8/15 Gotta give it away to keep it

Summary: A sermon examining the importance of evangelism.

SHARING GOD'S GRACE WITH OTHERS

Ruth 2:17-23

Brady Singer is a Kansas City Royals pitching prospect who was the 18th overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft. His contract with the Royals included a 4.25 million dollar signing bonus. Upon receiving this bonus, Singer decided to do something very special for his parents. The 22 year old Florida native wrote them a letter and said "the money you both spent on traveling, gear, hotels, food, and all those Gatorades I drank is much more than I could ever give you, but there is something I want to give to you, I paid off the loan from the bank and I paid (off the rest of) your debt as well". I can't imagine what a wonderful feeling this must have been for this young man.

It is very exciting to be able to give something to the people that you love. As Christians, we possess something special that we can and should share with others, especially those who mean the most to us. You may not have the money to pay off their financial debt, but you can show them that their sin debt is actually paid in full. You may not be able to provide them with an early retirement, but you can tell them how to receive eternal life. You may not be able to buy them a house, but you can tell them how to receive a clear title to a mansion.

We who are "in Christ" have received the gift of God's amazing grace. It is our responsibility to share that gift with others. In our selected text Ruth has received grace from a man named Boaz. Ruth responded by sharing this grace with her mother-in-law, Naomi.

- I would like to walk through this passage and preach on the subject "Sharing God's Grace With Others".

Ruth and Naomi had left Moab and returned to Naomi's homeland of Bethlehem. The famine that had plagued Bethlehem was over and God was giving His people bread (Ruth 1:6). Ruth and Naomi were poor lonely widows with no one to care for them. So Ruth decides that she is going out to seek someone who would show her grace. She was hoping to glean in the fields and collect enough food to sustain herself and Naomi. By God's divine providence Ruth came to a field owned by a man named Boaz. Ruth went out into the field and began to gather grain behind the harvesters. When Boaz arrived, Ruth immediately caught his eye. Boaz approached Ruth and invited her to abide in his fields. He then instructed his laborers to treat her kindly and not to take advantage of her. He also had them leave behind handfuls of grain so that Ruth would have more than enough to eat.

Ruth was overwhelmed by the grace she had received from Boaz. Verse 10 shows us how she responded to this grace - v10 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 am a stranger? There was nothing Ruth had done that would make her worthy of all that Boaz was going to do for her. Ruth experienced grace simply because of who Boaz was. There is no way that we could be worthy of the grace that has been extended to us. But we can experience grace simply because of who Jesus is! Once we have experienced His grace, we should share it with others!

- This passage shows us at least 4 things about God's grace that we should share with others. The first thing we see is that:

I. WE SHOULD TELL OTHERS ABOUT THE SOURCE OF GRACE

v17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.18 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. 19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead.

After gleaning in the field all day, Ruth gathered about an "ephah of barley". An "ephah" is about a half bushel, this was enough to sustain these women for a week. When she returned home with this bounty Naomi said "where in the world did you get all of that?" Ruth responded by telling Naomi about the source of grace. She said "I met a man today who showed me grace. He was kind to me and gave me all of this barley." Naomi said "what is his name?" and Ruth said his name is "Boaz".

When we experience the grace of God there is a change that takes place in our lives. People notice that something has changed... They may not know what has happened, but they know that something is different. This opens the door for us to share God's grace with them. We can tell them all about the source of grace.

Someone said that "the testimony of your life will open the door for the testimony of your lips."

- Anytime we have the chance, we should tell others that Jesus Christ is the source of grace! As we share God's grace with others we must tell them about the source of grace, furthermore:

II. WE SHOULD TELL OTHERS ABOUT THE SUFFICIENCY OF GRACE

- God's grace is not just enough... it is more than enough! What Boaz did for Ruth that day was much more than she could have ever imagined, and there was far more on the way. Notice:

v15 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: 16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. v17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 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. 19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

Boaz ordered his harvesters to let Ruth gather grain among the sheaves. He also told them to drop some heads of barley on purpose for her. Instead of gathering enough for a meal or two, Ruth was loaded down with grain. Ruth had received "handfuls on purpose" and the hands of Boaz. When she returned to Naomi she gave her some of the roasted grain that was left over from her meal with Boaz. She shared grace with her mother in law!

Boaz was not required to provide for her the way that he did. But he chose to show her grace. Before the foundation of the world God chose to show us grace! We who have received grace should share this grace with others. We must tell them that God sent His only Son to be the sacrifice for our sins and that Jesus willingly left the glories of Heaven to come and die to redeem us.

We have received a new life and it is an abundant life, it is a victorious life, and it is an eternal life. We have a new family, we are children of God we are joint heirs with Jesus, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We have a new freedom we are free from the law, we are free from the chains of sin, and we are free from guilt and shame. There is no need for us to fear death, Hell, the grave or Satan. We have been redeemed, set free and forgiven.

We have a new home and it is an eternal home, and it is a beautiful home. Scripture tells us that the walls are made of jasper, the city is made of pure, transparent gold, there is a crystal river, and the gates are pearl.

Grace also guarantees that we will be part of an amazing reunion in that place. The Angels are there, the Saints of old are there, the Prophets and Apostles are there, and many of our loved ones are there, and one day we will join them all. Greater than all of this is the fact that our Lord is there, and one day we will see Him face to face.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

- All of this is possible because of grace. God's grace is sufficient... in fact, His grace is more than enough! We who have experienced this grace should share it with others! We should tell them about the source of grace, the sufficiency of grace and finally we will see that:

III. WE SHOULD TELL OTHERS ABOUT THE SECURITY OF GRACE

v21 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. 22 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. 23 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.

Boaz wanted Ruth to stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed. If she were to go and glean in the field of another, she may have encountered trouble. But she would be safe as long as she gleaned in his field. Boaz did not just show kindness to Ruth, he was not just going to provide for her, he was going to protect and keep her!

That is what God does for us! He saves us and He keeps us. God is the source of our eternal life. That eternal life comes with eternal security. That security is not found in our ability but God's!

- Numerous scriptures speak of the security that God's grace brings into our lives. Let me share just a few of these Biblical promises:

Jesus said in John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.

Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 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.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Our salvation is a gift from God, it is not based upon our works. This means that if we cannot earn our salvation, we cannot keep our salvation. Our salvation is based on His goodness and grace and not on our merit.

- God's word tells us that He gives us eternal life.

1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

There is no way to accurately describe God's amazing grace. But I am glad to know that it is available and it is greater than our sin. That is why we often sing:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,

Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!

Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,

There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace

Freely bestowed on all who believe!

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Grace is not just something that God did for us in the past... Grace is not just something that He will do for us in the future... Grace is something that we experience and enjoy on a daily basis! We who have experienced this grace should make it a priority to share this grace with others. Every blessing we have seen today is possible because God called our name and showed us grace.

He may be calling your name right now. If He is, I encourage you to accept His great offer of grace. It would have been foolish for Ruth to reject all that Boaz was offering her, and it would be foolish for you to reject God's grace. Surrender to Him today!!

For those of us who have been born again... for those who have received this wonderful grace, may we do our part to "Share God's Grace With Others".