"5 Ways to Draw Closer to Jesus"
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION.
Do you remember that first person that you really wanted to get close to?
Maybe a girl or boy when you where in high school.
You wanted to know them more.
Talk to them on the phone.
Wanted to see them and spend time with them.
Men -
bath,
shave,
get all dressed up,
cologne.
Ladies -
bathed up,
got all dressed up (had to have just the right outfit - probably changed several times)
make-up on,
perfume.
You got those butterflies in your stomach.
Do you remember when you where first Saved out of the miry pit of sin?
You wanted to know Jesus more.
You felt remorse and grieved over your sin.
you wanted to repent and be cleansed of your sins.
Maybe you remember maybe you do not; but if you would like to know Jesus more and draw closer to Him Turn with me in your Bibles to the 3rd chapter of the book of Ruth.
1 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 is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight.
3 “Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
4 “It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.”
5 She said to her, “All that you say I will do.”
Ruth.
Moabites.
east of Dead Sea. (Sodom and Gomorra)
Decedents of Moab - sone of Lot.
Lot became drunk and his two daughters seduced him and became pregnant.
Moab
Ammon
pagans
polytheistic.
There were excluded from the Jewish Community.
Deuteronomy 23:3-6. - excluded from the presence of the LORD.
Isaiah 25:10. - Enemy of God.
was bore, broke.
had nothing to offer.
Boaz.
Israelite.
the nation of Israel - God’s chosen
Had great wealth.
Kinsman Redeemer.
Lev 25:25 “25 ‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold.”
MESSAGE.
1. Freshly Cleansed.
1. Freshly Cleansed.
Ruth 3:3 “3 “Wash yourself therefore, . . .
James 4:8 “8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
By the Word of God. - ephesians 5:25-26.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
Hebrews 4:12 “12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
By the Blood of Christ. - 1 john 1:7-9.
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I. Freshly Cleansed.
2. Fragrantly Consecrated.
2. Fragrantly Consecrated.
Ruth 3:3 . . . and anoint yourself . . .
Holy Spirit. - 1 john 2:27.
27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
Be anointed.
Be Surrendered.
Be Filled.
I. Freshly Cleansed.
II. Fragrantly Consecrated.
3. Fitly Clothed.
3. Fitly Clothed.
Ruth 3:3 . . . and put on your best clothes, . . .
Mourning clothes.
isaiah 61:1-3.
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
I. Freshly Cleansed.
II. Fragrantly Anointed.
III. Fitly Clothed.
4. Fully Committed.
4. Fully Committed.
Ruth 3:3-4 . . . and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 “It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.””
I. Freshly Cleansed.
II. Fragrantly Anointed.
III. Fitly Clothed.
IV. Fully Committed.
5. Faithfully Compliant.
5. Faithfully Compliant.
Ruth 3:4-5 “4 “It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.” 5 She said to her, “All that you say I will do.””
john 14:21.
21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
james 1:22-25.
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
CONCLUSION.
He Received Her. Ruth 3:8-9
8 It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet.
9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.”
He Reassured Her. Ruth 3:11-13
11 “Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.
12 “Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I.
13 “Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”
He Replenished Her. Ruth 3:15-17
15 Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.
16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her.
17 She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”
The best thing for us to.
18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”
Freshly Washed.
Fragrantly Anointed.
Fitly Clothed.
Fully Committed.
Faithful Compliant.
Ruth = Us
We have nothing to offer.
We are dirty in our sins