On the Sure Foundation Baptist Church, everybody please take your seats and grab a red book.
First song we're going to be singing is song 170, Hallelujah What a Savior, song 170.
Song 170 on the 1st.
Song for the son God who grew to holla-
Christian, can you please open this up with a word of prayer?
Amen, alright, next song we're going to be singing is song 153, How Firm a Foundation,
153 in your hymn books.
How Firm a Foundation, 153 on the 1st.
How firm foundation ye saints of the Lord,
It for your inses was say to the-
Now for some announcements.
This your foundation Baptist Church, once a night service.
If you need a bulletin, raise your hand.
It's the same one as last Sunday.
Let's look at the verse of the week, Philippians 1, 27.
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come
and see you or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one
spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.
What an awesome verse, just talking about how the gospel should be operating, having
one spirit, one mind, and have the goal of sharing the faith.
And on the inside page, we're on YouTube, Facebook, Rumble, and X.
I'm back on X.
Okay, so it's time to recap it again.
This time, Sunday morning at 11, Sunday afternoon service at 4, and of course, Wednesday night
Bible study at 7 p.m.
We'll be in Ruth, chapter number 2 tonight, since we started a new book last Wednesday.
Sowning time this Saturday, local sowning at 10.30, and Sunday afternoon at 1.30 p.m.
And we will have a Gary sowning marathon this Saturday as well, but we should have the local
time here.
But the Gary one will be, you know, I post the detail on Facebook, I'll post in the group.
We'll meet at 9.30 at a central standard time, okay, so it's, I think it's 10.30 hour time.
But yeah, I will post the detail if you are going to Gary.
Also the mega sowning marathon is April 4th.
We'll have an Indy location as well as a Chicago location.
If you live close to Indy, attend Indy, if you live close to Chicago, go to Chicago.
Do not crisscross because we want people to show up at both locations, okay?
Do not be, you know, just whatever.
Also, Lord's Supper service is this coming Sunday, okay?
This coming Sunday.
So not next Sunday, but this coming Sunday.
We'll, you know, the whole afternoon service will be dedicated to observing,
dedicated to observing the Lord's Supper.
So there'll be, you know, likely a shorter service.
I'll still, you know, show you some verses on that.
So just make sure that, you know, people have to be saved and baptized.
It's a serious gathering. It's a solemn assembly.
So just so you guys know, it will be home bread, unleavened bread,
plus, you know, high quality organic grape juice, okay?
Because church food should be held to a higher standard.
My wife will be baking the unleavened bread.
So the homemade, not the store-bought, you know, crackers or whatever.
Because when I imagine breaking bread, it's actually a bread, not a piece of cracker.
That's my thought, you know.
If you will do the cracker, you know, I'm not really against that.
And then Easter service is on April 5th.
And please use the sign-up sheet because it's coming up really, really fast.
We'll have a men's preaching night that afternoon.
So please let me know if you have plenty on preaching.
Let me know your sermon topic as well.
Let's see.
Money matters as for you to see.
There's no birthdays coming up.
That's all for the announcement.
Let's sing one more song.
We'll take up the offering.
Then we'll have our prayer time.
All right.
Next song we're going to be singing is song 150.
My faith has found a resting place.
Song 150.
150.
My faith has found a resting place.
Not snore creed.
Trust the ever.
His wounds for me shall bleed.
I need no other that's died.
And that he die for me that saves.
This ends my fearful soul.
Brother Mac, can you please step up?
Please pray for the offering.
We'll be continuing our study in the book of Ruth.
We'll be in Ruth chapter two this evening.
Ruth chapter two.
Ruth chapter two, the Bible reads.
And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's,
a mighty man of wealth of the family of Emilech.
And his name was Boaz.
And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,
let me now go to the field and glean years of corn
after him in whose sight I shall find grace.
And she said unto her, go, my daughter.
And she went and came and gleaned in the field
after the reapers.
And her half was to light on a part of the field
belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of El-Emilech.
And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem
and said unto the reapers, the Lord be with you.
And they answered him, the Lord bless thee.
Then said Boaz unto his servant that was said
over the reapers, whose damsel is this?
And the servant that was said over the reapers answered and said,
it is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi
out of the country of Moab.
And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather
after the reapers among the sheaves.
So she came and hath continued, even from the morning until now,
as she tarried a little in the house.
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, hearest thou not, my daughter?
Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence.
But abide here fast by my maidens.
Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap,
and go thou after them.
Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee?
And when thou art a thirst, go unto the vessels,
and drink that that which the young men have drawn.
Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes?
And thou shouldest acknowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger.
And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me,
all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband,
and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother in the land of thy nativity,
and art come unto a people which thou knowest not heretofore.
The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel,
under whose wings thou art come to trust.
Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord, for that thou hast comforted me,
for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid,
though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
And Boaz sent unto her, At mealtime come thou hither,
and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar.
And she sat beside the reapers, and he reached her parched corn,
and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
And when she was risen up to glean,
Boaz commanded his young men, saying,
Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not,
and let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her,
and leave them, that she may glean them and rebuke her not.
So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned,
and it was about an effa of barley.
And she took it up, and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw that she had gleaned,
and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
Her mother-in-law said unto her, "Where hast thou gleaned today, and where wroughtest thou?
Blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee."
And she showed her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought, and said,
"The man's name with whom I wrought today is Boaz."
And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of the Lord,
who hath not weft off his kindness to the living and to the dead."
And Naomi said unto her, "The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen."
And Ruth the Moabitess said, "He said unto me also, 'Thou shalt keep fast by my young men,
until they have ended all my harvest.'"
And Naomi said unto Ruth, her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that thou
go out with his maidens, that they meet thee, not in any other field."
So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean unto the end of barley harvest,
and of wheat harvest, and dwelt with her mother-in-law.
Amen. Now on Wednesday night, we're going through the book of Ruth, and last week we
talk about Ruth chapter number one. Basically the story was about how this guy, Elimelech,
took his family to Moab, because there was a famine in Judah, and his two sons took two daughters
of Moab to wife, and Elimelech and his two sons died in Moab, and Naomi, which is Elimelech's
wife, and Ruth, which is Naomi's daughter-in-law, came back to Judah. Okay, so that's chapter number
one, and today we'll be in chapter number two, and the title of the sermon tonight is "Stay in the
Field." "Stay in the Field," and probably going to be a shorter sermon. So point number one tonight
is a providential encounter, a providential encounter. Look at verse number one, Ruth chapter
two, verse number one. The Bible says, "And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of
wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz." Now the word "kinsman" means a relative,
someone who is near of king. And here we have this person, Boaz. Boaz is a kinsman to Elimelech,
verse number two. "And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, 'Let me now go to the field
and glean ears of corn after him, in whose sight I shall find grace.' And she said unto her,
'Go my daughter.'" Now I wanted to pay attention to the attributes of Ruth.
And we have all heard about Proverbs 31 and how that is a chapter of a virtuous woman. But do you
know that Ruth was the only person in the Bible that was called the virtuous woman? Go to Ruth
chapter three. Look at verse 11. The Bible says, "And now, my daughter, fear not. I will do to thee
all that thou requirest for all the city of my people that know that thou art a virtuous woman."
So Ruth was referred to as a virtuous woman. Obviously we have Proverbs 31. The whole chapter
is talking about the virtuous woman. But Ruth was the woman that was given this title. Keep replacing
Ruth, go forward to Proverbs 31. And my point is that Ruth is not lazy. Ruth did not sit around
and wait for some miracles. Instead, she went to work. Because Ruth told Naomi, "Let me now go to
the field and glean ears of corn." Ruth is a hard worker. Obviously we think it's ideal for women
to stay home. But if they are widows or if they have real financial struggles, maybe their
husbands left them or something like that, I don't think it's really wrong for them to work. But
ideally they should be centered around the home, having their family, husbands, providing for them.
But Proverbs 31, women is a hard worker. Look at Proverbs 31, verse number 13. The Bible says,
"She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchant's ships.
She brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is at night, and giveth meat to her
household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field and bithith. With the fruit
of her hands she planteth a vineyard." Okay, obviously we can read more, but the point is,
a virtuous woman is also a hard worker, right? In this chapter, she is making sure that her
family is provided for. She's making clothes. She even plants things, providing things,
buying a field. She's just trying to figure out ways to provide for her family. That's why I
believe every single lady should be hard workers, okay? Even if you are blessed to stay home,
don't just sit around and do nothing. Find some work to do. Find some things to do, especially if
someone is not married and they still live at your parents' house. Stay at your parents' house.
You know, they need to stay busy, right? Take some classes online. Learn how to cook. Learn how to do
housework. Read books, right? Pick up a musical instrument because you need to saturate your life
with quality things to do, right? You know, you can find a lot of things to do to plan your schedule
out while at home, okay? And if you're married but don't have kids yet, you know, still find
some things to do. Set a schedule when you are going to read your Bible, pray, read other books,
right? Cook. Practice musical instrument. Research things to make your family better. Don't just be
on your phones and scroll through Instagram real, okay? You know, find something productive. You know,
if you feel like you are idle at home, just set a schedule. Hey, from, you know, eight to nine,
read your Bible, pray, maybe practice an instrument for like an hour or two, research a subject,
trying to learn something new every single day, every week, right? Saturate your schedule with
quality things. Go back to Ruth chapter two. And if you are married and have kids, you know,
you will be busy, okay? Now in that case, you know, learn to manage your time so you can get things
down. Especially if you have three, four kids, you know, some of those kids can be overwhelming.
Schedule things out, learn to manage your time, okay? So be like Ruth. Ruth has a mindset to work
because she is a virtuous woman, okay? Ruth chapter two, look at verse number three. Ruth
chapter two, verse number three. By the way, you know, if you're an idol, just go to chat.gbt,
that's my preferred AI, okay? You know, I'm going to start a war over that. You know, you can simply
plug in your daily activity, you know, it will plot your schedule, okay? And then you can modify
it or whatever. But Ruth chapter two, verse three, the Bible says, "And she went and came and gleaned
in the field after the reapers, and her hab was to lie on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz,
who was of the kindred of Elimelech." So notice the wording here. The Bible says, "her hab was to,"
okay? The word "hab" means "happened." It means to "before," "event," "change." Basically,
the word "hab" means "chance." So the Bible is saying that Ruth, by chance, came to the field
which belonged to Boaz. She just happened to end up at Boaz's field, okay? Don't miss the
wording here. Her "hab," she by chance, you know, came to Boaz's field. By the way, her job was not
to light the field on fire, okay? To light on means to come upon or to arrive at. That just a, you know,
old expression, right? It's not lighting field on fire like Joab, you know, people in the book
of Judges, okay? And I like the wording in this verse because the Bible says she, by chance,
came to the field. To me, that's providential because from a human perspective, this is a
coincidence, right? But from God's perspective, this is providence because it looks random.
And the text makes it seem to be a, seem to be random, but it wasn't really random. And Ruth may
have thought that it was chance, but God was, you know, planning her future, right? And, you know,
I've heard this quote spoken by several preachers that there are no accidents in the Christian life.
There are no accidents in the Christian life. The Bible says in Proverbs 16 verse 9, "A man's heart
divides his way. See, man plans, but the Lord directeth his steps." See, what looks like
chance to us is God's plan behind the scenes. Think about this, you know, you think you just
took a job. You applied to multiple places and just one random employer called you back and you end
up working with someone who later invites you to church and just get you saved, right? You know,
all these events may seem to be chance, but it's really, you know, God directing the steps. And you
may just, you know, think that you just bought a house due to price or due to price or location,
and one deal falls through and another deal, you know, opens up last minute and then you move in
and then you meet a neighbor and you share the gospel with her and she gets saved, right? See,
there's no accidents in your Christian life, you know, and or you can think about that as like you
knock on the door thinking they will never open the door and then a person opens the door and tells
you hey I'm you know I was thinking about God today I was I was I was just I was just going
through some rough times you know I was just asking the same question right that's why hey
don't take the random events for granted right everything you know again I'm not preaching
Calvinism okay I'm talking about providence because you still need to make the right choice
to do the right thing right God might put someone in your way for you to share the gospel
but you still have to be willing willing to share the gospel see if God helps you to get your job
but you never open your mouth and talk about the gospel you still have zero influence
right you said you still have to do your part but there's no accidents in in the Christian life
so point number one I talk about a providential encounter point number two point number two a
godly man a godly man Ruth chapter two look at verse number four Ruth 2 4 4 the Bible says and
behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and said unto the reapers the Lord be with you and they answered
him the Lord bless thee here the Bible talks more about this person named Boaz and the first thing
that you notice about Boaz is that he is a good boss he came to his company and told his workers
God bless you okay that's pretty amazing right and verse number five says then said Boaz unto
his servant that was over the reapers whose damsel is this here Boaz noticed Ruth now I don't think
Boaz is hitting on her at this point you know he probably just noticed a new person right what damn
soul is this don't don't read too much into these stories all right look at verse number six and the
servant that was sent over the reapers answered and said it is the more vitish damsel that came
back with Naomi out of the country of Moab and she said I pray you let me glean and gather after the
reapers among the sheeps so she came and had continued even from the evening until uh even
continue even from the morning until now that she tarried a little in the house now here we have
the similar attributes about Ruth that Ruth was a hard worker because Ruth had a reputation she had
a good reputation among other workers right notice you know uh notice a a servant told Boaz what Ruth
has done right she has asked them to glean after the reapers okay so Ruth had a good reputation
among other workers okay now here's my side point your testimony matters even before Boaz
meets her personally he hears about her right you know i think that's pretty you know practical
because what would your co-workers say about you what would your family members even if they don't
like you say about you you know i hate his i hate his beliefs but he's a hard worker hey that's a
great testimony right i i disagree with her position but i know she's an honest person
that's a great testimony okay now Kirbal is in ruth go to first timothy chapter three first timothy
chapter number three your testimony matters okay obviously when you are praising the truth when you
are standing upon what is right people are going to despise you but you know at least they should
they should acknowledge that you are that you're honest that you're a hard worker right they may
talk crap about your position against salvation against zionism against the sodomites you know i
i don't really care but are you a hard worker you know the basic attributes right first chapter three
look at verse number seven this is one of the qualifications of a pastor or an elder first
Timothy three seven says moreover he must have a good report of them which are without to those
people who are outside of outside of faith let's see falling to reproach and the snare of the devil
so the bible says a pastor must have a good report of the outsiders right see even though people may
not like someone's position at least they should acknowledge they are hard workers at least they
should feel pleasant to be with you because you are honest because you work hard because you are
gentle and nice right that should be a good testimony to not just the pastors but everyone
okay and you know i believe christians should be one of the hardest workers you know don't give them
any uh bargaining chip to attack us okay we must have good report of them that are without again
not talking about compromise not not talking about compromising bible truth but man if you
are working at your company you should be honest you should work hard and you should try your best
to help your boss okay that's a that's a good testimony that's having good report of them that
are which are without by the way the bible says he must have a good report right you know you know
if you ask my company you know they love me you know even though they heard about the news okay so
uh i think that's a good testimony so uh go uh let's go back to ruth chapter two ruth chapter number
two you know it's a blessing to work at my company because if i work at any other company you know i
will be fired so right i mean yeah uh so i said point number one a providential encounter point
number two uh point number one a providential encounter point number two a godly man point
number three a picture of christ a picture of christ ruth two verse eight the bible says then
say boaz unto ruth here's thou not my daughter go not to glean in in another field need to go
from hence but by here fast by my maidens so here boaz offered ruth provision boaz told ruth to stay
in his field and don't go elsewhere okay verse number nine let them eyes be on the field that
they do reap and go thou after them have I not charged the young man that they shall not touch
thee and when thou art at first go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young man
have drunk so boaz not only offer ruth provision but boaz also boaz also offer ruth protection
because he has commanded the young man not to touch her right that is that is that is protection
but you know boaz also offered ruth favor because he allowed her to drink from what the young man
drew okay so boaz offered ruth provision protection as well as favor now the question is is boaz
hitting on her here I don't I don't really think so you know I think boaz just noticed this new
hard-working woman and offer her provision protection and favor maybe you know she knew
that she was a widow you know in fact I uh in fact he did know that she was a widow that's why
he gave her some extra care that's a good boss amen go to Deuteronomy chapter 24 keep uh keep
replacing Ruth go to Deuteronomy chapter 24 look at verse number 17 Deuteronomy chapter 24 verse 17
the bible says this thou shall not pervert that means to twist the judgment of the stranger nor
of the fatherless nor take a widow's raiment to pledge but thou shall remember that thou was
abominable in Egypt and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence therefore I command thee to do this
thing when thou cutest down thine harvest in thy field and has forgot a sheep in the field thou
shall not go again to fetch it it shall be for the stranger for the fatherless and for the widow
don't miss this that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand so when they
are you know reaping the harvest they're not supposed to take the leftovers right maybe
something dropped on the ground or something like that you know these are meant to be safe for the
foreigners fatherless and the widow right and you know if you do that the Bible says and the Lord
thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands the Bible is teaching that we are supposed
to show compassion to the poor and needy so that God can bless us right we're not supposed to
rip people off even though it may be legal amen you know even though the US law may allowing you to
like rip people off quote unquote but that does not mean it is biblical okay you know you know I
when I when I when I think about this you know I couldn't just help you know this is a highly
controversial okay probably more controversial than my last Sunday evening's sermon Girl Scouts
Cooking and you know I mean it's often six to seven dollars a box but if you go to you know
Walmart just buy a store brand box it's only cost three dollars to me you are teaching those young
girls early just to rip people off you know that's my thought okay I'm not I'm not trying to start a
war here okay you know I'm already blacklisted but you know but but to me like okay you know
I like cookies okay okay whatever moving on I look at what number 20 uh when the obedience then
thine olive tree thou shall not go over the boat that means the branch again it shall be for the
stranger for the followers and and for the widow when thou gathers the grapes of thy vineyards and
and thou shall not glean it afterward it shall be for the stranger for the followers and for the
widow and also remember that thou was a bum in land of Egypt therefore I command thee to do this
thing so why are we supposed to show compassion to the poor and needy and to take care of them
it's because we you know it's because the Israelites they were once a bummen right you know obviously
you can compare that to salvation before you were saved you were going to hell now that God saved you
hey you can show you know that's why you know it's uh that's why it's great for you to show
compassion to other people right and Boaz did not just allow Ruth the widow to glean the field
Boaz amplified it you know Boaz gave him extra Boaz did not just do the bare minimum he went
above and beyond the law because he really cared about the poor he really cared about the widow and
he and he really cared about Ruth that's why you know if you are a leader in any type of capacity
you know Boaz should be your role model Boaz Boaz honors God Boaz respects the poor and Boaz
protects the vulnerable that's a good boss okay let's go back to Ruth chapter 2 Ruth chapter number
2 by the way Boaz is a picture of Christ throughout the story obviously you can draw a lot of parallels
between you know how God you know treats us right Ruth chapter 2 look at verse number 10
Ruth chapter 2 verse number 10 by the way you know I'm not this on you know kids selling stuff
because last uh Sunday you know they were selling lemonade for like one dollar per cup you know I
think that's that is reasonable you know price gouging is not reasonable okay yeah look at verse
number 10 Ruth chapter 2 verse number 10 then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground
and said unto him why have I found grace in thine eyes that thou shouldest take knowledge of me
seeing I'm a stranger so here Boaz showed Ruth grace right because Ruth said hey why have I
found grace in Boaz's eyes and Ruth was a stranger to Boaz's country just like before Ruth was saved
we were strangers from the covenants of promise Ruth was an outsider to the nation of Israel just
like before we were saved we were outsiders of the spiritual nation right but despite of all that
Boaz showed Ruth favor and grace just like when we are saved God gives us grace right it just there
are a lot of you know great parallels here and Ruth went to the field so she can find grace now
she found it let's go back to verse number two again Ruth chapter two verse number two and Ruth
the and Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi let me now go to the field and glean ears of corn
after him in whose sight I shall find grace so Ruth went to the field so that she can find grace
but now she found grace in verse number 10 through Boaz and you know one detail that's
pretty fascinating is that Ruth didn't say I shall earn grace Ruth said I shall find grace
and then Ruth went to the right place and she found grace in Boaz right that's why that's why
that's why in verse number 10 Ruth said why have I found grace in thine eyes that thou
shouldest take knowledge of me seeing I am a stranger so Ruth acknowledged that she has
found grace in Boaz even though she was a stranger so Ruth was basically saying that she
didn't belong I don't deserve this I was an outsider I was a stranger but you show me
grace anyway and that's exactly how grace works that's no that is exactly how salvation works
because it doesn't matter about your background you know country of origin history but if you
come to Christ and ask him to save you he will show you the grace that you don't even deserve
right a perfect picture of salvation here okay verse number 11 root chapter 2 verse 11 by the
way Ruth you know was a Moabite okay again that's another picture of you know it doesn't matter
about your blood lineage uh Ruth 2 11 and Boaz answered and said unto her it it had fully been
showed me all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thy husband
and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land of thy nativity and are come unto
a people which thou knewest not hath before the Lord recompense thy work and the full reward be
given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust. So here Boaz gave
the reason why he treated her well. Notice the reason Boaz had treated Ruth well was was that he
was that he has heard how Ruth treated Naomi after her husband died. Don't miss the detail here
he heard how Ruth left everything behind and came to Judah. He heard how Ruth has followed and
trusted the Lord. Notice the reason you know obviously you know Boaz knew that she was a
widow but but you know also Boaz realized that you know Ruth has treated Naomi well and Ruth has
left everything Ruth has left everything behind and came to Judah a strange foreign land to her
right that means Ruth was loyal right Ruth did not depart from Naomi you know Naomi treated her well
and Ruth paid back in return and you know you know in our Christian life we should be loyal
to the people that have you know invested in us right you know not just stabbing them in the back
and being passive aggressive amen so you know you know Ruth followed Naomi you know Ruth showed loyalty
because Naomi has invested in Ruth and here's you know here's another lesson that you know we need
to treat our fellow brothers and sisters well and obviously we should treat all men well okay but
but especially our own. Galatians 6 10 says as we have therefore opportunity let us do good
unto all men especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Right treat your fellow
brothers well treat people well. Look at version 13. Ruth 2 13 says this then she said let me find
favor in thy sight my lord for that thou has comforted me and for that thou has spoken
friendly unto thine handmaid though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens and boy said unto
her at meal time come down hither and eat of the bread and dip thy morsel in the vinegar and she
sat beside the reapers and she reached her parched corn and she did eat and was suffice and left now
there are so many things in this passage so I just unpack it a little bit so Boaz allowed Ruth to eat
with the reapers and Boaz actually took the parched corn that's dried grain you know Boaz
took the parched corn and gave to Ruth notice the word in verse number 14 and he reached her
parched corn right so so Boaz you know took the parched corn and gave it to Ruth and but and Ruth
did eat and you know she was not only full but she has leftovers okay now going forward to Matthew
chapter 20 Matthew chapter 20 keep a place in uh the book of Ruth and that's a you know beautiful
picture because Ruth was an outsider and when Ruth found grace Boaz allowed her to sit with the other
reapers and Boaz personally served her right that's pretty amazing go to Matthew 20 look at verse
27 Matthew 20 verse 27 the Bible says this and whosoever will be chief among you if you are a
leader let him be your servant even as the son of man talking about Jesus came not to be ministered
around to you but to minister and give his life a ransom for many the word minister means to serve
right leaders need to you know have the followers best interest in mind trying to help them trying
to serve them trying to help them grow you know obviously the leaders need to execute command and
decision making but leaders should also be kind to its followers right you know trying to help them
grow just like jude just like christ came not to be ministered around to you but to minister right
what he do for us ultimately is to give his life for us right that's the ultimate service
right go back to ruth chapter two ruth chapter two ruth two and that's a perfect picture of
salvation too because we were outsiders and then we were brought near right and when we were saved
god did not just give us scraps and you know dirt or leftovers god filled us right and he does not
just give us enough he gives us overflow because god's grace is so abundant and and it covers all
of your sins past present and future that's why you know boaz gave ruth this dried parched corn
and she did eat and was suffice and left the bible says in psalm 23 verse five thou prepares a table
with a table before me in the presence of my enemies thou thou thou anointed my head with oil
my cup runneth over and this also pictures that you know god feeds you through his word right
because boaz reached the corn and gave it to ruth because what is a spiritual food the word
of god right the manna from heaven the bread from heaven see the world out there leaves you empty
but if you're in the word of god it fills you the word of god actually satisfies you right so there
are so many parallels and pictures you can draw from uh from this passage but look at ruth chapter
two verse 15 ruth 2 15 says this and when she was risen up to glean and boaz commanded his young man
saying let her glean even even among the sheaves and reproach her not and let fall also some of
the handfuls of purpose for her and leave them that she may glean them and rebuke her not now
that's some special treatment here because boaz commanded his man to leave stuff on the floor
just on purpose so that ruth can glean them okay so yeah special special treatment verse 17 so she
gleaned in the field until even and beat out that she had gleaned and it was about an ephah of barley
and she and she took it up and went into the city and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned and
she brought forth and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed and you know one
detail uh one detail i want to point out in this passage is that ruth shared with niomi what he had
gleaned okay so the obvious lesson is when god blesses you share it with others right when god
blesses you with with salvation with the gospel has shared the green years with other people
right and when god you know fills you with the word of god has shared the nutrient with other
people right it if god blesses you be a blessing to someone else okay so ruth shared that with
naomi so point number one i talk about a uh providential encounter point number two a godly
man point number three a picture of christ and uh lastly point number four a divine setup a divine
setup root two look at verse 19 and her mother-in-law said unto her where has thou gleaned today and
where routed thou blessed be he that that did take knowledge of thee and she showed her mother-in-law
with whom she had wrought and said the man's name with whom i wrote today is Boaz and Naomi said
unto her daughter-in-law blessed be he of the lord who had now left off his kindness to the living
and to the dead and and Naomi said unto her the man is near of king unto us one of our next kingsmen
now i will talk more about the laws about the kingsman redeemer maybe in the future chapters
but naomi you know here realized that god has not forsaken her because in verse number 20
naomi said hey blessed be he of the lord who had not left off his kindness to living and to the
dead and go back to ruth chapter 1 look at verse number 20 ruth 120 because in ruth because in ruth
chapter 1 naomi recognized that god was actually afflictinging her ruth 120 says this and she said
unto them call me not naomi call me mera for the almighty had dealt very very bitterly with me
i went out full and the lord had brought me home again empty why then call you me naomi seeing the
lord had testified against me and the almighty had afflicted me so naomi back in chapter one
realized that you know god has testified against them for you know going to moab so so he so she
chose to go back to bethlehem where the bread was and god started blessing her right that's
why i go back to root chapter two let's look at verse number 20 again ruth 220 after she went back
ruth ruth 220 and naomi said unto her daughter-in-law blessed be he of the lord who had not left off his
kindness to the living and to the dead okay so naomi received blessing through ruth after they
went back to Bethlehem so here's the lesson if you are away from god if you uh you know feel there's
emptiness in your life you know just return to god and god will provide for you and god will bless
you right and notice it's the same god that gives naomi her her affliction as well as her provision
this proves that god can either bless you or curse you depends on what you do or or where you go in
your life right if you go to moab god's gonna afflict you punish you if you go back to where
you're supposed to be if you go back to where the bread is i mean if you go back to the house of
god and stay where you're supposed to be at and god will bless your life okay i mean that's a
great picture here look at verse 21 and ruth the moabite said he said unto me also thou shalt keep
fast by my young men until they have ended all my harvest and niomi said unto ruth her daughter in
law it is good my daughter that thou go out with his maidens that i may be not in any other field
and the question is is niomi setting them up here you know maybe because she definitely sees the
possibility since in verse 20 niomi has uh expressed that boaz was the next uh the next
kingsman okay so maybe niomi realized the opportunity maybe she was setting it up you
know there's nothing wrong with that uh you know i'll arrange marriage that would be another topic
uh look at verse 23 uh and she ruth kept fast means she uh uh she was cleaving sticking
by the maidens of boaz to glean onto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest and dwell
with her mother-in-law so ruth was a faithful worker ruth was being super super consistent
and ruth didn't leave the field of blessing she chose to stay there notice ruth kept fast
she claved she you know she's just stuck by the maidens and to glean onto the end of barley
harvest and to the wheat harvest so she stayed till the end of the harvest seasons okay now barley
harvest is likely early spring now wheat harvest follows after that so you know this could last
several weeks maybe a couple months or something like that so the point is you know ruth did not
leave the field of blessing ruth stayed there after she met boaz after boaz provided for her
so ruth stay at a ruth stay at the right place right ruth found the work ruth found where the
blessing was and she stayed there and she did not just get the blessing and left right she stayed
there that's why you know i tell people don't keep bouncing around stay where stay where god is stay
where god is providing don't just bouncing around churches bouncing around bible versions you know
bouncing around you know just just like everything in your life okay don't don't don't just have a
good day have a faithful life right ruth chose to you know uh keep fast ruth chose to uh stay there
See, it's easy to show up once, but it's hard to say, but it's hard to stay, right? Be like Ruth, be committed, hey, staying in the field, like Ruth. Hey, be three to thrive. Not just once a week, but, you know, every week, right?
Stay in the field of Bible reading, stay in the field of praying, stay in the field of be generous and be kind to people, right? Stay in the field. Stay where the bread is, and that's what Ruth did.
And because she did that, next week and the week after, we will see an amazing redemption story, because she stayed where the blessing is, right?
So, you know, I would just say to people who come to this church, hey, stay where the blessing is, right?
And, you know, stay through the hard times, smooth times.
And chapter one talks about a tragedy, talking about famine and Moab and all kinds of ordeals, death.
But chapter two shows a beautiful redemption story that is about to unfold.
So come back next week to learn about Ruth chapter three.
Let's close in a word of prayer. Thank you for this chapter.
I pray that we will be faithful in the things of the Lord and stay where the blessing is and don't keep bouncing around back and forth.
And just pray that we'll be faithful in our Bible reading and faithful in serving you.
I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen. Last song we're going to be singing is song 142 in your hymn books, old time religion, song 142.
Song 142.
saved our fathers it has saved our fathers it has saved our fathers and it's good enough for me
tis the old time religion tis the old time religion tis the old time religion and it's
good enough for me makes me love everybody makes me love everybody makes me
love everybody and it's good enough for me tis the old-time religion tis the
old-time religion tis the old-time religion and it's good enough for me it
will do when I'm dying it will do when I'm dying it will do when I'm dying and
it's good enough for me tis the old-time religion tis the old-time religion tis
the old-time religion and it's good enough for me it will take us to heaven
it will take us to heaven it will take us to heaven and it's good enough for me
tis the old-time religion tis the old-time religion tis the old-time
religion and it's good enough for me brother Stephen can you please close out
nowhere to prayer