Gift of Favor

Introduction

“We don't choose what we will do for God; He invites us to join Him where He wants to involve us.” ― Henry T. Blackaby, Experiencing God

This is exactly what we will see this morning in the life of Ruth, God wanted to involve Ruth in bringing Jesus into this world but it was a plan that did not unfold over night, in fact it was a ten plus year journey, of where Ruth was taking it day by day doing what she knew was right

Leaving Comfort

Summary: Naomi and her family go to live in Moab to escape a famine in Israel. her sons marry Moabite women, one whom is Ruth. Naomi’s husband and sons die after living there for ten years. Naomi then decides to go back to Israel and both her daughter in laws offer to go with her but she insist they don't. Orpah decides to stay but Ruth decides to go, so the two go to Israel

Ruth 1:14 ESV

Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Ruth took the opportunity to leave, but think about what that meant. It truly meant to step out of her comfort zone

She was leaving behind family, culture, friends, a home, etc.

She was going to a foreign land where she only knew the woman she was going with

Application #1: In order to walk in God’s favor we must be wiling to step out of our comfort zones

For Ruth that meant leaving everything behind, committing to living a whole other way

What does that look like for us?

Simple answer: Getting Uncomfortable

But how do we take this simple answer and put it into action

1. Stop listening to your heart

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Your heart is going to lead you to do what makes you comfortable and what makes the ones you love comfortable

Comfort does not save souls, comfort does not grow you

2. Start listening to the Spirit

John 16:1–13 ESV

“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

The Spirit will lead, but this is preceded with Jesus telling the disciples they will be killed

3. Follow with abandonment

Luke 14:26–27 ESV

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Your commitment an love for Jesus so overshadow your feelings for anything else in this world

So often our spiritual life is controlled by comforts of this world

Act like tiptoeing off stage

My parents need me close, I need to be close so i can spend time with them

My job is paying good and allowing me to provide a good life for my family

My family may not understand

I don’t understand the culture/language

Run and jump off stage

God has called me to go and he will watch over my parents

My job was not providing God was and God will continue to

My family will not understand, and I will walk in obedience and continue to lift them up in prayer

I can learn the culture and the language with the guidance of the Holy Spirit

As you leave the comfort to step into where God has called you the opportunity to depend on God comes

Laboring in the Fields

Summary: Ruth begins life in Israel and starts to provide for Naomi by gleaning in the fields of Boaz’. He takes notices and shows her favor as she works in his fields. Where he provides food and extra grain. Ruth tells Naomi where she worked and she encourages her to continue to do so. As you get to chapter 3 we see events occur to where things are put into motion for Boaz to seek a relationship with Ruth in marriage

Ruth 2:2 ESV

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.”

After Ruth made the decision to leave comfort behind the work was just beginning and she was presented with the opportunity to work and as she worked to provide God orchestrated for her path to cross that of Boaz

Ruth realized her success in the promise land was first and for most dependent on being shown favor

She could have all the work effort in the world but if no one allowed her to work in their fields the work ethic would be pointless

She found favor, and worked faithfully

See Ruth if she had not abandoned comfort she would not have discovered the favor of God in the fields of Boaz and as we are going to see her life would not had the opportunity to bear fruit

Application #2: God's favor on our live does not come from us being passive

Ruth would have never encountered the favor of Boaz if she chose to stay home rather than go out in the fields to work

Some of you are not experiencing the power of God in your life because all you are doing is sitting at home and in a pew saying I wish God would move like he use to.

He still does but you are not getting in the fields to see Him move like he does

You see the favor of God when you regularly seek to evangelize

You see the favor of God when you choose to not turn a blind eye to the needy

You see the favor of god when you pray with the stranger

You see the favor of God when you give sacrificially

You see the favor of God when you meet with God early

You want to see God move miraculously live like it and stop living like you are ashamed and embarrassed

Stop being afraid of being labeled. praise the Lord if you are labeled

Jesus Freak by dc Talk one of my favorite songs ever

What will people think When they hear that I'm a Jesus freak? What will people do when they find that it's true? (Oh oh oh) I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak There ain't no disguising the truth

The God that showed a miracle to Ruth is still the same God and in the business of doing miracles

Experienceing a Miracle

Summary: Boaz goes through the process of events necessary to marry Ruth and we see them get married

Ruth 4:13–17 ESV

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Her and Mahlon had been married ten years and she had remained barren, but when her and Boaz married God gave conception, in other words God gave a miracle

Application #3: The Lord moves miraculously marking our life with favor.

And when the Lord provides miraculously people recognize the favor on your life

Also when the Lord provides the implications go beyond what we could ever imagine, Ruth could not even begin to imagine this child she birthed would be the grandpa of the of Israel

How has the Lord moved in your life that is a testament to those around you that you are His child?

More importantly though how have you positioned yourself in order for God to do so?

Ruth sacrificed her comfort, how have you stepped out of your comfort?

Ruth was not passive, how have you been active in your faith finding the field God would have you to labor in?

Ruth’s miracle then comes 10+ years in the making. So what has your faith journey looked like and how have you seen God move?

Or are you living comfortable and missing out on experiencing God?

Outro

Believer this morning how do you need to get uncomfortable to supernaturally experience God’s favor?

Is their a hard conversation you need to have seeking forgiveness from someone you wronged?

Is their a job move you need to make?

is their things in your life you need to give up?

To the unbeliever?

Prayer right where you are and get right with God and do the first uncomfortable thing in your life, come stand before the people of God and confess your faith

Matthew 10:32–33 ESV

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.