Amen. Thank you. You may be seated here in Ruth chapter 3 verses 1 to 6. What we have is Ruth has continued now on the pathway of duty for seven weeks, for seven weeks through both harvests. She's been faithful to labor. She's a faithful gal. She's been faithful to Naomi. We learned last week, and it was a blessing to me to see that in the pages of scripture, but what she was, is she was faithful to the fields of Boaz. You say, big deal. Well, that's loyalty. And as we preached last week, this age, they're only loyal to themselves. And we said the creed and the motto of not only Christianity, but all mankind is to thine own self be true. Let me tell you what, there's still something to be said in 2020 for loyalty to Jesus Christ. And not only loyal to Jesus Christ, but if you love God and you're a born again believer and you're a friend of mine, I'll try to be as loyal as I can, as long as you follow what God says. But loyalty is gone, but we see Ruth, she's got a character like no other. She's a Moabite, and if you know anything about the Moabite people, the Moabites got the children of Israel in trouble back in the book of Numbers. Matter of fact, they were involved in all kinds of bad stuff. We'll leave it right there. It's not even PG rated. It's R rated. It's really bad stuff, and a lot of people died. But interesting enough that Ruth comes through, and she has the character that she does. And she has loyalty to the fields of Boaz, and loyalty because why? Because Boaz showed her so much kindness. And I don't know if you've ever thought, not to re-preach last week's message, but have you ever just thought and relished on the kindness that Jesus Christ has showed you? Man, that'll put us all at the altar even though we don't wanna go, amen. We just think about how good and how kind he's been. I mean, take your mind off your problems for just a second this morning. And as the world produces itself to be much and much more abysmal, and that's why you have an iPhone because really your life revolves all around I, me, you, yourself. If you can just flush that for a minute and think about who should be the central figure, it should be Jesus Christ. And as we come through this, you can't help but see the picture of loyalty that the church, that the bride of Christ should have to Jesus Christ. But we see Ruth, she's been faithful to labor. She's been faithful to Naomi in the fields of Boaz. She's been faithful in all things to this point. And in chapter 3, it begins with a continuation of her faithfulness. I look here in verse 1 and I see that Naomi is searching for rest for Ruth. She's searching for rest and lo and behold, when someone searches for rest, I immediately see the solution for rest in chapter 2. And the solution for rest was Boaz. And of course, Boaz being the great type of Jesus Christ, you know the Bible says in Matthew chapter 11 verse 28, come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. And you know what you and I need in 2020? You know what I need this morning? I need rest. You say, preacher, I wish you'd make up my mind. You just taught us we need to get on the pathway of duty here. I'm talking about rest in Jesus Christ. And if you're here today and you're not saved, I know that there's an internal struggle. There's an internal battle. You're searching for things that will not satisfy. And what you desire more than anything else is rest that can only come through Jesus Christ. You walk through these doors this morning. If you're younger, it is most likely because you had to, And if you're older, hopefully it's because you wanted to. But whatever reason you came, I believe you're probably searching for rest. Now, if you're saved, you have the rest that is in Jesus Christ. And not only that, but if you're saved, many times we're in a continual battle with ourselves, our flesh, and the devil, amen? But not only that, we need to be reminded of the rest that Jesus Christ provides for us. It doesn't have to be World War III every time in our home. It doesn't have to be World War III at the office place. It doesn't have to be turmoil, strife, and bitterness in the house of God. It can come in. This should be a landing place for saints where they get fueled up and flying out of here, amen? But you need rest. And I see Naomi, she searches, I'll say it eventually here once I get the word framed right. She searches for rest and we find the answer, the solution for rest in verse number two. And I just thought I'd ask this morning, do you have the rest that is in Jesus Christ? And Christian, can I just remind you this morning what you already know with all of life's unending trouble. If you're here today and you honestly think that there's no trouble going on outside the door, can I just say you're absolutely crazy. It is crazy out there. We don't even have to take sides on an issue. It is just, it's, Lester Roloff was a prophet. He said back in the 70s or 60s, he said, this world is an insane asylum run by the inmates. And I know some of you are counting how many times I say the word nuts, but it's nuts out there. It's crazy. The people that are leading us many times should be the ones that are in straight jackets. And many times the problem is right here in the pulpit. But can I just remind you something before we get into the meat of the message this morning, Christian, can I remember you of some of the promises of God? You just need to be reminded of what you have in Jesus Christ. No matter how bad it is, no matter how ugly it is, no matter how inconvenient it is, and I was talking to a fellow in the back, and I don't even go in stores anymore. You say, what do you do? I send the kids. Wouldn't you, if you had a bunch of kids, wouldn't you send them in? They're like, oh, okay, fine. But can I remind you this morning, the Bible says in Ephesians 2, verse 4, the Bible says, but God who is rich in mercy, wherewith he loved us. For his great love, wherewith he loved us. Never forget how much Jesus Christ loves you. Now, if you're here today and you're unsaved, can I remind you that the wrath of God abides upon you right now. And unless you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, you're going to be under that wrath until the day you die. And until the day you die without Christ, you're going to be under the wrath of God in hell. But if you're saved today, let me remind you how much He loves you. I said how much He loves you. How much He loved you by giving His life at Calvary. His great love wherewith He loved us. Can I remind you what you already know that the Bible says in Hebrews 13, 5, never forget He'll never leave thee nor forsake thee. He ain't going nowhere. I know you think He's gone. I know you think He left the room, and I don't know why the Lord's not paying attention to what's going on, but He'll never leave you nor forsake you. Isn't that worth remembering, child of God? He ain't gonna leave. Now some of y'all, you'll leave. You'll leave one another. You'll leave your spouse. You'll leave your family hanging, but He will never leave you, even if you're a devil. Can I remind you this morning, He'll supply all of your need according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus. The Bible says in Philippians chapter 4, He'll supply all your need. Yeah, preacher, but don't you forget there's a little prerequisite. All right, we'll visit that later, but don't forget if you're a child of God, He knows what you need. He knows how to provide for that need. Never forget that our sufficiency is of Jesus Christ. Never forget He's able to make all grace abound unto you, so you be sufficient in all things. Just about time you think the bottom's dropped out, the Lord's like, I've got it. You say, why are you doing this? Because in this day and age right now, in the last four to five months, we have been kicked by everybody around us. We've been kicked by whether you want to call the media. Every time you open up the social media, it kicks you in the face. You think some of y'all would learn. Get off that stuff and you'd stop getting kicked all the time. You think some of y'all would learn that, hey, the reason I'm so moody and the reason I'm so depressed is because all the junk going in through my stinking eyeballs. But can I remind you how much the Lord loves you and will provide for His own? I read that passage over in the book of Psalms that David said, I've never seen his seed begging bread. Anybody here have to beg bread yet? You ain't had to. You live in a great country. You say, well, it's falling apart. Sure is, but it's still the greatest country there are. You don't like it? You're going to move to Iraq? Sure you ain't. Well, let's move to China. Nope, nope, not happening today. Well, I'm going to move to Canada. Well, you saw how that worked out with all those people going to move to Canada. They ain't going. They ain't going. Why? It's the best country. It's the only country, basically, you can live and not work and they still feed you. You know why God put some of you in God bless the USA? Because he knew some of y'all wouldn't work. He's like, they've got to eat somehow. I've got to put them in the United States. I'm preaching even if I'm having a good time. Amen. Can I remind you what you already know that this world is not our home. This world is not our home. Some of us have the tendency right now, this is just kind of the break in the ice session to see which direction we're going. But can I remind you that some of us right now have gotten used and have forgotten that the rapture is going to take place. And if you're not careful, if you stop thinking about that rapture when that trumpet sounds, you'll bed down in this world and you'll get comfortable and you'll try to make everything around you your comfort instead of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and His Word. And the next thing you know, you're not even looking for His return. Can I remind you that this world is not our home? Stop getting comfortable in this world. If you're uncomfortable, that is absolutely normal. This world is not our home. I'm just passing through. Or like some of y'all, you're crashing through. Amen? To some of you this week, it was just crashing through every day. You're not even sure why you're here this morning. But that's normal. This world is not my home. Do you realize if you're saved today that the Bible says you are seated together with him in heavenly places, that means you're a tri-part being and the spirit that God gave you is already seated together with him in heaven. You know why you don't like this place? You know why you're sick and tired of this world? Because part of you is already there. I'm encouraging this morning how much He's done for you, how much He will continue to do for you, and how you don't have to get all down in the mouth as the old preacher says. Everything every week doesn't have to be sag, bag, and drag. You can find the joy of the Lord in Jesus Christ and go on for Him. I'm thankful that He won't leave us here. While some people worry about everything going around, I'm reminded of the promise of scriptures where the Bible says the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. He ain't gonna leave us here. And while the world is absolutely falling apart right now, You and I, not only can we have a sweet spirit, isn't that amazing? You and I can sit in here and have a sweet spirit about us. Not only that, but we can have the peace of God, the Bible says, which passeth all understanding. That means when people look at you and look at how you're handling what you're dealing with, and they're going crazy, and they're going so political, it's like politics on steroids, and you're like, it's all right. And they're like, what is your problem? Aren't you worried about it? You're like, no, we're good. It's all right. I know where I'm going when I die. I know that it's either rapture or death. And I'm not looking forward to dying, but if that happens, we're good there too. If I could just remind you one more thing this morning, the Bible says in Romans 8, verse 37, I believe Paul says, Nay, but in all these things we are more than conquerors. And you're not a conqueror on your own, the Bible says, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. So Christian, can I encourage you this morning as we get into this message to go ahead and lift up your head. Quit your dragging around, amen? It's good to be saved. It's even good to be in church. I mean, it's good to be around fellow Bible believers. Even if some of the brethren are just a little bit nutty, amen? It's still good to be around them. I see in Ruth chapter 3 here, Ruth, the daughter-in-law to Naomi, which you all know this morning. I see Ruth, she's the laboring faithful servant. I want to have a church full of Ruths. Amen. I believe we got some Ruths in this church. Faithful, laboring servants on the pathway to duty. What a blessing. Not only that, but Ruth, the picture and type, perfect picture and type of the bride of Christ. Then I shift my mind just a little bit and I see Boaz here. Boaz, of course, as you know, he's the master of servants. Remember, he's the mighty man of wealth, Ruth chapter 2 verse 2. He trusted God, rode out the famine, and God brought him through and enlarged him through the process. Amen? He's the near kinsman to Elimelech. That's Naomi's husband who died. But not only that, he is also a perfect picture and type of Jesus Christ. And as I see in our chapter this morning, I'm trying to go somewhere this morning, I see Ruth is about to enter into the presence of Boaz. You see that in verse 3. She's about to enter into the presence of Boaz, but I want you to see that there's some preparation that has to be made first. There's some preparation that has to take place, and you see once again the experience of that old gal Naomi, and she pulls her daughter-in-law aside, knowing what's best for her, and gives her some of the greatest advice in the entire world. Can I tell you, we can learn volumes this morning from the advice that Naomi gives Ruth. What I'm trying to say is this, before you go into the presence of God, there's some preparation that needs to be done in your life. You say, well, preacher, I thought we are to go boldly before the throne. Yeah, man. But you don't always have to be like a bull in a stinking china shop. Amen. There's some preparation that should be done in the hearts of a child of God. Can I say this morning, the reason that your fellowship doesn't get accomplished what you would like to many times is because there's been very little preparation done before you get in there. A lot of times you're like, oh, I'm here. And the Lord's like, yes you are. And He doesn't deny you because you're His son. But I'm saying there's some preparation before we go into His presence this morning. Look first with me in verse 3. The Bible says, Naomi says to Ruth, wash thyself. Can I just say this as just some practical admonition to the child of God this morning? Before you go into the presence of God, it's a good thing to learn how to wash thyself. It's good to be clean when you go into His presence. It's good to take the old soap and clean up. You say, I ain't got to take a shower before I talk to the Lord? Well, if you stink that bad, it wouldn't hurt either, but I'm talking about a spiritual cleansing. Ruth, a type and picture of the bride of Christ, she's been laboring in the field. I want you to get the picture. She's been laboring in the field all day. She's been on the pathway to duty. She's been doing what she was supposed to be doing. And I don't know about you, but when the boys work outside all day, after the end of the day, we get a little bit ripe. You say, why? Because there's dirt in this world. And when you get out in this world, you're going to rub shoulders with this world, doing what you're supposed to be doing. And you get dirty, amen? You get dirty as a Christian. You pick up stuff you shouldn't. Matter of fact, when you're out in the world, you get things that go through your eyes that shouldn't, amen? You get things that go in your ears that probably shouldn't. You say, what are they? Well, you know what they are. The Holy Spirit's been trying to tell you to shut it off all week, but you won't. You just keep burning the thing out, burning the thing out, burning the thing out. There are some things that you might be putting in your mouth that shouldn't be going in there. You say, well, what does that preach? I don't know. Ask the Lord. He's pretty good at telling you what you need to do. But there's things that happen while you're laboring that you get dirty as a child of God. Can I say this morning, if you would consider with me that there should be a desire to be clean. Now, when you have young kids, young boys per se, they don't always want to get in the tub, do they? But mama, you get them finally, and whether you got to get a Brillo pad or what, you get them in there and you scrub them down. Why? Christians shouldn't be that way. Christians should desire to be clean. If you're here today and you like being dirty, can I just, I'm not beating, I'm just saying if you like to be dirty, there really is something wrong. You should desire to be clean. I want to be clean before the Lord. I want to be clean when I go before his presence. If you consider what you're doing when you're stepping into fellowship and having communion, not talking about the Lord's table or the Lord's supper, but when you have that personal fellowship with Him, you should desire to be clean. And Naomi gives the greatest advice in the world to Ruth, and she says, wash thyself. Why? She's gonna be in the presence of Boaz. She's like, go clean up. And Christian as a child of God this morning, you should desire to be clean. Can I say this? When you do that, it's going to require some time. It's going to require some time and it's going to require my attention. I notice if you want to get clean, it's, you know, think about when you jump in the shower at home. It's not like you step in and step out. No, you step in there and you take care of the real estate, amen? Amen. That's what you do, all right? And you do whatever you need to do to get clean, and sometimes it's like quick and easy, and sometimes it takes a while. Y'all look at me like, what are you talking about? All I can say is if I've been logging all day long, it's almost like something died in that shower. You know, like, man, good night, would you bring a gravel pit in here or something? And not every time you go and clean up is it going to be, sometimes it's just, maybe just sometimes you got to get in there and, you know, wash behind your ears or something. I'm just trying to get you to think this morning, when you commit to be clean before you go into the presence of God, you need to clean up. It's going to take a little bit of time. It's going to take, can I say this, a little bit of attention to detail. You know, when mom, you have your kids, or grandma, you have your kids wash their hands before they eat. So let's see them, they're like this. Now the other side, back in there. You say, what's the point? I'm just saying, would our fellowship with God be a little bit sweeter? Would it mean more? Would it be a little bit more deeper? Would it be a little bit more fulfilling if we would take time and clean up before we come before His presence? It's going to require what they call self-examination. If I'm going to be clean in His presence, I'm going to have to take some time looking inward. I can't have my mind set, my eyes set, my desire set, and how dirty and why everyone else needs to clean up. And so many times I believe as Christians we focus out here when the focus needs to be here, right here. What I'm saying is that my cleanliness cannot depend on the cleanliness of others, whether or not brother or sister so-and-so is right. When you sit in the church pew and you listen to the preaching or you're singing the songs, fight the urge to compare yourself to other brethren. You have no idea what they're dealing with. You say, well, they're not always here. Well, maybe they can only come in the morning. Why don't you shut up and get over with it? Quit it, man. Well, they just said they don't. Well, fine, you pray for them. You know, you God are like that. Why don't you pray more often? Maybe they come more often. Why has it got to be about church attendance? Can you help me with that one this morning? Why has it got to be about church attendance? It doesn't have to be. How about just a relationship with Jesus Christ that means something? And it'll mean more if you desire to be clean. I have to pay attention. Take your Bible this morning, I want to show you a couple of verses before we move on to 2 Corinthians chapter 7. 2 Corinthians chapter 7, we're talking about Ruth. The greatest advice ever given to Ruth was by Naomi, her mother-in-law. So before you go kicking your mother-in-law around, she's got something to say every once in a while. 2 Corinthians 7, well that went over like a ham at a Jewish wedding. Bible says in 2 Corinthians 7, I know you know the verses real well, just a reminder, a refresher this morning, the Bible says, having therefore these promises. Didn't we just run over a bunch of promises? I thank God for His promises. Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Aren't you thankful this morning that it's not up to us to clean everybody else up? I'm pretty sure some of y'all would be scrubbed raw. Does that make sense yet? You say, what do you mean? If it's up to everyone else to clean everybody else, someone's gonna be a little bit chafed because they've been scrubbing too hard on them. You know what I mean? But you're supposed to cleanse yourself. That's self-examination. That's 1 Corinthians 11. He says, but let a man examine himself. I'm just saying the first thing I see in this passage, so critical to our fellowship with Jesus Christ, is that you take time, you set time aside, you pay attention to detail, and you get clean before you go into his presence. Not only wash thyself in verse 3, but the next thing needed in verse 3 I see is to anoint thyself. Ruth chapter 3 verse 3, Ruth was told to wash thyself therefore and anoint thee. You see that? Wash thyself, that's number one. And the second thing, here comes the anointing. Anoint thyself. Now listen, let me clarify this morning, when a man or woman gets saved, 1 John 2.27 says that the Spirit of God anoints you and that anointing abideth in you and ain't ever leaving you. We just said he ain't never gonna leave you first. We're not talking about when a man gets saved, but we're talking about whether or not a man yields or submits himself to the filling of the Holy Spirit of God. Can you think about that with me for this morning, just for a little bit? Not only wash thyself, but anoint thyself. Before you go into His presence, wouldn't it be nice to be filled with the Spirit of God, the way that you should? You say, well how does that happen? It all depends on your yielding and submitting to the Holy Spirit. Are you gonna let Him do stuff through you? Are you gonna allow Him to work in your life? Anoint thyself. You see in the Bible, the Holy Spirit is like oil. Or as me and the boys say out in the woods, Earl. Oil consecrates. In the Old Testament, olive oil was used as a type of consecration. Can I remind you again that in the Bible, oil illuminates. You see in Matthew 25, the oil from the lamps, when the virgins didn't have oil in their lamps, guess what? They couldn't see. Not only that, but oil heals. Consider with me that it's the oil of the Holy Spirit that soothes what? Hurt feelings. How many Christians right now sitting in a church pew are full of hurt feelings? You say, what do they need? They just need to anoint themselves. They need a little bit of oil. the type of the Holy Spirit. Can I remind you this morning, I know you know this, but there are some family problems right now that you will never fix. There are some marital problems that you will never fix. There are some family issues that go so deep that the only thing that's gonna soothe those hurt feelings is the oil of the Holy Spirit. That's it. You've been working on it for 20 years. You've been putting effort into it for as long as Shep was a pup and then some. It's only gonna be the oil of the Holy Spirit. It's the Holy Spirit that will soothe that hurt. You know what else I know about oil? Every so often in Old Big Red, if I don't change and get a fresh supply of that oil, that engine will start running hot. I got to thinking about that thing. Not only, when the viscosity, that's not too big of a word this morning. When that viscosity begins to break down that tackiness, guess what? The engine begins to heat up. Not only that, I begin to lose efficiency in mileage. I begin to lose the efficiency in my own personal life. Why? I need a fresh supply of oil. I'm not talking about getting saved again. I'm just talking about getting a hold of God and say, look, I need to be filled with, I need a fresh supply of oil. How many Christians right now run and they need an oil change, they need a fresh supply of the Spirit, and they're running hot, they're hot-tempered, they're hot under the collar, they're hot and bothered, and they won't do what they need to do. You say, what do you need? I need just some anointing this morning. That's it. You can't fix some problems. You're going to have to have the oil of the Holy Spirit. I think about that oil. It soothes hurt feelings. It causes me to run hot. That oil, it heals. My mind is drawn over to Luke chapter 10 and it isn't interesting. It's interesting to me that the good Samaritan was the one taking the oil and pouring it in the wounds of that man that was so brutally beaten. Some Christians today have wounds so deep and the only thing that will heal is the oil of the Holy Spirit. You need to wash yourself. And once we're clean, then it reveals all the wounds. And once all the wounds are revealed, you're faced with a decision. Am I going to let him get infected and fester? Or am I going to go ahead and apply the oil of that Holy Spirit? Not only that, but oil comforts. Before you go into his presence, you're going to need to anoint yourself And what many of us need this morning is just simply fresh supply of oil. I wonder if you're here today just running low on oil. We could probably stop right here this morning. It's not that you're involved in some great, terrible, wicked sin. the viscosity in your life. And you know what that's due to? If you stop and think, I don't know how technical you guys get in your thinking, but that viscosity factor is affected by friction. Do you know how much friction goes through an engine? Do you know how much friction goes through a Christian in the Christian life? And the more friction you come up against, that viscosity, that tackiness of the oil begins to break down. Well, I notice when you change the oil, you get a fresh supply of oil, it seems to me that the ride begins to smooth out just a little bit. You stop running so high on RPMs. You stop running hot. Not only that, but there's less internal combustion. There's less internal problems. Why? You've got a fresh supply of oil. Not only that, but the noise seems to get lesser, too, when you have a fresh supply of oil. I don't know, maybe you're here this morning and you say, man, things in my life are just so stinking noisy. Noisy! Maybe you just need some fresh oil this morning. Christian, before we go into His presence, can I say, wash thyself, that's getting rid of the dirt. Anoint thyself, that's a fresh supply of oil, fresh supply of the Holy Spirit. Look with me one more time in verse 3. Naomi says to Ruth, wash thyself therefore and anoint thee and put thy raiment upon thee. The third thing you and I need, that great fellowship with Jesus Christ, after you've washed yourself, after you've anointed yourself, the last thing I see this morning is you've got to change your garments. You've got to change your garments. Verse 3 says, put thy arraignment upon me. If I can get you to think for one minute longer, Ruth has now cleaned up, she's anointed herself, but now she has to change her garments. Here's the thought process. You've been working all day. All day, not like this union day, but all day. Labor, probably didn't even get lunch. How many worked them jobs? You don't even get lunch, say amen. And at the end of the day, you are nasty. So you get in the shower, you scrub up, and you anoint yourself, and you're all clean, and now you smell good. Are you gonna put the old clothes on? It's time to put on some new clothes. It's time to change your garments. You see the picture with me this morning? It's time to change your garments. Take your Bible this morning and go with me to Ephesians chapter 4 if you would. I want to remind you just a few things you already know, but Christian, they're so easily forgotten. You say, why are they forgotten? Because of the noise. Because we just need a fresh supply of oil. Because a lot of times the dirt's in places you can't even see. You know, there could be dirt on your face and you'll never see it, but everybody else can. Ephesians chapter 4, the Bible says in verse 24, Paul says, and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. You see, after you wash yourself and anoint yourself, you don't put the dirty clothes back on, you change your clothes. If you see verse 25, after you put off lying, then you start putting on the truth. You know why Christians lie today? Because they're not getting in the shower. They're not cleaning up. They don't have a fresh supply of oil. But once you put off lying, you don't just stop your lying, now you start speaking the truth, the Bible says. If you just stop something, it just doesn't work. But once you quit lying, then now you gotta start speaking the truth. You say, how does that work? All right, if you're a compulsive liar, number one, quit it! And number two, go tell someone that Jesus Christ died for them. And then go do something you can use your mouth for a blessing. Once you start lying, now speak forth the truth. Verse 28, after you put off stealing, well no one would steal, sure, we're in a Baptist church, cut it out man. After you put off stealing, then what you do? You put on laboring with your hands to give them that needeth. You see, off comes the old, on comes the new. Off goes the old man, but then you got to put the new man on. Look at verse 29, after you put off corrupt communication. Somebody say amen right there. Then you put on speech that edifies and minister grace to the hearers. Well, we're sure good at running everybody down, aren't we? Sure good at criticizing. Amen. Someone say amen. We're sure good at trashing people we don't like. Trashing people who don't do it the way we do it, and they don't believe like we do. But once you get out of the shower, spiritually speaking, anoint yourself, you get rid of that corrupt communication, and then you put on the speech that ministers grace and edifies the hearers. What if we spent our time now, from 2020 moving forward, with all that Bible we know, thank God for the Bible, but what if we now took our speech and began to edify and minister grace to those who need it, instead of kicking people who don't do it like we do it? Look at verse 29, or verse 31 and 32, it's a long list here, after you put off Man, this guy's been in the shower a long time. You've got to put off bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, and malice. Once you get rid of that, then you can finally put on kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness. You want to know why Christians, and I'm going to stop with this, do you want to know why you cannot forgive right now? I'm just speculating. I'm going to say that the reason some of you cannot forgive people right now is because you won't get rid of your bitterness. You won't get rid of your wrath. You won't get rid of your evil speaking. You won't get rid of your clamor. What is that? That's blowing up at everything. You won't get rid of your evil speaking. That stuff has to come off before you put on kindness. tenderheartedness, and then forgiveness. As I see in Ruth chapter three, there's just three things that Naomi tells Ruth. And it has to do with getting before the presence of the man who is the beautiful type and picture of Jesus Christ. He says, she says, wash thyself, anoint thyself, and change your garments. Well, Ruth had to have a change of garments. And Ruth is about to enter into the presence of Boaz. This morning, I believe if we approach the Lord in this fashion, I believe we'll find fellowship much sweeter. And I don't know about you, Christian, but I need more fellowship as these days continue. I find that I can't go as long as I once could without being in fellowship with Jesus Christ. You say, oh, why not? I don't know. I need him more every day. I need more time with him. And the more time I spend with him, the more I want to be with him. And the more time I spend with him and the more fellowship I have, I want to get out of here. Well, in verse 1 to 4, I see Ruth's preparation. In verse 5, I see Ruth's consecration. In verse 6, I see Ruth's submission or her obedience. This morning as my wife comes to the organ and begins to play, I wonder if you'd be willing to make a trip to this old-fashioned altar. You say, why preacher? Well, I wonder if you'd be willing to start preparing right now. Or maybe you'd be willing to commit right now as Ruth did in verse 5. And then would you be willing to submit to the Holy Spirit of God this morning like Ruth submitted, she obeyed. Christian, all I'm gonna say is, before you go into his presence, there's some preparation that should be done. Would you consider it this morning, as she prays, if the Lord spoke to you, why don't you just simply come speak to him?