Unfolding Your Blessing Series

Discovering Your Destiny Series

Seven Sermons from the Book of Ruth

(Inspired from Perry Stone’s Book, Lay It On Me)

July 27, 2014 Chester FBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A Timing & personal connections play an important role in your personal destiny (Being in the right place and with the right people).

1 This was definitely the case with Naomi & Ruth.

a After their world fell apart in Moab (loss of their husbands), Naomi in her mourning forgot all about an important kingdom connection . . . this connection would prove to be the source of her miracle.

b The connections name was Boaz, a near relative to her departed husband, Elimelech.

aa Naomi & Ruth set their eyes toward Bethlehem because they were hungry.

bb They show up in Bethlehem, looking for bread, just as the wheat is being harvested, wheat used to make bread.

cc And they just happen to be related to somebody who owns a wheat field.

2 God’s timing is always perfect & He sends the right people into our lives at the right time.

a There is someone out there that God has just for you, the key to your heart.

b Someone has a word to give that brings you peace, affirmation, confirmation . . . feed your soul.

B Ruth is about start the next part of her journey to blessing (Her first step was to leave Moab, moved to cleaving Naomi. . .)

1 She about to step into favor by grace.

a Naomi & Ruth returned to city of Bethlehem in the time of the barely harvest (Ruth 1.22.) (She’s at the right place at the right time.)

Ruth 1:22 (NASB) 22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

b There in Bethlehem, Ruth discovered a progression in the blessings of God

2 Know this, the movement/progression of our blessings are dependent on our last act of obedience . . . God will only give more after we have followed previous instructions.

a Cleave to Naomi, Leave Moab, Go to Bethlehem, Go the Gleaning Field . . . each step depended on her being obedient in previous steps.

b Today, we’re going to see how the progression/movement of blessing flows so we can move into our destiny.

c Pray

I The Principle of Increase

A Mark 4 explains the principle of increase from 30-fold to 100-fold.

Mark 4:28-29 (NASB) 28 "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

1 It shows us that if the seed is planted in good ground, weather conditions are right . . . the seed will begin a three stage process:

a First, the blade

aa Secondly, the head (the ear or stalk)

bb Thirdly, the full grain, the corn or mature fruit.

b Each stage in this process represents a different level of blessing.

aa Mark 4:8 (NASB) 8 "Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

bb Blade (30-fold); Head (60-fold); Mature Fruit (100-fold).

2 Once the seed matures, becomes ripe, it can be picked.

a At that point it can be eaten or used to as seed for the future harvest.

aa One ear of corn can make a side dish at one meal, eaten.

bb Or, stored away to make dozens of more stalks, in turn, produce hundreds of more ears.

b We see the principle of increase in Ruth’s story.

aa We see her in the beginning in the corner of the field after the field had already been picked. . .as a blade. (Ruth 2.2-3)

Ruth 2:2-3 (NASB) 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." 3 So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

bb Her “handfuls of purpose” (2.16) was her stalk, the growing/sowing . . . process.

Ruth 2:16 (KJV) 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.

cc But when Boaz “laid it on her” (3.15), she had matured into the fruit/blessing.

Ruth 3:15 (NASB) 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.