. This sour relationship has been clearly revealed in the attitudes adopted towards the new Industrial Relations Law. There was a time when a large segment of the Western World followed a Christian ethic that regulated employees and employers. The employees work ethic said, what you do to earn your daily bread is part of your service to Christ, and therefore serve your employer to the best of your ability to glorify God. You did your daily work not to satisfy your employer, but to honour God. The motivation was glorifying God. The employer on the other-hand was to glorify God by paying a wage and provide working conditions that allowed a man to fulfil God given duties in the family, church and community. A breadwinner's wage was paid, which allowed a man to purchase a home, raise a family and educate his four children. Employer and employee were both motivated by the goal of glorifying God. This Christian ethic began to crumble round about 1880 and has almost vanished from society. Our modern society to a large extent has taken God out of the equation, and is motivated by greed and pleasure. The Christian ethic has been replaced by secularism.
   
   
3. What is secularism? Holyoake's 1896 publication English Secularism defines secularism thus: Secularism is a code of duty pertaining to this life, founded on considerations purely human, and intended mainly for those who find theology indefinite or inadequate, unreliable or unbelievable. Its essential principles are three: (1) The improvement of this life by material means. (2) That science is the available Providence of man. (3) That it is good to do good. Whether there be other good or not, the good of the present life is good, and it is good to seek that good. The flaw of this philosphy lies in the fact that it denies the sinfulness of mankind. The idea that the hearts of men and women are moved and dominanted by greed, envy, self-centredness, manipulation and violence is dismissed as nonsense. This philosophy loudly proclaims ‘Amens' to the sentiment embodied in the closing two lines of the poem Invictus by William Henley. ‘I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.'  I see no comfort or future in the philosophy that says, ‘Our world will be a better world because mankind is in control.' When this philosophy is reduced to the level of the individual it says, ‘My life will be a better life because I will determine my own future. I am my own god and will determine what is right or wrong for me.' This attitude is void of any sense of God's existence, sovereignty, and his sustaining power over all that he has created. God is not acknowledged, submitted to or thanked for meeting the needs that sustain life. The idea that all men and women are totally dependant on God has been swept away and replaced with mankind's independence, ingenuity in science and desire for good.
   
   
4. Self-centeredness is produced by denying dependence upon God. If you believe that you are dependant upon God it is not simply a cold acceptance of the fact, but a response of gratitude towards God for his mercy and goodness. In a world ruled by individual rights every element of gratitude in society has been put to death. Gratitude like dependence is seen as an acknowledgement of weakness and something to be despised. As Christians we live in the world and are constantly influenced by the attitudes of the world and it is very easy for us to allow our thinking simply to go with the flow. The opposite of gratitude is not ingratitude, but the ‘you owe me' mentality. According to ‘wikipedia' gratitude is a positive emotion which involves a feeling of emotional indebtedness towards another person. If you are indebted to God it fills you with a deep sense that it is your obligation, responsibility and duty to honour him. You and I do need to search our hearts to determine if gratitude towards God is an essential aspect of the way we live our lives. Are you filled with a sense of indebtedness to Christ and do you feel that you are obligated to live your life to please him and honour him? If you feel no sense of indebtedness to Christ for saving you from your sins and therefore obligated to obey his commands, then I fear that no gratitude dwells in your heart at all. The sad truth is that without gratitude towards the LORD, I very much doubt that you know God's saving grace in Christ. If there is no gratitude in your heart then there can be no sense of dependence on God in your heart and you must be consumed with self-centredness.

Conclusion.

I would urge you to take stock of your life, ask your self the questions:  (1) ‘Am I consumed by self-centredness?' (2) Am I pursuing personal peace and affluence? Be ruthless with yourself in your answers to these questions because self-centredness if unchecked will destroy you. Make walking with the Lord, loving family, and working to glorify God your top three priorities and keep them in that order.