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Light Of His Word The Sermons of Pastor Mike Walls Freedom Baptist Church Used By Permission Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. |
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Light Of His Word The Sermons of Pastor Mike Walls Freedom Baptist Church Used By Permission Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. |
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IN THE
FIELD OF GRACE Ruth
2:4-17 Introduction: As
I was getting ready to start typing this lesson from Ruth, I was thinking
how much a person could get out of one book of the Bible. If a
person tries to say that this Book is boring or cannot find anything,
then they are not studying. As a pastor, I realize that one of
my greatest responsibilities is to feed the flock. (1st
Peter 5:2- “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy
lucre, but of a ready mind”) Ruth
is not a lazy person. She is willing to take a job that is on
the bottom of the list of jobs in order that Naomi and herself would
have food to eat. They may not have the best food with this job
but they had food. Many times in today’s society, people don’t
want these types of jobs because they don’t want to start at the bottom
and work up. They want to start on the top. We run into
another principle that we can see in the book. Ruth’s motive was
not in this area but it is perfectly illustrated in this book. 1st
Peter 5:6 She
was searching for food, favor and fulfillment. She got a job as
a gleaner and ended up in part of the field that belonged to Boaz.
Boaz is type of the Lord Jesus. As we start this section of chapter
two, we will start seeing it clearly. The
first three verses, we saw the finding by grace and in these verses
we will be see in the field of grace. Just before getting into
the lesson, I feel that we need to be reminded of what the definition
of grace is. Grace is the favour and graciousness shown by God
to guilty man. It stands in contrast to law AND also to works and to
desert or reward. The grace of God is vouchsafed to the saints all along
the way. We find nearly all the Epistles commence and end with
the invocation of grace on the churches: whereas when individuals are
addressed MERCY is added. The different aspects of grace and mercy have
been thus set forth: "Grace refers more to the source and character
of the sentiment; mercy to the state of the person who is its object.
Grace may give me glory; mercy contemplates some need in me. Mercy is
great in the greatness of the need; grace in the thought of the person
exercising it." I. HIS
CONSIDERING WORK Vs. 4-7 “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 set over
the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set 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, that she
tarried a little in the house.” A. He Is Present In His Field Vs. 4-5a
“Let your conversation be without covetousness;
and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen.” There
is a thought occurs here. In the house of Boaz the only prominent
person was Boaz. No prominence, honor, or distinction was given
to anyone but Boaz. Even the servant who was "set over the reapers"
is left nameless in our text, because he is really not important.
He as only a servant! So it is in the house of God. Only one Person
is recognized here. Only one name is honored in God's house. Honor,
recognition, and pre-eminence are given to no man but the God-man,
the Lord Jesus Christ. We call no man "holy" or "reverend", because
no man is. That name belongs only to our God. Psalm
111:9 “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath
commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.” This
is one of the reasons why I don’t put the prefix “Rev.” before my
name. I am not the “holy father” either. I am simply a
pastor only by the grace of God and His calling to my life.
1.
His Present Is Personal. Revelation 2:1 “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write;
These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right
hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks” He
has the right to walk in the midst of the golden candlesticks.
He has the right to examine the churches and point out the problems
in the church. He has the right to be honored above all. Colossians
1:16-18 “For by him were all things created, that are
in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all
things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things,
and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the
church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that
in all things he might have the preeminence.” He shows diligence by being in the field. He could have just
left it to the man in charge of the reapers. Boaz was a man
of great detail, yet looking after a large estate. He wasn't
lazy. He didn't expect to pay somebody to do the things he ought
to do. He came from Bethlehem and left his ease to look after his
estate. This is the right thing to be done. If we continually
leave our overseeing to others, we soon won't have anything to oversee.
Laziness brings me to a thought that should be explored somewhat.
First I want to give a few verses of scripture that deal with laziness
or as the Bible calls it slothfulness or being a sluggard. Prover He
also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great
waster. Proverbs 19:15 Slothfulness
casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. Proverbs 24:30-31 I
went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man
void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns,
and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof
was broken down. Ecclesiastes
10:18 By
much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of
the hands the house droppeth through. Romans
12:11 Not
slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 2nd
Thessalonians 3:11 For
we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working
not at all, but are busybodies. Hebrews 6:12
That
ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and
patience inherit the promises. Without getting off the beaten path too far, let me make some comments
in regards to laziness, slothfulness or being a sluggard.
Prover “The
sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he
beg in harvest, and have nothing. If you look at a lazy man, you will find his nature to be one of
inactivity and insult. It was laziness that brought down the
man who was after God’s own heart, David. His inactivity caused
him to go for a fateful walk. You can see his posture. It found in one of the verses that
we just used. Prover “He
also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great
waster.” When you waste the talents and such, you are actually insulting the
Lord with that waste. What is the future of the sluggard? It is two fold. It
leads to bankruptcy and a tragedy. To hide in laziness will
lead inevitably to bankruptcy in every area of our lives. Boaz was not lazy. He came to his field to check out what was
being done. 2. His Presence Is Pleasant. We should note the gracious
greeting between Boaz and his servants. What is interesting is the
interchange between Boaz and his people! Think how much better
a workplace would be if this interchange would be a normal everyday
event. Think how much more peaceful workplace would be if
the Lord was involved. Jesus
never brings strife or trouble, but always the breath of Heaven
and the fragrant breezes of glory. Psalm 16:11 “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures
for evermore.” If there is trouble or strife, it is our sinful flesh that brings
it. B. He Is Perceptive Concerning His Field. Our heavenly Boaz misses nothing that transpires in His field. “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil
and the good.” “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?
and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore,
ye are of more value than many sparrows.” The
Lord's eyes are on His church and He misses nothing that happens.
But, He is also interested in the individual. Why is this?
Let’s look at two truths in this passage that shows why in the life
of Ruth. 1. His
Perception Is Personal. Vs. 5b “Whose damsel is this?” Ruth
caught his eye. Why? We are not told for sure but he noticed
someone new in his field. Jesus
loves the individual. You have caught His eye. He cares about you.
Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying,
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with
lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’ Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.” As
I was pondering this thought that Jesus loved the individual, my
mind ran to the book of John. This gospel is full of individuals
that Jesus loved and showed an interest. Let’s turn to book
of John for a few minutes. “Again the next day after John stood, and two
of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith,
Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and
they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following,
and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which
is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt,
and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One
of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew,
Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and
saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted,
the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him,
he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas,
which is by interpretation, A stone.” John 3:1-7 “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus,
a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto
him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no
man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus
saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter
the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which
is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
Before
going further, we are in the third chapter of John. Look at the
most quote verse in the Bible. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.” I
remember the first time that verse was bought alive to me.
I even remember the day. It was May 10, 1972. My pastor
read that verse just like it is written. He said that the
world was a big place. It is. We have over five billion
people in this world now. But that night my pastor read the
verse this way. “For God so loved Mike, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that Mike believeth in him Mike should not perish,
but Mike have everlasting life.” That day I saw myself
as an individual who Jesus was interested in. He was so interested
in me that if I had been the only sinner in the world, He would
have came to die in my place. But the good news is that He
died for all our sins. How do we get this salvation?
We get it by coming to Him. John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to
me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” That
sounds like He is interested in the individual. Once
you come to Him, you got to call on Him to save you. Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved.” He
still has the power to save to the uttermost. Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to
the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them.” That
is a really good postscript. Let’s continue our journey through
the pages of the book of John. Time
will not permit us to read this entire chapter. Jesus had
to go to Samaria. Why? There was a woman that we going
to be at the well at noontime. Jesus knew her need and He
was the fulfillment of her need. After she met the Master,
she runs and tells others. Before long a town is impacted
for the Lord Jesus. John 5:1-9 “After this there was a feast of the Jews;
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the
sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda,
having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent
folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled
the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water
stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain
man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When
Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in
that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent
man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled,
to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth
down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and
walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed,
and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.” Who
is the individual here? It is the lad that brought his lunch
to Jesus. Jesus took his lunch and used it mightily for the
glory of God. John 8:1-11 “Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early
in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people
came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes
and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when
they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman
was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded
us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they
said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus
stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though
he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted
up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you,
let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and
wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by
their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest,
even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing
in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none
but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers?
hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said
unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” “Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard,
very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet
with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” Anyone
that was in that house had the odor of the spikenard on them.
This is what happens when Jesus comes into a life. People
will know the difference. 2nd Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are
become new.” This
is fourteen persons that Jesus spent time and showed interest.
But that is past and it is important. But presently, Jesus is interested
in you. 2.
His Perception Is Powerful. Ruth 2:6-7 “And the servant that was set 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, that she
tarried a little in the house.” Boaz
knew about her background, her activities and her motives. Jesus
knows everything there is to know about us, and yet He still loves
us and desires to be with us. This is amazing. He calls us saints
and we are so sorry. He calls us friends and we are such failures.
That is grace, pure and simple. What
does he know about Ruth? According to the servant, he tells
her that she was a foreigner. But if I read this correctly,
he tells Boaz that she is not lazy. She has worked hard that
day. There may have been some respect from this servant’s
word perceived. Conclusion: This section we have seen Boaz coming
on the scene. But we can see Jesus in this man’s life. What does
Jesus know about us? “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest
in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him
with whom we have to do.” “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his
countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused
him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” Jesus
knows you better than you do. Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the
reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to
the fruit of his doings.” In
the next lesson we will be seeing Boaz’s commanding work.
Lesson
5
Part
1
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty
hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time”
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