WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD UNTO ALL PLEASING
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:9-10).
RUTH
1. Naomi and her family from Bethlehem go into the land of Moab, where one of her sons marries Ruth. Naomi’s husband and sons then die. (Ruth 1:1-5).
2. Ruth 1:6-9 Naomi determines to return to Judah; tells Ruth and Orpah to return to their own families and gods.
3. Ruth 1:14-18 Ruth determines to return with Naomi and is blessed there. But what we want to especially note is that throughout her life, Ruth proved to be one who was ever so faithful and trustworthy.
4. Ruth 1:15-18 Notice when she was encouraged to return to her gods, she said entreat me not to leave, I will go where you go, your God will be my God. Where you die will I die; if not, the Lord do so to me. She was stedfastly minded, determined to faithfully serve Naomi and God.
5. Ruth 2:1-2, 7 Regardless of what she did (even gleaning in the field), she was diligent and faithful.
6. Ruth 2:11-13 Her faithful service to Naomi and her trust in the Lord had evidently become known to many; even Boaz had heard and been shown concerning Ruth.
7. Ruth 3:1-6 Naomi tells Ruth what to do and she says, all you say unto me I will do; and she went and did according to Naomi’s directions.
8. Ruth 4:13-17 She becomes the faithful wife of Boaz and gives birth to the grandfather of King David.
FAITHFUL SERVICE AS UNTO THE LORD
1. Pr 13:17 Faithfulness is health.
2. Pr 28:20 There are many blessings with the faithful.
3. Pr 20:6 Finding a faithful man is a treasure.
MAJOR PRINCIPLE TO GET ACROSS: The Lord says either one is faithful in his/her obligations or they are not. It doesn’t matter whether it’s something little or something big.
1. Lu 16:10-12 If we are to be trusted with the true riches, we must prove ourselves to be faithful. To prove ourselves to be faithful, we must be faithful to all of our obligations, even the least.
2. Mt 25:14-30 Remember the parable of the talents. The faithful servant was the one who was responsible with the duties given him. We all have been given certain duties or responsibilities; we must be faithful and fulfil these. Ruth was and did.
3. 1Co 4:1-2 As servants of God, we all are as stewards who have been given certain duties. What is required of stewards? Faithful service.
4. Are we being faithful in all areas of our lives, with every responsibility we have?
WHAT ABOUT WITH LIFE ITSELF?
1. Ac 17:24-28We have been given life; this places upon us a responsibility. If we are to be faithful, what must we to do? We must seek the Lord, feel after Him, find Him.
2. Ro 12:1-2 We have a body for which we must be responsible. What is our duty if we are to be faithful with our bodies? Present them as a living sacrifice, holy, unto God; and not be conformed to this world but transformed.
3. Ro 6:13 We have members to use as instruments. If we are faithful, for what will we use them? As instruments of righteousness unto God.
4. Ep 5:22-6:2 We have responsibilities within the family. Are we being faithful? Are children obeying and honoring their parents? Notice Colossians 3:20, this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
5. Co 3:22-23 We have a responsibility, in whatever we do, to do it heartily as unto the Lord; and to be faithful in what we do. Are we faithful in our jobs, in our school work? He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN MATERIAL THINGS.
1. Mt 6:19-24 Are we being faithful with these? Are they becoming our treasure; are we serving them as opposed to God?
2. Lu 16:11 If we aren’t faithful with our material things, we’re not going to get the true riches.
3. Ep 4:1-3 Christians have responsibilities to other Christians. Are we being faithful?
4. Ti 2:11-12 Salvation has appeared to us. Are we being faithful; are we denying ungodliness and worldly lusts as it teaches us to do? Are we living soberly, righteously, and godly in this world?
5. 2Ti 2:3-4 Are we being like Ruth, being faithful in all things in service to the Lord? As good soldiers, we are to simply live our lives to please Him by not getting tangled up in this life.
FLEEING YOUTHFUL LUST WITH A DETERMINATION NOT TO SIN
1. 2 Ti 2:22 Certainly the young are not exempt from having lust; there even seem to be some lust that particularly pull at us when we are young. We are to flee these lust.
2. Ruth 3:1-11 Ruth gives us a wonderful example of one who fled youthful lust.
3. See particuarly vs. 10-11; she was willing to do as Naomi instructed and be wife to a near kinsman, when she could have given in to the lust of following after young men. She received quite a testimony from Boaz when he said all the city of my people know you are a virtuous woman.
4. He 1:8-9 God was quite pleased with Jesus for loving righteousness and hating iniquity. Our God hates sin.
5. Pr 8:13 If we have the fear of the Lord, we will hate evil as well.
6. Ep 5:3-11 We are not to let any of these things be named among us, we are not to be partakers with such. As children of light, we are to have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness.
7. Ac 3:25-26 The very reason Jesus came was to turn us from our iniquities.
8. Ac 26:16-18 The message of the gospel is to turn from the darkness of sin.
9. 1Pe 2:24 Jesus bare our sins that we be dead to sin and alive to righteousness.
10. Ga 2:20 We are to be crucified with Christ.
11. Ro 6:6 The old man is what is to be crucified, which involves destroying the body of sin.
12. 1Pe 2:11 We are to live our lives here abstaining from fleshly lusts; we are to live with a determination not to sin.
13. 1Jn 2:1 Why were “these things” written? That we sin not; the Lord has given to us writings that can keep us from sinning.
14. Ep 4:17-24 We are not to walk like the Gentiles; we have not so learned and been taught. We are to put off the former conversation, that old man which is corrupt according to lusts. We’re to have a new mind, be a new man, created after God in righteousness and true holiness.
15. Ga 5:24 The flesh with its affections and lusts are to be crucified, put to death; we should have a determination to not pay attention to our affections and lusts, a determination to not sin.
16. Ro 6:1-2 God forbid that we should continue in sin, live therein.
17. Ro 6:10-13 Jesus died to sin and liveth unto God; we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive unto God. We are not to let sin reign in our lives, to obey it in the lusts thereof.
18. Ro 6:15-16 Are we to sin? God forbid! If we yield ourselves to sin, we are the servants of sin.
19. Ro 6:19 We are to yield our members as servants of righteousness; we are not to yield our members to uncleanness and iniquity.
20. 2Ti 2:22 As we flee these youthful lusts and determine to not sin, what are we to do? Follow after righteousness, faith, charity, peace, etc.
21. 1Ti 6:11 As we flee, we’re to follow after …
22. Ga 5:16 We’re to walk in the spirit; if we do we won’t fulfil those lusts of the flesh.
23. Co 3:1-3 If we don’t set our affections on the things of this earth, on what are we to set them?
24. Ro 13:13-14 We’re not to make any provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts; we’re to walk honestly, putting on the Lord Jesus.
25. Ti 2:3-8 What are young women encouraged to do?
–Beth Johnson