Thesis
Drawing from the book of Ecclesiastes and the story of Ruth, this sermon argues that the deep human longing for 'more' can only be satisfied when we stop making life about ourselves and instead seek God's kingdom first. Solomon's hard-won conclusion — fear God and obey His commands — is illustrated through Ruth and Boaz, who both chose paths that looked like less but yielded far more than they could have imagined. True joy, meaning, and significance come not from accumulating more for ourselves, but from living in right relationship with God and in sacrificial love for others.
Key points
- 1
Solomon's conclusion after chasing wealth, pleasure, and achievement is that the only path to real meaning is fearing God and following His commands.
- 2
The secret to a life of more is to make it less about yourself — seeking God's kingdom first is the only way to find true fulfillment.
- 3
Ruth chose the path that looked like less — leaving her homeland, gleaning in fields, committing to Naomi — because she put her faith in God and others above herself.
- 4
Boaz mirrored Ruth's selflessness, extending extraordinary kindness to a foreign widow and ultimately agreeing to be the family redeemer at personal cost to himself.
- 5
The unnamed relative who refused the role of kinsman redeemer because it would cost him too much stands as a warning: choosing self-protection over kingdom obedience means missing out on something far greater.
- 6
Ruth and Boaz's son Obed — whose name means 'servant' — became the grandfather of David and an ancestor of Jesus, showing that when we choose kingdom first we become part of a story far bigger than ourselves.
- 7
Jesus is the ultimate kinsman redeemer, the servant of all servants, who came not to be served but to serve — and communion is the reset button that reminds us of His love and gives us courage to trust Him.
Outline
Introduction: Mom's Wisdom
The pastor reflects on Mother's Day and the counterintuitive wisdom his mother modeled — that real joy comes from making life not about yourself — connecting her example to the theme of the sermon.
Series Context: More from Ecclesiastes
The pastor recaps the Ecclesiastes series, summarizing Solomon's failed pursuit of wealth, pleasure, and achievement, and landing on his final conclusion: fear God and follow His commands.
The Big Idea: Kingdom First
The secret to a life of more is to make it less about yourself. Using Matthew 6:33, the pastor explains that seeking God's kingdom first feels like the road of less but is the only road that leads to more.
Ruth's Choice: The Path of Less
The pastor walks through Ruth chapter 1, showing how Ruth chose to stay with Naomi — surrendering opportunity, security, and familiarity — because she put her faith in God and love for others above herself.
Boaz and the Kinsman Redeemer
The pastor traces Boaz's character, his connection to Rahab, and the legal drama of the kinsman redeemer, showing how both Ruth and Boaz chose costly, others-focused paths while an unnamed relative chose self-protection and missed out.
Obed, David, and Jesus
The pastor reveals that Obed — whose name means 'servant' — is the grandfather of David and an ancestor of Jesus, showing that Ruth and Boaz's kingdom-first choices placed them in the lineage of the ultimate Redeemer.
Mom's Final Lesson and Call to Kingdom Living
The pastor shares the moving story of his mother's final days, dying of cancer yet insisting on serving her son and his friend, embodying the truth that real joy comes from making life about others.
Communion and Response
The pastor leads the church in communion as a 'reset button,' inviting believers to reflect on where they have made life about themselves and to trust God's love as the courage to choose the kingdom road.
Memorable moments
the secret to a life of more is to make it less about me
When you put his kingdom first, he provides in ways you can't imagine
Randy Deal, don't you dare take this from me
She learned where joy really came from. I have my son and his friend in my house, and I find real joy in making it not about me
We do we follow God from his love. See, when you realize how much he loves you, you can go down the scary road more
You will find more if you choose to go down that road. You will not find what you're looking for if you keep running down the road of self satisfaction, more money, more fun, more just trying to change everything on your own
Application
The pastor challenges every person in the room to honestly ask: where have I made life about me? Where am I clinging to the wide, safe-looking road of self-interest instead of trusting God with my money, time, marriage, job, or kids? The invitation is to shift from running after more for yourself to seeking God's kingdom first — even when that road looks like less. Ruth and Boaz model what it looks like: take the costly, others-focused step in faith and watch God work in ways you never expected. Practically, this means asking the Holy Spirit to reveal one area of your life where you need to let go and trust God, then taking that step — not to earn His love, but because He has already proved it on the cross.
