Discovering Your Destiny Series * Seven Sermons from the Book of Ruth
The Threshing Before the Blessing
(Inspired from Perry Stone’s Book, Lay It On Me)
August 17, 2014 Chester FBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A Naomi, who had lost her sons, husband, identity, property, reputation... who had been broken, bitter... saw at last that she was on the verge of a breakthrough.
1 She had began to think different, see her situation form her faith.
a She knew that if things were ever going to turn around for her & Ruth, Boaz & Ruth had to come together.
aa If her lost land was going to be restored, Boaz was going to have to open his heart.
bb Ruth was the key to opening Boaz’s heart.
b Right people...
c Ruth 3:2 (NASB) 2 "Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight.
2 The critical time of the harvest was also upon them... the winnowing - (When the chaff & wheat are separated) Watermelon (Rind & meat)
a Chaff is to wheat as what rind is to the watermelon.
aa Removing the chaff is done in a process called “winnowing”
bb Winnowing is done at night when the wind pick up... the harvest sheaves are thrown into the wind - the chaff is blown away as the wheat falls to the threshing floor.
b The threshing floor is where the good is sifted from the bad, positive is separated from the negative.
B Each one of us has negative things/traits in our lives/personalities. (Things that need to be removed/sifted.)
1 Naomi’s problems had made her bitter & that bitterness had to be sifted from her life.
a Each of us must also be sifted so that the chaff of our lives can be removed.
b It’s at that threshing floor where God can truly begin to bless us like never before.
2 Prior to your major breakthrough, there will be major breaking down.
a That breaking down is God sifting us so the good is separated from the bad, negative from the positive, pride/humble.
A Luke 22:31 (NASB) 31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
1 Satan asked Jesus if he could sift Peter’s faith.
a All spiritual testing is about your faith.
aa God tests your faith to make it stronger.
bb Satan sends a test to destroy your faith.
b Another biblical example is Job:
aa Job 2.9... ??
bb Satan took everything from Job in an attempt to get him to curse God... but he just continued to trust Him.
2 When it comes time for the threshing floor, Satan intends to rob you of your blessing, wreck your confidence in God’s provision, doubt your adoption.
a God will allow the testing to remove the chaff, build character.
b Peter’s testing came BEFORE he was used to head up the church in Jerusalem: Job’s testing came BEFORE his “double portion of blessing.”
Job 42:10 (NASB) 10 The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.
c Ruth has to be steadfast/faithful, THEN the Lord brought her to the floor of Boaz.
Ruth 3:3 (KJV) 3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
B T.S. Getting God’s attention
1 Naomi understood something about men when she told Ruth to wait for Boaz to eat before she approached him. (Ruth 3.3)
a Let his attention be fully on you, undistracted... wait for the night time... and he’ll give you nearly anything you want.
aa Get all dolled up, hair did, smokey eyes - far cry from her field clothes... all woman.
bb Naomi didn’t tell her to go in there as she was, immediately asking Boaz for stuff.
b Next thing you know Ruth is in the floor. (Ruth 3.3)
2 Ruth got Boaz’s attention before she moved into greater favor... how do we get God’s attention?
a Some go to the Lord & immediately say, “Help! (Want, give me, give us!)”
aa Jesus didn’t start His prayers asking the Father for stuff.
bb “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” - Bragging!
b Worship is the gateway to the heart of God.
aa God moves toward us when we minister to Him through worship.
bb My wife knows what to do & when to do it to get my attention. (Not crude/carnal)
cc there is something we can do to get God’s attention... worship.
c No other God’s before Him, jealous God, biblical principle.
C When Ruth got Boaz’s attention, it was time to get down to business - the time of divine reversal.
1 It was the moment Naomi/Ruth needed to change their destiny - Boaz was the man to do it.
a Ruth had known Boaz as a stranger, then her boss, as a unique friend – Now it’s leaving the friend zone.
aa Naomi told Ruth exactly what to wear, say, when to say it.
Ruth 3:2-4 (NASB) 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."
bb Ruth was specifically told to pay attention where Boaz sleeps/lays down.
Ruth 3:7 (NASB) 7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down.
b In the ANE Israel’s enemies would watch/wait from afar as te Jews planted, watered the soil, pulled weeds, harvest wheat, winnow the wheat.
aa After the work had been done... the enemy would attack the threshing floor & rob the farmer of his harvest/increase.
bb Not very fair/nice. (The devil doesn’t play fair!)
cc John 10:10 (NASB) 10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
2 The enemy will let you pray, plant you seed, get to the brink of harvest & then bring a problem that will eat your finances/steal the blessing you’ve been waiting for.
a The threshing floor was a place where the good/bad; perfect/imperfect was separated... also a place of battle.
aa Boaz slept next to the grain in case the enemy tried to come in the night and steal it.
bb Ruth, by lying at Boaz’s feet, was showing him, “I’ll stay with you no matter what comes through that gate.”
b Often we think the threshing floor is where we get hurt, experience loss, beaten...
aa He’s strengthening us, preparing us.
bb The threshing floor battle turns into the blessing when we fall on the floor in deep intimate prayer/worship before the Lord.
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My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
