Sunday, August 16, 2020: The Book Of Ruth ~ Series: MERCIES IN THE SHADOWS ~ Message: Manipulating Grace ~ Scripture: Ruth 3:1–8 ~ Pastor Philip Miller
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through
his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
May this be both our prayer and our experience this week. After all...
You are loved, more than you know!
Pastor Philip
I don’t know about you, but I tend to forget how great a love the Father has lavished on us in calling us His children. I so often fail to metabolize God’s love in deep and meaningful ways in my life. So I constantly need to remind myself that in Jesus, you are loved, more than you know. This is one of the things Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14–19 highlights:
The Bible tells us that though we are far more sinful than we ever dared realize, in Jesus we are far more loved than we ever dared hope. Christian identity is therefore one of both humility and courage. We are humbled, because we know our sins are so deep that Christ had to die for us. Our lives are therefore filled with confession, repentance, and brokenness before our holy God. At the same time, because Christ chose to lay down His life on our behalf, we know we are loved beyond imagining. That gives us courage, because we know that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So our lives are filled with grace, peace, gratitude, and security in our loving God. It is humble courage, or said another way, courageous humility.
I often close my letters with these words. They remind us of what we are prone to forget: in Jesus we are loved to the skies.
You are loved, more than you know.
Image: Bible Illustrations on Ruth Chapter 3 by Jim Padgett, courtesy of Sweet Publishing (1984). Inspirational Images
The Book Of Ruth
Series: MERCIES IN THE SHADOW
Message: Manipulating Grace
Scripture: Ruth 3:1–8 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
WELCOME
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Scripture Reading from Psalm 130 ESV
Audio: Psalm 130
My Soul Waits for the Lord
130 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
5
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
7
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
PASTOR TO PEOPLE
^Inspirational Videos>1...
Message: Manipulating Grace
The Book Of Ruth
Series: MERCIES IN THE SHADOW
Message: Manipulating Grace
Scripture: Ruth 3:1–8 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
SERMON NOTES
Sunday, August 16, 2020
The Book Of Ruth
Series: MERCIES IN THE SHADOW
Message: Manipulating Grace
Scripture: Ruth 3:1–8 ESV
Pastor Philip Miller
1. We can pursue the right thing at the wrong time.
Takeaway: Wait upon God’s perfect timing.
2. We can pursue the right thing in the wrong way.
Takeaway: Submit to God’s perfect will.
3. We can pursue the right thing with the wrong heart.
Takeaway: Rest in God’s perfect sufficiency.
Scripture: Ruth 3:1–8 ESV
Audio: Ruth 3 ESV
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
3 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” 5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”
6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet!