1 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,040 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,080 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:13,080 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us, 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:17,360 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org, or just look 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:19,800 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:25,400 Thank you. And if you would turn in your 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:29,280 Bibles, please back to Ruth A, Chapter #1 this evening, the 9 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,520 Book of Ruth and Chapter #1 as we continue our series Ruth, 10 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:36,320 God's Love Story. And tonight marks an important 11 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,640 shift in the book of Ruth for us, because up to this point and 12 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:41,800 again, we haven't been in the book of Ruth very long. 13 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,480 But up to this point, the story has really been about Naomi. 14 00:00:45,480 --> 00:00:49,160 And really more specifically it's been about Naomi and Alem, 15 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:52,480 Elek and Maylon and Chilean. That was the family that had 16 00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:55,800 moved from Bethlehem, Judah and had gone to Moab. 17 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,920 Of course we know Ruth and Orpa were added to the group along 18 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,560 the way, and then a Limalek, May Lawn and Chilean all passed 19 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,400 away. But what we see tonight 20 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,720 represents a shift. In the book of Ruth, because it 21 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,720 truly at this point becomes. The Book of Ruth, where the 22 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,280 narrative has now switched, it is no longer about this family. 23 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:16,880 They are going to go into the background. 24 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,520 And Ruth, who for these few verses has been in the 25 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,520 background, is now going to come to the forefront. 26 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,920 And she is who we're going to see for the remainder of the 27 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:27,880 book. And I will say that she comes to 28 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,400 the forefront in a very major way this evening with some 29 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,200 verses that I would say rival some of the greatest verses of 30 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:39,200 the Bible for their beauty. And for just their clarity that 31 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:43,430 is given to us through this great confession that she gives 32 00:01:43,430 --> 00:01:47,590 here, where she renounces her old life, Ruth renounces her old 33 00:01:47,590 --> 00:01:50,910 way of living, of course, is a woman who lived in Moab, a Pagan 34 00:01:50,910 --> 00:01:53,750 land, a woman who would have served Pagan gods before. 35 00:01:53,910 --> 00:01:56,150 And she says this. I'm no longer going to serve 36 00:01:56,150 --> 00:01:58,910 these false gods. I'm no longer going to have this 37 00:01:58,910 --> 00:02:02,390 way of living. I am going to go, Naomi, where 38 00:02:02,390 --> 00:02:06,870 you go and your gods are going to be my God, or rather your God 39 00:02:06,870 --> 00:02:09,509 will be my God. And instead of me telling you 40 00:02:09,509 --> 00:02:12,940 what Ruth said, I think we ought to read what Ruth said tonight, 41 00:02:12,940 --> 00:02:15,460 because I think that will give us the greatest clarity of all. 42 00:02:15,460 --> 00:02:17,380 So if you're able, if you'd stand for the reading of God's 43 00:02:17,380 --> 00:02:20,220 word, Ruth, chapter one, we're just going to read a few verses 44 00:02:20,220 --> 00:02:25,700 beginning in verse #15, Ruth chapter #1, verse #15. 45 00:02:25,700 --> 00:02:28,740 And of course we saw before that Orpa is now walking away. 46 00:02:28,980 --> 00:02:32,780 Ruth is going to cleave unto Naomi, meaning literally she's 47 00:02:32,780 --> 00:02:36,180 going to grab her. She's going to forcibly hold her 48 00:02:36,380 --> 00:02:38,900 and tell her that. Even though Naomi is trying to 49 00:02:38,900 --> 00:02:41,060 dismiss her, and even though Naomi was trying to tell her to 50 00:02:41,060 --> 00:02:43,700 go back to her home, she has different plans. 51 00:02:43,700 --> 00:02:45,820 So picking up in verse 15, we see this. 52 00:02:46,100 --> 00:02:50,660 And she being Ruth said, Behold, thy sisterinlaw is gone, or I'm 53 00:02:50,660 --> 00:02:52,780 sorry to help me rather. And she said, behold, thy 54 00:02:52,780 --> 00:02:56,420 sisterinlaw has gone back unto her people and unto her gods 55 00:02:56,660 --> 00:02:59,060 returned out after thy sisterinlaw. 56 00:02:59,060 --> 00:03:01,780 And again, Naomi makes very clear you're not just she's not 57 00:03:01,780 --> 00:03:05,110 just going back home to go home. She's going back to the old way 58 00:03:05,110 --> 00:03:06,830 of living with the old gods as well. 59 00:03:07,110 --> 00:03:10,230 And Ruth said, entreat me not to leave thee don't. 60 00:03:10,230 --> 00:03:14,670 Don't beg me to leave or to return from following after 61 00:03:14,670 --> 00:03:17,550 thee. For whither thou goes I will go, 62 00:03:17,950 --> 00:03:20,150 and where their lodges I will lodge. 63 00:03:20,390 --> 00:03:24,750 Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. 64 00:03:25,070 --> 00:03:29,150 Where thou dieest will I die, and there will I be buried. 65 00:03:29,670 --> 00:03:34,900 The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part 66 00:03:34,900 --> 00:03:38,140 thee and me. And when she saw that she was 67 00:03:38,140 --> 00:03:41,740 steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left, speaking 68 00:03:41,740 --> 00:03:44,140 unto her. Naomi saw something in Ruth's 69 00:03:44,140 --> 00:03:47,580 eyes. Naomi saw something in Ruth's 70 00:03:47,580 --> 00:03:51,500 tone of voice. To be able to say I'm not 71 00:03:51,500 --> 00:03:54,580 changing her mind, she's coming with me and we're going to look 72 00:03:54,580 --> 00:03:57,700 at Ruth's life changing declaration this evening. 73 00:03:57,700 --> 00:04:00,100 You may be seated. Heavenly Father, be with us 74 00:04:00,100 --> 00:04:01,180 tonight as we get into your word. 75 00:04:01,180 --> 00:04:03,980 I pray that we be encouraged by the decision that Ruth made as 76 00:04:03,980 --> 00:04:07,140 we go on the road as well, may we be able to make good 77 00:04:07,140 --> 00:04:10,460 decisions for you. And we ask it in Jesus name. 78 00:04:11,140 --> 00:04:14,180 Amen. There's some big things that 79 00:04:14,180 --> 00:04:17,579 happen to people in the word of God as they're traveling from 80 00:04:17,579 --> 00:04:20,459 place to place, as they're on the road, if you will. 81 00:04:20,459 --> 00:04:22,940 In fact, I was just thinking this afternoon about the 82 00:04:22,940 --> 00:04:25,420 occurrences that took place on the road to Damascus. 83 00:04:25,420 --> 00:04:29,190 Well, we know on the road to Damascus it was when the apostle 84 00:04:29,190 --> 00:04:32,550 Paul, who then was called Saul, met with none other than Jesus 85 00:04:32,550 --> 00:04:35,510 Christ. Saul, Saul, why persecute us 86 00:04:35,510 --> 00:04:38,390 thou me? He was blinded, but spiritually 87 00:04:38,390 --> 00:04:41,550 he saw in a way that he never saw before, and three days later 88 00:04:41,550 --> 00:04:44,550 he regained his sight. He called upon Christ to save 89 00:04:44,550 --> 00:04:47,430 him, was baptized, and his life was forever changed on the road 90 00:04:47,590 --> 00:04:50,440 to Damascus. How about those two who are on 91 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,920 the road to Emmaus? Remember after Jesus was put on 92 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,480 the cross and they were walking and they were talking about the 93 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,800 events that had happened over the past few hours. 94 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,320 And then Jesus comes along, this stranger on the road to Emmaus 95 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,600 and they talked to him as if he's just, well, another person. 96 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:09,720 Their eyes do not see in spiritually in the sense. 97 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:11,800 And so here they are, they're talking with him. 98 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:13,200 They're explaining what's going on. 99 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:18,560 And well, they go to the house, they get to a meal and Jesus 100 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:20,600 gives thanks for the meal. And just like that, he 101 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,640 disappears and their eyes are now open spiritually. 102 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,760 And they say, did not our heart burn within us while he was 103 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,520 talking with us? Their lives were forever changed 104 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,600 where they were on this road to Emmaus, and I don't know that we 105 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,560 often call this the road to Bethlehem, Judah. 106 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,400 But I think we could say rightly that Ruth's life was forever 107 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,200 changed on the road to Bethlehem. 108 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,480 Judah, where she makes the great declaration when she makes in 109 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,880 verse #16 and verse #17 when Naomi says you need to go. 110 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,360 And she says I'm not going because I'm not even necessarily 111 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,240 going for you, although I am going with you and for you I'm 112 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,720 really going because it's your God that beckons me to go. 113 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:02,240 And when I see this, in the beauty of what she says, there's 114 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:04,240 several things that I want us to look at here tonight. 115 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:08,400 And the first is this. We see that of all the things of 116 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:12,480 Naomi's that she wants to make her own, first of all, she says, 117 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,640 I want to make your land my own, Ruth says to Naomi. 118 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:20,830 I want to make your land my own. She says that right at the 119 00:06:20,830 --> 00:06:24,590 beginning. When she says in verse #16, she 120 00:06:24,590 --> 00:06:27,710 says when Ruth said. And treat me not to leave thee 121 00:06:27,710 --> 00:06:30,950 or to return from following after thee, for whither thou 122 00:06:30,950 --> 00:06:34,110 goest I will go. That's a powerful statement. 123 00:06:34,110 --> 00:06:36,030 Wherever you go, I'm going to go. 124 00:06:36,620 --> 00:06:38,580 And the reason that's powerful is because she knew she was 125 00:06:38,580 --> 00:06:41,500 going to Bethlehem, Judah. She knew she was going to her 126 00:06:41,500 --> 00:06:45,340 old home place, the place where Ruth could not call home. 127 00:06:45,340 --> 00:06:49,020 But she says I am going to go to the place where you're going to 128 00:06:49,020 --> 00:06:50,580 go. What that meant was this. 129 00:06:50,780 --> 00:06:53,060 She was willing to leave her past behind. 130 00:06:53,900 --> 00:06:58,020 She was willing to leave the old way of life behind her, where 131 00:06:58,020 --> 00:07:01,980 Orpa was unwilling to leave her gods and leave her people and 132 00:07:01,980 --> 00:07:06,140 leave her old way of living. Ruth looked not behind, but Ruth 133 00:07:06,140 --> 00:07:08,460 looked ahead. I feel like often times, if 134 00:07:08,460 --> 00:07:11,140 we're not careful in our Christian life, that it's very 135 00:07:11,700 --> 00:07:15,660 common for us not to look ahead at what God has for us, but 136 00:07:15,660 --> 00:07:19,380 sometimes to look behind at the things that Jesus Christ saved 137 00:07:19,380 --> 00:07:21,420 us from. Listen, when we get saved, 138 00:07:21,420 --> 00:07:23,460 everything's new and everything's exciting, and we're 139 00:07:23,460 --> 00:07:25,500 willing to forsake all for the cause of Christ. 140 00:07:25,500 --> 00:07:28,100 But then after a while, we start to think about some of those 141 00:07:28,100 --> 00:07:30,380 things that we gave up. And if we're not careful, we 142 00:07:30,380 --> 00:07:32,420 start to think maybe those things weren't so bad. 143 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,320 Maybe that music wasn't so bad. Maybe those friends weren't so 144 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:36,760 bad. Maybe that way of living wasn't 145 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:38,760 so bad. Maybe that entertainment that I 146 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:40,600 used to ingest, it wasn't so bad. 147 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:42,800 And and we start to maybe think, well, maybe I was getting a 148 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,320 little too zealous, maybe I kind of went a little bit overboard 149 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:47,920 with this religion thing and we start to kind of maybe dial it 150 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,600 back a little bit. But what Ruth said was this, No, 151 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,400 no, When I go with you, I'm not looking back anymore. 152 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,360 There's nothing that Moab has to offer me. 153 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,200 What I'm going to do is look forward to what God has for me, 154 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,040 my life. And there's nothing in your old 155 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:01,680 life. There is nothing that Jesus 156 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,600 Christ saved you from that should hold any allure or any 157 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,720 appeal or that has anything that's going to serve you moving 158 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:08,360 ahead. No, no. 159 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,880 What we have is, is, is the the cause of Christ that is ahead of 160 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:13,160 us. And that's why he tells us to 161 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,680 look forward, to run the race with patients. 162 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:17,240 And when you run the race, guess what? 163 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,360 You don't go backwards, you go forwards. 164 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,680 And so often in our Christian life, if we're not careful, that 165 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,440 old flesh starts to talk about those good old days to you and 166 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:28,760 your ears. But can I tell you those good 167 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:30,880 old days weren't so good. That's why you realize you need 168 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,260 to get saved. They weren't so good. 169 00:08:33,260 --> 00:08:35,179 The the the the scene wasn't so good. 170 00:08:35,179 --> 00:08:37,140 The friends weren't so good. The things that you thought 171 00:08:37,140 --> 00:08:39,500 would give you comfort and peace, they weren't so good. 172 00:08:39,539 --> 00:08:41,059 Jesus Christ saved you from those things. 173 00:08:41,260 --> 00:08:44,780 Don't look back. See, Orpa had a chance to change 174 00:08:44,780 --> 00:08:47,060 your life forever. But she couldn't let go of those 175 00:08:47,060 --> 00:08:49,820 things. But for us, I feel like when we 176 00:08:49,820 --> 00:08:51,340 get saved, we do let those things. 177 00:08:51,340 --> 00:08:52,740 That's what Confessing Christ is. 178 00:08:53,250 --> 00:08:55,970 I I confess, I don't want the old way of living anymore. 179 00:08:56,050 --> 00:08:58,530 I turn to you. But if we're not careful, like 180 00:08:58,530 --> 00:09:01,530 Lott's wife, we start to look back longingly behind us at 181 00:09:01,530 --> 00:09:02,850 those things that we left behind. 182 00:09:03,450 --> 00:09:07,610 What that pillar assault that she became through that episode, 183 00:09:07,610 --> 00:09:11,050 but she was looking back at things that caused the entire 184 00:09:11,410 --> 00:09:14,570 city state to go up in flames. Literally. 185 00:09:14,890 --> 00:09:18,010 She was looking at things longingly that ruined her 186 00:09:18,010 --> 00:09:20,330 family. She was looking at things that 187 00:09:20,330 --> 00:09:23,290 cause great destruction. And So what I love is that she 188 00:09:23,290 --> 00:09:27,290 right out the bat, says when I go to your land, it's going to 189 00:09:27,290 --> 00:09:30,530 become my land. I believe she saw that God had 190 00:09:30,530 --> 00:09:33,890 visited Israel and that she yearned to see the blessings of 191 00:09:33,890 --> 00:09:36,930 God for herself. She's listening to Naomi talk 192 00:09:36,930 --> 00:09:39,530 about how great it is in Bethlehem, Judah, now that the 193 00:09:39,530 --> 00:09:42,730 Lord has visited the land again, talking about how great the Lord 194 00:09:42,730 --> 00:09:44,930 is and what he had done. I don't think she felt. 195 00:09:45,250 --> 00:09:48,330 I think she was still very conflicted in her own spirit at 196 00:09:48,330 --> 00:09:50,290 Naomi because of the decisions that she made. 197 00:09:50,450 --> 00:09:54,290 But no doubt there was something that drew Naomi back, and she 198 00:09:54,290 --> 00:09:57,010 portrayed that to Ruth. Enough that Ruth said, you know 199 00:09:57,010 --> 00:09:57,930 what? That's what I need in my own 200 00:09:57,930 --> 00:10:00,090 life. The false gods had only brought 201 00:10:00,090 --> 00:10:04,450 her loss, never brought her peace of the false gods of this 202 00:10:04,450 --> 00:10:08,530 world do the same. I was listening to Brother Sam 203 00:10:08,530 --> 00:10:10,330 Davis and preaching just a few weeks ago, and he was talking 204 00:10:10,330 --> 00:10:13,250 about a story when this was several years ago when he was 205 00:10:13,250 --> 00:10:16,090 still the pastor at Bible Baptist Church in Stillwater. 206 00:10:16,090 --> 00:10:20,810 OK Stillwater is the town where Oklahoma State University is 207 00:10:20,810 --> 00:10:22,730 located. It's a very strange town because 208 00:10:22,730 --> 00:10:26,410 it's a farm town. I mean a big farm town, but it's 209 00:10:26,410 --> 00:10:29,770 also a college town at the same time, like 2 cultures coming 210 00:10:29,770 --> 00:10:31,170 together, you say how do they mix? 211 00:10:31,170 --> 00:10:32,810 And the answer is, well, they don't really. 212 00:10:33,130 --> 00:10:36,370 It's just kind of this odd combination of cultures that are 213 00:10:36,370 --> 00:10:39,090 all at work at the same time. But he told a story about he 214 00:10:39,090 --> 00:10:41,610 went back several years ago while he was the pastor that 215 00:10:41,610 --> 00:10:43,850 church and brought a young man with him on visitation. 216 00:10:44,050 --> 00:10:49,690 And he was going to witness to the OSU men's track coach that 217 00:10:49,690 --> 00:10:52,680 he was the track coach and this is sometime in the 80s and he 218 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:54,880 was the men's track coach. He visited the church and they 219 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,800 went by to be able to visit him, but it also to compel him to 220 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:00,640 believe the gospel. And so Brother Sam brought this 221 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,280 young man with him. This young man had got saved out 222 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:07,080 of a life of drugs and got saved out of a culture that was really 223 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,400 not good. In fact, I know this young man's 224 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,440 family just from getting to meet them over the years. 225 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:13,640 And so I can tell you that the story is true. 226 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,120 It's not just. It's not just preaching. 227 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:18,520 It's true. So I let me get that later. 228 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:22,620 Anyway, so. He tells a story about how the 229 00:11:22,620 --> 00:11:25,100 Lord saved him and the peace that he has and all these 230 00:11:25,100 --> 00:11:27,500 things. And that OSU track coach looks 231 00:11:27,500 --> 00:11:30,580 at him and he says to Brother Sam and he says this other this 232 00:11:30,580 --> 00:11:33,660 to this young man, David. He said I would give my right 233 00:11:33,660 --> 00:11:35,980 arm to have peace like that in my life. 234 00:11:37,780 --> 00:11:40,220 I would give my right arm to have peace like that in my life. 235 00:11:41,020 --> 00:11:43,700 You know the amazing thing was he didn't have to have give his 236 00:11:43,700 --> 00:11:45,540 right arm to have peace like that in his life. 237 00:11:46,260 --> 00:11:49,940 Jesus Christ gave his life, shed his blood. 238 00:11:50,540 --> 00:11:51,980 So he could have peace like that in his life. 239 00:11:52,220 --> 00:11:54,100 And what do we have to do in our lives? 240 00:11:54,100 --> 00:11:57,580 We just need to remember that peace came through salvation. 241 00:11:57,620 --> 00:11:59,900 And don't go back to those things that didn't cause us 242 00:11:59,900 --> 00:12:02,980 peace but gave us agitation. And So what did she do? 243 00:12:02,980 --> 00:12:05,060 She says, Naomi, I want your land. 244 00:12:05,180 --> 00:12:08,460 But she also said this. Naomi, I want your lodging. 245 00:12:08,780 --> 00:12:12,420 Naomi, I want your lodging. Go back to verse #16, where it 246 00:12:12,420 --> 00:12:16,660 says for whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I 247 00:12:16,660 --> 00:12:19,780 will lodge. She said That Naomi is a lodging 248 00:12:19,780 --> 00:12:23,820 place, would be her own as well. And this declaration here tells 249 00:12:23,820 --> 00:12:26,060 us this. She wasn't just as going there, 250 00:12:26,580 --> 00:12:29,540 she was there to stay. Look, there's a difference 251 00:12:29,540 --> 00:12:32,740 between traveling through town. And staying a little while isn't 252 00:12:32,740 --> 00:12:34,020 there. I've traveled enough through 253 00:12:34,020 --> 00:12:36,380 this country to tell you that there were towns that I've been 254 00:12:36,380 --> 00:12:39,340 through, that I went through them, in them, out them, and 255 00:12:39,340 --> 00:12:40,740 said this. I'm never going back. 256 00:12:42,230 --> 00:12:43,310 Just kind of keep right on going. 257 00:12:43,310 --> 00:12:45,630 Kind of one of those towns that I had a friend of mine, his 258 00:12:45,630 --> 00:12:47,350 father, brother Muriel, growing up. 259 00:12:47,350 --> 00:12:50,350 He says it's the kind of town that, you know, if your your 260 00:12:50,350 --> 00:12:52,830 tire goes flat, you go out on rims, you know, because you just 261 00:12:52,830 --> 00:12:54,670 got to keep going, man. You don't want to stop, you 262 00:12:54,670 --> 00:12:58,590 know, it's that kind of place. And so there are places that, Oh 263 00:12:58,590 --> 00:13:01,870 yeah, that's the location, that's the land. 264 00:13:01,870 --> 00:13:05,220 But I'm not going to stop there. But I tell you, not only when we 265 00:13:05,220 --> 00:13:07,820 get to this place in our Christian life where we allow 266 00:13:07,940 --> 00:13:10,860 Jesus Christ to save us, we we allow him to do that work in his 267 00:13:10,860 --> 00:13:13,380 life that he desires. But listen, can I put it this 268 00:13:13,380 --> 00:13:14,940 way? Take off your shoes and stay a 269 00:13:14,940 --> 00:13:17,100 while. Well, actually, keep your shoes 270 00:13:17,100 --> 00:13:18,700 on, all right, because we don't want you taking your shoes off. 271 00:13:18,820 --> 00:13:20,220 But I think you understand what I'm saying. 272 00:13:20,380 --> 00:13:23,260 The idea is, is that when it comes to the fullness of the 273 00:13:23,260 --> 00:13:26,500 Christian life, it's not a just about that saving experience, 274 00:13:26,660 --> 00:13:29,380 being saved, knowing that you have a home in heaven. 275 00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:31,740 And then, well, I'll just keep on going along with my daily 276 00:13:31,740 --> 00:13:36,030 activities. No, it's it's about no, I'm 277 00:13:36,030 --> 00:13:38,190 going to lodge here in this place. 278 00:13:38,190 --> 00:13:40,590 And I'm not just talking about lodging here in church, although 279 00:13:40,590 --> 00:13:42,670 certainly I believe every Christian needs to be plugged 280 00:13:42,670 --> 00:13:45,510 into a good church that teaches the Bible, that loves the Lord, 281 00:13:45,510 --> 00:13:47,670 loves souls. I believe that's important for 282 00:13:47,670 --> 00:13:50,510 the health and growth of every believer but it. 283 00:13:50,510 --> 00:13:53,990 But even more than that, listen, when it comes to the life that 284 00:13:53,990 --> 00:13:56,430 God wants us to have, the walk that God wants us to have, 285 00:13:56,630 --> 00:13:58,550 listen, it's not just about saying, Yep, that's where I'm 286 00:13:58,550 --> 00:14:00,550 going to go, but then I'm going to keep on going my own way. 287 00:14:02,130 --> 00:14:03,570 You say you're splitting hairs here, Pastor. 288 00:14:03,570 --> 00:14:05,970 Well, I don't think so because this is her declaration right 289 00:14:05,970 --> 00:14:07,490 here. I'm going to go to your land. 290 00:14:07,490 --> 00:14:10,170 I'm going to stay to your land. It wasn't just this. 291 00:14:10,170 --> 00:14:11,690 I'm going to go to Bethlehem, Judah. 292 00:14:11,890 --> 00:14:14,450 And as long as the bread stays, I'll stay there. 293 00:14:15,970 --> 00:14:18,250 I've told you before, I've seen the slogan back when I was in 294 00:14:18,250 --> 00:14:20,210 Tampa. It was written on the side of a 295 00:14:20,210 --> 00:14:21,530 wall, right? Actually, on Sheldon Rd. 296 00:14:21,530 --> 00:14:22,730 I don't know if it's still there or not. 297 00:14:22,890 --> 00:14:26,210 Where it said this, Try Jesus. Try Jesus. 298 00:14:26,740 --> 00:14:29,660 I think I understand what they are trying to portray with that. 299 00:14:29,820 --> 00:14:33,620 But trying Jesus is not like trying on a new pair of jeans or 300 00:14:33,620 --> 00:14:35,300 trying a car to see if it's what you like. 301 00:14:35,620 --> 00:14:38,060 Well, you know, if I like it, if it fits right, if it feels good, 302 00:14:38,060 --> 00:14:39,780 I'll hold on to it. But otherwise, you know, I'll 303 00:14:39,780 --> 00:14:42,540 find something else. No, we don't just try Jesus 304 00:14:42,540 --> 00:14:44,140 Christ. No, it's it's it. 305 00:14:44,140 --> 00:14:47,940 This is who I trust my my, my faith and my life in. 306 00:14:48,100 --> 00:14:50,140 And no, I'm going to make a commitment to Him. 307 00:14:50,260 --> 00:14:53,380 And if I fall away, I haven't lost my salvation. 308 00:14:53,380 --> 00:14:55,820 I still belong to him. But if I fall away, if I get 309 00:14:55,820 --> 00:14:58,700 away like the prodigal did, I'm going to run back into his 310 00:14:58,700 --> 00:15:01,700 loving arms and go right back to him, because I belong to him 311 00:15:01,700 --> 00:15:04,380 now. That was her land, but that was 312 00:15:04,380 --> 00:15:07,220 also her lodging. There are many people who are 313 00:15:07,220 --> 00:15:09,980 willing to go, but not as willing many who are willing to 314 00:15:09,980 --> 00:15:12,450 stay. When you get to the House of 315 00:15:12,450 --> 00:15:14,530 bread in your spiritual life, lodge there. 316 00:15:15,130 --> 00:15:17,290 When you get to your Bethlehem due to the House of bread, the 317 00:15:17,290 --> 00:15:19,170 place where God is providing you stay there. 318 00:15:19,170 --> 00:15:23,090 Don't wander away from that. We saw what happened when Naomi 319 00:15:23,170 --> 00:15:27,090 and Alemalek and Melon and Chile and wandered away from the place 320 00:15:27,090 --> 00:15:29,330 that God was going to provide for them, even though it looked 321 00:15:29,330 --> 00:15:30,850 like it was going to be difficult. 322 00:15:31,130 --> 00:15:35,810 Some 37 versus 3 and four. Trust the Lord and do good. 323 00:15:36,090 --> 00:15:39,250 So shout, thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be 324 00:15:39,250 --> 00:15:41,250 fed. Do you think that applies to 325 00:15:41,250 --> 00:15:42,610 Bethlehem, Jude, to the House of bread? 326 00:15:43,130 --> 00:15:46,330 Delight thyself also into the Lord, and He shall give thee the 327 00:15:46,330 --> 00:15:49,930 desires of thine heart. I think sometimes we get that 328 00:15:49,930 --> 00:15:52,210 idea of what the Lord will give you, the desires of your heart. 329 00:15:52,730 --> 00:15:56,330 And we take that little slice of one verse and just say, well, 330 00:15:56,330 --> 00:15:57,450 it's fine. The Lord will give you the 331 00:15:57,450 --> 00:16:00,050 desires of your heart. We know there's a lot of desires 332 00:16:00,050 --> 00:16:02,730 I've had in my heart. Not all of them were righteous. 333 00:16:03,730 --> 00:16:06,210 There's desires I've had in my heart, and not all of them were 334 00:16:06,210 --> 00:16:08,550 good. You know, I've desired many 335 00:16:08,550 --> 00:16:10,910 things, and not all of them were things that would have honored 336 00:16:10,910 --> 00:16:12,870 God. So what does that verse say? 337 00:16:13,310 --> 00:16:17,950 Delight thyself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of 338 00:16:17,950 --> 00:16:19,550 your heart. You know what I found is that 339 00:16:19,550 --> 00:16:22,550 when you live the life that God wants you to live, you realize 340 00:16:22,550 --> 00:16:26,550 this, that he will change your heart to match those things so 341 00:16:26,550 --> 00:16:29,950 that you are delighted. In those things, we were just 342 00:16:29,950 --> 00:16:32,430 talking before church. You know, I won't say who 343 00:16:32,950 --> 00:16:37,030 questioning my, my, my decision of of drink right before church. 344 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,480 But you know, I've I've, I had a Diet Doctor pepper. 345 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,800 But anyway it's from my time in the South. 346 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,040 But I'm going to pardon my sin. All right. 347 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,560 So that's my excuse, but the the idea is this. 348 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,840 There are times where I've had. I've seen people that have not 349 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:57,840 drank a soda or a diet soda for some time. 350 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:00,280 They've just eaten fruits and vegetables and those kind of 351 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:02,280 things, and then they taste something like that and they go, 352 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:05,839 this is disgusting. You know why Their tastes have 353 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:08,369 changed. Your tastes have changed over 354 00:17:08,369 --> 00:17:10,210 time. What we need to do in our lives, 355 00:17:10,210 --> 00:17:12,210 understand that when we belong to Christ, our tastes have 356 00:17:12,210 --> 00:17:15,050 changed and we belong to him and know this is where we're going 357 00:17:15,050 --> 00:17:17,210 to stay. And this is what satisfies in 358 00:17:17,210 --> 00:17:18,650 our life. So even if it gets a little 359 00:17:18,650 --> 00:17:21,290 barren when we're in Bethlehem, Judah, even if it seems a little 360 00:17:21,290 --> 00:17:23,609 barren while in the House of bread, we understand that this 361 00:17:23,609 --> 00:17:25,250 is the place that God will provide. 362 00:17:25,410 --> 00:17:28,089 So I'm going to stay there. Listen, there are people who who 363 00:17:28,089 --> 00:17:30,370 who give up on their Christian walk, they get out of church. 364 00:17:30,490 --> 00:17:32,770 And the reason why is because it sounds exciting as it used to 365 00:17:32,770 --> 00:17:34,850 be. Well, listen, there are times it 366 00:17:34,850 --> 00:17:38,250 may not be as thrilling as it was before, but even if it's not 367 00:17:38,250 --> 00:17:42,050 the thrill, the feeling, the emotion, there's some depth that 368 00:17:42,050 --> 00:17:44,650 God is doing in your life. And he's digging deeper and 369 00:17:44,650 --> 00:17:47,090 going more and more. No lodge, there you'll find the 370 00:17:47,090 --> 00:17:49,690 deeper you get and the more that God does these things in your 371 00:17:49,690 --> 00:17:51,410 life. Listen, you may not have that 372 00:17:51,650 --> 00:17:55,730 where you're doing cartwheels in the in the aisles, although if 373 00:17:55,730 --> 00:17:57,090 we ever had someone do know anyway. 374 00:17:57,290 --> 00:18:01,690 But but I'll tell you this, they'll be that bedrock joy. 375 00:18:02,490 --> 00:18:04,930 They'll be that that that that wonderful. 376 00:18:05,090 --> 00:18:08,410 That wonderful. Knowledge and understand that 377 00:18:08,410 --> 00:18:09,770 God's doing something in your life. 378 00:18:10,050 --> 00:18:12,210 Listen, don't just come to the land of Je Bethlehem, Judah, 379 00:18:12,210 --> 00:18:15,370 that land of provision. Lodge there for a while. 380 00:18:15,770 --> 00:18:18,170 Stay there. See what God is doing. 381 00:18:18,370 --> 00:18:20,930 But it wasn't just she wanted her land and she wanted her 382 00:18:20,930 --> 00:18:23,290 lodging, but she also wanted her lineage. 383 00:18:23,610 --> 00:18:25,890 Your lineage. Look again at verse 16. 384 00:18:26,090 --> 00:18:29,530 It says, For wither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest, 385 00:18:29,570 --> 00:18:32,690 I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, 386 00:18:33,170 --> 00:18:35,530 thy people shall be my people. Her lineage. 387 00:18:35,810 --> 00:18:38,140 What was she saying? I am no longer going to be 388 00:18:38,140 --> 00:18:42,900 Immobitus, she said. I'm going to believe in the God 389 00:18:42,900 --> 00:18:46,540 of the household of the Jews. And we could look at it and 390 00:18:46,580 --> 00:18:51,020 understand that she was grafted in to the people of the Jews. 391 00:18:51,020 --> 00:18:52,860 And the reason we know that is because she was literally 392 00:18:52,860 --> 00:18:55,420 grafted in to the tribe of Judah. 393 00:18:55,420 --> 00:18:59,260 She was grafted into the lineage of Christ himself. 394 00:18:59,260 --> 00:19:01,620 We covered that last week, she says. 395 00:19:01,620 --> 00:19:06,050 Your people will be my people. Now, that may seem like no big 396 00:19:06,050 --> 00:19:08,290 deal to us, but to her that would have been a big deal. 397 00:19:08,290 --> 00:19:11,130 Remember the natural prejudices that there would have been 398 00:19:11,130 --> 00:19:13,370 between the people of Moab and the Jews? 399 00:19:13,370 --> 00:19:14,970 It's not like these people loved each other. 400 00:19:15,690 --> 00:19:19,010 It's not like there was a great camaraderie between the people 401 00:19:19,010 --> 00:19:21,410 of Moab and the Jews. Just read the Old Testament for 402 00:19:21,410 --> 00:19:23,570 a while and you're going to find that they're going to skirmish 403 00:19:23,570 --> 00:19:25,690 with one another. Remember, they go all the way 404 00:19:25,690 --> 00:19:31,140 back to Abraham and the offshoot between Lot and his incestuous 405 00:19:31,140 --> 00:19:35,580 relationship with his daughters and that offshoot from that 406 00:19:35,580 --> 00:19:37,300 point. And So what do we see? 407 00:19:37,460 --> 00:19:40,500 We see that there would have been some natural prejudice, 408 00:19:40,500 --> 00:19:42,740 some skirmishes that would have taken place. 409 00:19:43,180 --> 00:19:45,180 I would even put it this way. She didn't know how the Jews 410 00:19:45,180 --> 00:19:46,380 would feel about her in Bethlehem. 411 00:19:46,380 --> 00:19:50,580 Judah, when she arrived. She had no assurance that they 412 00:19:50,580 --> 00:19:53,940 would have even been happy to see a Moabitis that would come 413 00:19:53,940 --> 00:19:55,980 to live with them there in Bethlehem. 414 00:19:55,980 --> 00:19:57,060 Judah. But you know what? 415 00:19:57,060 --> 00:19:59,260 To her, it didn't matter because she knew it was right. 416 00:20:00,340 --> 00:20:02,660 To hurry didn't matter. Well, I'll go and see. 417 00:20:02,660 --> 00:20:05,060 You know, if they like me and if the people like me there or not. 418 00:20:05,060 --> 00:20:06,620 No, no, listen, it's not about that. 419 00:20:06,620 --> 00:20:08,860 It's it's this is where God wants me to go. 420 00:20:08,860 --> 00:20:11,140 Your people will become my people. 421 00:20:11,300 --> 00:20:13,660 She wasn't just saying she wanted to live with them. 422 00:20:13,860 --> 00:20:16,380 I believe she was saying she wanted to become a proselytite, 423 00:20:17,060 --> 00:20:19,980 A proselyte. She said I want to become like 424 00:20:20,020 --> 00:20:22,900 you all. And it's my prayer that when an 425 00:20:22,900 --> 00:20:26,160 unsaved person walks into this building that they just see us 426 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,160 fellowshipping with one another, loving on one another, caring 427 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:30,680 for one another, that they say this. 428 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,560 I want this to be my people. You know, I'm not just talking 429 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:36,040 about people joining this church by membership or anything like 430 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,800 that, although certainly it's a blessing anytime someone joins 431 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,020 this Church of membership. And we're always clear about, we 432 00:20:41,020 --> 00:20:43,060 have folks joining next week, praise the Lord, some by 433 00:20:43,060 --> 00:20:44,540 baptism, some by statement of faith. 434 00:20:44,780 --> 00:20:47,180 I'm looking forward to that. That's going to be a wonderful 435 00:20:47,180 --> 00:20:48,860 thing. But can I tell you what what the 436 00:20:48,860 --> 00:20:51,460 real joy is? I mean, the real blessing is 437 00:20:51,460 --> 00:20:54,060 when someone who doesn't know anything about the Lord, someone 438 00:20:54,100 --> 00:20:56,940 who is just far out from where God has them to be, someone 439 00:20:56,940 --> 00:20:58,500 who's outside of the household of faith. 440 00:20:58,660 --> 00:21:00,940 Can we put it this way? Someone who lives in Moab and 441 00:21:00,940 --> 00:21:03,020 they come into this building because God has worked in their 442 00:21:03,020 --> 00:21:05,860 heart or because someone's invited them or because they're 443 00:21:05,860 --> 00:21:07,980 searching for something they don't even know and can't even 444 00:21:07,980 --> 00:21:09,900 articulate. But they come in here and they 445 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:11,980 don't know why. But they come in here and they 446 00:21:11,980 --> 00:21:15,340 see a group of people who love one another and they say this. 447 00:21:15,460 --> 00:21:16,940 I want this people to be my people. 448 00:21:17,860 --> 00:21:19,660 I'll tell you this, I've walked into some churches where I've 449 00:21:19,660 --> 00:21:21,500 said this. I don't know if I want to walk 450 00:21:21,500 --> 00:21:26,020 in here again. Anybody want to have any 451 00:21:26,020 --> 00:21:27,220 personal testimonies? Yeah. 452 00:21:27,220 --> 00:21:28,820 So I see that hand. All right. 453 00:21:28,820 --> 00:21:31,950 But we've been on vacation just a few years ago. 454 00:21:31,950 --> 00:21:34,750 I've told you the story before where we were on vacation in in 455 00:21:34,750 --> 00:21:38,390 Tennessee and they were just so used to having people come from 456 00:21:38,390 --> 00:21:41,710 out of town that it was kind of like, oh, it's great. 457 00:21:41,710 --> 00:21:43,630 There's visitors. Hey, and listen, we understand. 458 00:21:43,630 --> 00:21:46,310 Listen, we understand Someone comes in this building, you 459 00:21:46,310 --> 00:21:48,350 know, dressed up with their Sunday best and all this stuff. 460 00:21:48,350 --> 00:21:49,910 We think, oh, here. Not that we want to treat them 461 00:21:49,910 --> 00:21:51,870 any different, but we think, oh, here's someone that's maybe been 462 00:21:51,870 --> 00:21:53,470 to church before, maybe they understand. 463 00:21:53,670 --> 00:21:57,030 Again, James, Chapter 2 makes it very clear you better not treat 464 00:21:57,030 --> 00:21:59,470 the person who's dressed better than the one who is not. 465 00:21:59,470 --> 00:22:02,110 Because, hey, you, you come up here in the front, you're 466 00:22:02,110 --> 00:22:03,950 dressed up nice. Oh, you get under my foot stool. 467 00:22:03,950 --> 00:22:05,990 You're not dressed up nice. We better never get to that 468 00:22:05,990 --> 00:22:07,190 point. But you understand. 469 00:22:07,190 --> 00:22:10,710 You know, someone shows up on a Sunday night and they're dressed 470 00:22:10,710 --> 00:22:12,390 up, they've got their Bible under their arm and you think, 471 00:22:12,390 --> 00:22:14,070 yeah, then you find out they're from out of town. 472 00:22:15,430 --> 00:22:16,830 Like, oh, never mind, I got things to do. 473 00:22:17,110 --> 00:22:19,910 So no, we we don't want to be like that. 474 00:22:20,390 --> 00:22:21,830 But that's the way it was at this church. 475 00:22:22,390 --> 00:22:24,630 And I remember A J was really acting up at that time. 476 00:22:24,630 --> 00:22:26,870 And so I had to take him out and I was in the lobby and he was 477 00:22:26,870 --> 00:22:29,310 really kind of going at it and the the usher was just standing 478 00:22:29,310 --> 00:22:32,750 there kind of like this looking at us. 479 00:22:34,070 --> 00:22:36,910 And and I wanted to say, would you like to take a turn and try, 480 00:22:37,550 --> 00:22:39,430 you know, But there was nothing there. 481 00:22:39,550 --> 00:22:41,030 No. Hey, would you like we got a 482 00:22:41,030 --> 00:22:42,630 nursery over here. Is there something we can help 483 00:22:42,630 --> 00:22:44,550 you with it. And maybe he look, maybe he felt 484 00:22:44,550 --> 00:22:46,630 awkward maybe, I don't know. It could be any number of 485 00:22:46,630 --> 00:22:47,710 things. I don't want to say that he had 486 00:22:47,710 --> 00:22:49,750 ill intent by age, but I know this. 487 00:22:49,750 --> 00:22:52,850 When we left, I'd said this, if I lived in Gatlinburg, this 488 00:22:52,850 --> 00:22:56,210 wouldn't be my people. In fact, we went back the next 489 00:22:56,210 --> 00:22:57,930 year and went to another church this little. 490 00:22:57,930 --> 00:22:59,650 I mean, you want to talk about the church in the Wildwood 491 00:22:59,650 --> 00:23:01,130 goodness. I mean, we had to go down by the 492 00:23:01,130 --> 00:23:04,730 holler and go around the corner and go past, over the Creek, 493 00:23:04,730 --> 00:23:06,570 over, go over to grandma's house, just about. 494 00:23:06,770 --> 00:23:08,810 And we got there and it was just, it was just this old 495 00:23:08,810 --> 00:23:13,490 country church where they sang. And I mean, they sang, you know 496 00:23:13,490 --> 00:23:15,690 what I mean? And they just love the Lord. 497 00:23:15,690 --> 00:23:16,770 And. And we just had a wonderful 498 00:23:16,770 --> 00:23:18,210 time. We came back on Sunday night. 499 00:23:18,210 --> 00:23:19,690 They wanted us to sing a special. 500 00:23:19,690 --> 00:23:21,610 And that's not why I enjoyed it. In fact, quite the opposite. 501 00:23:21,930 --> 00:23:25,210 We didn't want to do that. But that's we talked to us and 502 00:23:25,210 --> 00:23:26,250 we were there for, you know what? 503 00:23:27,050 --> 00:23:30,330 So these are my people now. I'm saved. 504 00:23:30,330 --> 00:23:32,610 And so that's talking about joining as a church. 505 00:23:32,610 --> 00:23:35,810 But I'm just saying this, when someone comes in here unsaved, 506 00:23:36,570 --> 00:23:39,770 do they see us and say this needs to be my people? 507 00:23:40,290 --> 00:23:41,530 I'm not saying about joining the church. 508 00:23:41,530 --> 00:23:43,690 I'm saying about this. I want to be part of the people 509 00:23:43,690 --> 00:23:45,670 of God. They have a peace, they have a 510 00:23:45,670 --> 00:23:47,790 joy. Well, there's a there's a cancer 511 00:23:47,790 --> 00:23:50,750 patient over there, but she's singing the praises of God. 512 00:23:51,390 --> 00:23:53,990 There's some people over there. A couple years ago, their life 513 00:23:53,990 --> 00:23:55,830 was a mess. But here they are with their 514 00:23:55,830 --> 00:23:58,770 Bibles open, listening to the message there. 515 00:23:58,770 --> 00:24:01,210 There's some young people over there that in a culture where 516 00:24:01,210 --> 00:24:04,570 young people have very little to do with the things of God, but 517 00:24:04,570 --> 00:24:06,970 there's young people that are singing songs and they're 518 00:24:06,970 --> 00:24:09,090 praising God and they're getting involved. 519 00:24:09,290 --> 00:24:12,570 I mean, I want some of this. I want this to be my people. 520 00:24:12,730 --> 00:24:16,570 Do people see that in us, the natural saltiness of us, to be 521 00:24:16,570 --> 00:24:18,730 able to make a thirst occur in someone else? 522 00:24:18,730 --> 00:24:21,610 Remember Jesus said we're to be salt and light, but that we're 523 00:24:21,610 --> 00:24:24,330 so salty when we're here. And now somebody say, well, I'm 524 00:24:24,330 --> 00:24:25,770 salty. I'm not talking about that kind 525 00:24:25,770 --> 00:24:27,730 of salt. I'm talking about we're so salty 526 00:24:27,850 --> 00:24:31,450 as believers that create a thirst in someone to be able to 527 00:24:31,450 --> 00:24:34,450 say that's what I need in my life and draw them to the 528 00:24:34,450 --> 00:24:37,610 ministry of Jesus Christ. That's what she says. 529 00:24:37,610 --> 00:24:41,570 This is my people, my lineage, she says. 530 00:24:41,570 --> 00:24:45,210 Your land, your lodging, your lineage, your Lord. 531 00:24:46,090 --> 00:24:47,810 I mean, now we're really getting down to it, aren't we? 532 00:24:49,890 --> 00:24:52,250 I will lodge thy people. Shall my people. 533 00:24:52,250 --> 00:24:55,890 Look at the end of the verse. Thy God, my God, if there was 534 00:24:55,890 --> 00:24:58,970 any doubt. Of where she was going with 535 00:24:58,970 --> 00:25:02,250 this, she has now made her declaration clear. 536 00:25:03,610 --> 00:25:06,890 There are many people in the Old Testament specifically that 537 00:25:06,890 --> 00:25:10,530 would talk about the God of heaven or they would talk about 538 00:25:10,530 --> 00:25:13,890 the God of Israel. But there's a big difference 539 00:25:13,890 --> 00:25:19,610 when they say my God. It's funny how many times Jacob 540 00:25:19,930 --> 00:25:23,930 Israel would talk about the God of his father's, but there was a 541 00:25:23,930 --> 00:25:26,530 change in his life after he wrestled with that same God. 542 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:30,440 That he now called him my God. There was a change that took 543 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,040 place in his life, that it wasn't just, oh, there's a God 544 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,560 and he's there. But no, there's not just a God. 545 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,640 And he is there, but it's my God and he is there. 546 00:25:38,960 --> 00:25:42,480 And that's a difference that has to take place in salvation. 547 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,440 Everything changes. Listen from this very phrase. 548 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:50,100 Everything in this book changes from this phrase before. 549 00:25:50,180 --> 00:25:52,660 There is nothing that is good. There is nothing that is 550 00:25:52,660 --> 00:25:55,220 encouraging, there's nothing helpful that takes place. 551 00:25:55,380 --> 00:25:58,660 You've got a family that's come that 3/4 of them have died. 552 00:25:58,780 --> 00:26:02,820 You have now introduced Moabites into the family, which were not 553 00:26:02,820 --> 00:26:05,900 supposed to take place under normal circumstances at that 554 00:26:05,900 --> 00:26:08,300 time. You have women who say we're 555 00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:10,860 going to follow you. And then Naomi says don't follow 556 00:26:10,860 --> 00:26:14,620 me, this bitter woman, by the way, who says all of this. 557 00:26:14,780 --> 00:26:16,980 And Orpa says, well, OK, and she goes home. 558 00:26:17,140 --> 00:26:19,260 There's nothing really. This happened so far. 559 00:26:19,380 --> 00:26:21,500 That really is encouraging in the heart. 560 00:26:23,140 --> 00:26:28,420 But from this moment, everything changes. 561 00:26:29,460 --> 00:26:34,620 When she says thy God, my God. And can I remind you here 562 00:26:34,620 --> 00:26:39,460 tonight that when you say in your life, thy God is my God, 563 00:26:40,100 --> 00:26:42,980 everything changes, your outlook changes. 564 00:26:43,500 --> 00:26:47,390 Your way of living changes. Who you know will take care of 565 00:26:47,390 --> 00:26:50,310 you changes. Everything changes when you 566 00:26:50,310 --> 00:26:53,510 trust the gospel and know that Jesus Christ will be your 567 00:26:53,510 --> 00:26:55,910 savior. Ruth's life would forever change 568 00:26:55,910 --> 00:26:58,950 with that statement because she is renouncing the old way of 569 00:26:58,950 --> 00:27:00,750 life. Listen, she's not trying to live 570 00:27:00,750 --> 00:27:04,590 in Moab and Bethlehem, Judah. She's not trying to add the God 571 00:27:04,590 --> 00:27:07,230 of Jehovah to the gods that she has in Moab. 572 00:27:07,310 --> 00:27:10,590 She says this. I am taking Jehovah at the 573 00:27:10,590 --> 00:27:13,070 expense of these old gods I used to serve. 574 00:27:14,090 --> 00:27:16,730 And her life will change, Orpa looked and said. 575 00:27:17,970 --> 00:27:22,170 I see what's over there. But I like, my God, I like my 576 00:27:22,170 --> 00:27:25,170 way of living better. And she went back home, never to 577 00:27:25,170 --> 00:27:27,930 be heard from again. What a blessed thing. 578 00:27:27,930 --> 00:27:31,170 By the way, when God becomes yours, you know there has to be 579 00:27:31,170 --> 00:27:34,130 a time for our young people that are here, that God has to become 580 00:27:34,130 --> 00:27:39,150 yours, not just your parents. God has to become yours, and not 581 00:27:39,150 --> 00:27:42,350 just those who go before you. That the doctrines of the word 582 00:27:42,350 --> 00:27:46,110 of God have to become yours, not just because your Mama called 583 00:27:46,110 --> 00:27:49,710 and Papa sent, but that because God has done something or work 584 00:27:49,710 --> 00:27:51,630 in your life and you have to take it. 585 00:27:51,830 --> 00:27:53,150 And by the way, it's not just your. 586 00:27:53,150 --> 00:27:57,070 Families, It's yours. Well, do you know Jesus Christ, 587 00:27:57,070 --> 00:27:59,110 your savior? Well, I come from a long line of 588 00:27:59,390 --> 00:28:01,710 of Christians in my family. I've had people say that before. 589 00:28:02,790 --> 00:28:05,670 Well, you may come from a long line of Christians in your 590 00:28:05,670 --> 00:28:08,590 family, but unless you. Call upon Jesus Christ to save 591 00:28:08,590 --> 00:28:10,350 you yourself. You will break that line. 592 00:28:11,390 --> 00:28:14,910 You are not saved by the salvation of those other ones. 593 00:28:14,910 --> 00:28:17,910 You have to make that personal decision for yourself. 594 00:28:18,150 --> 00:28:21,390 Many are resting on the faith of someone else to try to be able 595 00:28:21,390 --> 00:28:24,390 to get them into heaven. Or many who maybe are saved 596 00:28:24,390 --> 00:28:26,710 don't really grow and don't really do the things they want 597 00:28:26,710 --> 00:28:29,790 because, well, you know, this is what my pastor says, or this is 598 00:28:29,790 --> 00:28:32,230 what my parent says or this is what my spouse says. 599 00:28:32,630 --> 00:28:34,230 But no, you have to get to the place. 600 00:28:34,350 --> 00:28:36,070 Listen, when you're at the judgment seat of Christ, you 601 00:28:36,070 --> 00:28:37,830 don't get to call witness. This is to come help you. 602 00:28:39,590 --> 00:28:41,830 What do you do? Well, I'll phone a friend. 603 00:28:41,870 --> 00:28:45,390 That may work for Regis Philbin, but it doesn't work for us at 604 00:28:45,390 --> 00:28:48,990 the judgment seat of Christ. No, we have to individually go 605 00:28:48,990 --> 00:28:49,990 to him. And it's not. 606 00:28:49,990 --> 00:28:53,310 Well, Lord, I didn't know because I just listened to what 607 00:28:53,310 --> 00:28:57,070 my wife said. Well, that speaks volumes in a 608 00:28:57,070 --> 00:29:01,070 much different way. A woman cannot say, well, I just 609 00:29:01,070 --> 00:29:03,870 did what my husband I just. I followed him. 610 00:29:04,620 --> 00:29:06,900 So you have to dig into your Bible for yourself to understand 611 00:29:06,900 --> 00:29:09,780 the word of God for yourself, which is preaching to the young 612 00:29:09,780 --> 00:29:11,380 people. Just a few weeks ago, and I 613 00:29:11,380 --> 00:29:13,100 reminded those young ladies that were there. 614 00:29:13,420 --> 00:29:15,500 They say, well, you know, sometimes I hear those young 615 00:29:15,500 --> 00:29:18,020 ladies say, well, well, you know, I just, whatever, I just 616 00:29:18,020 --> 00:29:20,180 get the right husband and and I'll just believe what he 617 00:29:20,180 --> 00:29:21,420 believes. Well, how are you going to find 618 00:29:21,420 --> 00:29:23,260 the right husband if you don't know what to believe? 619 00:29:26,610 --> 00:29:28,650 You know what you probably get is a is a meatball that's 620 00:29:28,650 --> 00:29:31,210 probably going to end up after three or four years taking you 621 00:29:31,210 --> 00:29:33,250 far away from what you and you didn't know because you just 622 00:29:33,250 --> 00:29:35,090 followed him and you never read the word of God for yourself. 623 00:29:40,970 --> 00:29:42,370 And we can all get excited about that. 624 00:29:36,250 --> 00:29:40,330 Now listen, we can talk about that for 16/17/18 year. 625 00:29:43,010 --> 00:29:46,290 Or we can just remind ourselves where we're at, that whether 626 00:29:46,290 --> 00:29:49,050 you've known the Lord 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, 50 years, 627 00:29:49,050 --> 00:29:52,090 however long it is, there's always room for us to grow and 628 00:29:52,090 --> 00:29:54,300 to learn. And even in that declaration, I, 629 00:29:54,300 --> 00:29:57,460 God, my God, Well, I'm saved. I I know God well, right. 630 00:29:57,660 --> 00:30:00,780 But get deeper into why do you believe who you believe? 631 00:30:00,780 --> 00:30:03,140 Not trying to question your salvation or not trying to make 632 00:30:03,140 --> 00:30:04,740 you do those things. But so I can. 633 00:30:04,980 --> 00:30:08,060 I can make the foundation even stronger. 634 00:30:08,060 --> 00:30:09,660 The foundation that that God is laid. 635 00:30:09,660 --> 00:30:11,540 It's all about him. But yet I need to get in the 636 00:30:11,540 --> 00:30:14,740 strong meat of the word, not just milk, so that I can 637 00:30:14,740 --> 00:30:16,100 understand the things of the Lord. 638 00:30:17,350 --> 00:30:19,630 Your land, your lodging, your lineage, your Lord. 639 00:30:19,830 --> 00:30:21,750 But then she says this in verse #17. 640 00:30:21,750 --> 00:30:23,350 This is where we're going to get ready to close. 641 00:30:26,710 --> 00:30:30,670 Where thou dieest. Will I die and there will I be 642 00:30:30,670 --> 00:30:34,790 buried. Lord, do so to me more also if 643 00:30:34,790 --> 00:30:39,110 ought but death part thee and me, she says this I'm not just 644 00:30:39,110 --> 00:30:42,030 going to go to your land. I'm not just going to stay there 645 00:30:42,030 --> 00:30:44,630 a while. I'm giving a lifelong 646 00:30:44,630 --> 00:30:47,770 commitment. This is what I'm going to do. 647 00:30:48,730 --> 00:30:51,930 This is where I'm going to go. This is where I'm going to stay. 648 00:30:52,530 --> 00:30:56,490 This is where I'm going to die. She's saying this is my lot in 649 00:30:56,490 --> 00:30:59,890 life and I'm with you until the end. 650 00:30:59,890 --> 00:31:03,770 Do you know what she's doing? She's looking all the way to the 651 00:31:03,770 --> 00:31:05,890 goal. She's looking all the way to the 652 00:31:05,890 --> 00:31:07,690 finish line. You know, I don't want to be 653 00:31:07,690 --> 00:31:10,130 morbid in my Christian life. I don't live every day just 654 00:31:10,410 --> 00:31:13,490 wondering about how I'm going to die or, you know, is this my 655 00:31:13,490 --> 00:31:15,210 last day? But let's be honest. 656 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,440 The Bible does tell us we don't have assurance of tomorrow and 657 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,440 that we would be wise in our Christian life to live every day 658 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:24,760 as if we don't have another Christian day to live. 659 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:28,720 No, no, that doesn't have to be a morbid thing. 660 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,160 No, I'm just going to live my life today. 661 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,040 I'm going to lay it all out so that I know that if God called 662 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,530 me home today. Or if Jesus Christ called us 663 00:31:37,530 --> 00:31:40,770 home today in that glorious appearing called the Rapture. 664 00:31:40,930 --> 00:31:44,530 I know that at the judgment seat of Christ that I have done what 665 00:31:44,530 --> 00:31:47,210 God has called me to do. Certainly there's always in room 666 00:31:47,210 --> 00:31:48,930 for improvement. Certainly we're going to be at 667 00:31:48,930 --> 00:31:50,850 the judgment seat of Christ and we're going to look at so many 668 00:31:50,850 --> 00:31:53,250 things and say why didn't I do this and said why did I 669 00:31:53,250 --> 00:31:56,010 misprioritize, but why did I misprioritize these things. 670 00:31:56,010 --> 00:31:59,370 But in the end that we would say no, I'm going to serve him till 671 00:31:59,370 --> 00:32:02,890 the end. I went to school. 672 00:32:04,070 --> 00:32:09,030 With 400 some college students, by the world standards, a pretty 673 00:32:09,030 --> 00:32:14,070 small Bible college, pretty small College in general, my 674 00:32:14,070 --> 00:32:15,910 graduating class was a little bit over 100. 675 00:32:18,310 --> 00:32:22,910 Do you know that out of my graduating class you have those 676 00:32:22,910 --> 00:32:28,110 who are no longer in the ministry who don't teach from 677 00:32:28,110 --> 00:32:31,750 the word of God anymore? Divorced. 678 00:32:34,390 --> 00:32:39,070 Even from not my class, but other classes who've taken their 679 00:32:39,070 --> 00:32:46,310 own life out of well over 1000 graduates, I don't even know how 680 00:32:46,310 --> 00:32:47,990 many. Probably much more out of 25 681 00:32:47,990 --> 00:32:50,630 years at Heartland. A great many. 682 00:32:52,350 --> 00:32:57,030 That's a sobering thought to go through a yearbook and say 683 00:32:58,150 --> 00:33:01,350 whatever happened to him? Where did she go? 684 00:33:01,350 --> 00:33:03,350 And I'm not just talking about, oh, that's the one that was the 685 00:33:03,350 --> 00:33:04,950 most popular in my high school yearbook. 686 00:33:04,950 --> 00:33:07,350 And look, they, you know, they went to the, you know, they went 687 00:33:07,350 --> 00:33:09,830 to the reunion, and they're not very popular anymore. 688 00:33:09,830 --> 00:33:11,710 I'm not talking about those kind of, like, vain things. 689 00:33:11,710 --> 00:33:14,190 I'm talking about people that said they were going to serve 690 00:33:14,190 --> 00:33:15,990 the Lord. And here's what's amazing that 691 00:33:15,990 --> 00:33:20,790 on the very first Sunday when you get to Heartland, they call 692 00:33:20,790 --> 00:33:22,830 it Welcome Heartland Sunday at Southwest. 693 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:25,360 And all the new students come across the platform and they 694 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:26,400 just introduced where they're from. 695 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:29,160 I'm Adam Rivero. I'm from Westgate Baptist Church 696 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,080 in Tampa, FL. My pastor is Bruce Turner. 697 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:33,160 And I was so nervous that first Sunday. 698 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:36,680 In fact, we call Brother Turner Bruce E Turner, but we I was so 699 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:40,400 nervous that I said my pastors, Brucey Turner and Brother Sam, 700 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:41,720 said Hold. On a second, hold on. 701 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:45,520 I didn't know your pastor's name was Brucey, and so for several 702 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,120 years they called him there. Brucey. 703 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:49,720 Whoops. I didn't know. 704 00:33:50,650 --> 00:33:57,890 We all don't mess this up for me, but in a few weeks, so we no 705 00:33:57,890 --> 00:34:02,250 one walked across that platform saying this, I'm going to quit. 706 00:34:04,010 --> 00:34:08,570 I'm not going to make it. I'm going to, I'm going to turn 707 00:34:08,570 --> 00:34:11,730 away from everything I got here. Nobody said that. 708 00:34:12,610 --> 00:34:14,969 But the reality is some did. Why? 709 00:34:15,730 --> 00:34:19,250 Because for some there was not that knowledge that this isn't 710 00:34:19,250 --> 00:34:23,719 just a. Land, it's not just a lodging, 711 00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:27,199 but it's a life. It's their lot. 712 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:30,000 It's my lot. And let's be honest, is there 713 00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:32,719 any lot that's better than the lot that God has put us in, The 714 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:34,960 lot in life that we have? You understand what I mean by 715 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:36,679 lot? The lot in life that we have 716 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:39,159 that God has given us. Is there anything better? 717 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:41,840 Is there anything sweeter? Is there anything more joyous? 718 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:45,040 I mean to be able to go home today and to know, wow, a 719 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:48,840 family's life and trajectory has changed today by what's happened 720 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:52,110 here at church. To know that there was a crusade 721 00:34:52,110 --> 00:34:54,429 that took place, that we had a small part of it. 722 00:34:54,429 --> 00:34:56,469 By a small part, I mean a very small part because there's so 723 00:34:56,469 --> 00:34:58,630 many cogs in that wheel, it was unbelievable. 724 00:34:58,630 --> 00:35:01,910 I don't want to overstate what we did in that crusade, but we 725 00:35:01,910 --> 00:35:05,390 did assist in several different ways, both logistically and then 726 00:35:05,390 --> 00:35:07,790 also in taking place in some of the services. 727 00:35:08,070 --> 00:35:10,150 But you know that 61 people got saved. 728 00:35:10,150 --> 00:35:12,830 Does that not move us? That they that there would be 729 00:35:13,110 --> 00:35:16,480 lives that would be changed, of lives change further? 730 00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:17,760 There's one young man who was there. 731 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,200 He was traveling with his family to the Dominican Republic. 732 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:23,160 He was going to miss everything. But they saw him during the day. 733 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:25,320 They gave him the gospel. He got saved. 734 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:26,520 He went to the crusade that night. 735 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:28,280 He went to Dominican Republic the next day. 736 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:34,320 Would have totally missed. Everything but by the gracious 737 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:37,640 hand of God, he had the opportunity to hear the word of 738 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:39,880 God and trust Christ as a Savior. 739 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:47,120 What happened, Ruth? On the road, her life changed 740 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:51,440 forever, just like the road to a Mass, just like the road to 741 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:56,120 Damascus, Ruth on the road to Bethlehem, Judah, her life 742 00:35:56,200 --> 00:36:00,120 changed forever. Let me make a quick application 743 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:01,280 and we'll be done. I know we've been making an 744 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:04,760 application along the way and I've got to finish before the 745 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:07,000 water all leaks into the building again, so we'll try to 746 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:12,920 be quick about that. What we see from Ruth here, I'm 747 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:17,120 not saying that she didn't have valleys in her her life, but 748 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:20,720 what we see from her from this moment is steadfastness, 749 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:25,880 faithfulness. I know it's a short snapshot of 750 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:27,280 her life. Let let's be honest. 751 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:32,640 But what we see here is a woman whose life truly changed. 752 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,560 Something that we need to be reminded of in our lives is to 753 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:39,640 be able to take the roller coaster. 754 00:36:40,430 --> 00:36:44,030 Of the Christian life that sometimes we're on and try to 755 00:36:44,030 --> 00:36:47,950 smooth out those peaks and valleys as best we can so that 756 00:36:47,950 --> 00:36:53,190 we consistently in our walk on the road will be who God's 757 00:36:53,190 --> 00:36:56,590 called us to be. You know that road that she 758 00:36:56,590 --> 00:36:58,710 would have been on would have been pretty easy to navigate 759 00:36:58,870 --> 00:37:02,110 compared to a roller coaster. I've been on roller. 760 00:37:02,150 --> 00:37:04,750 I love roller coasters. I, I, I do not, I know not 761 00:37:04,750 --> 00:37:07,030 everyone does. But I love going to theme parks, 762 00:37:07,030 --> 00:37:09,800 big and small amusement parks. To be able to ride the roller 763 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:12,800 coasters, I like going through the loop, the loops and all of 764 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:14,320 them. I'll tell you this, I used to be 765 00:37:14,320 --> 00:37:17,200 when I was younger, I would go on it and say let's go again. 766 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:19,840 And now I go on it once and I say kids, you go again. 767 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:23,280 Because like, dad needs to sit down for a while and let his 768 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:25,440 equilibrium get back to where it needs to be. 769 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:29,040 And listen, Roller coasters are fun in life, if you like that 770 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:30,680 kind of thing. But can I tell you in the 771 00:37:30,680 --> 00:37:32,160 Christian life, they're not fun at all. 772 00:37:33,720 --> 00:37:36,600 And there are some in the Christian life that are 773 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:40,540 constantly up. And down and up and down and all 774 00:37:40,540 --> 00:37:42,660 around. Barrel rolls, loop, the loops, 775 00:37:42,820 --> 00:37:45,540 whatever you want to call it, That's what they're doing all 776 00:37:45,540 --> 00:37:48,220 around, all the time. Now, I understand that we do 777 00:37:48,220 --> 00:37:51,780 have those peaks and valleys because of the trials and 778 00:37:51,780 --> 00:37:54,500 difficulties of life that we have at times, but I'm talking 779 00:37:54,500 --> 00:37:57,380 about just the we're up, we're down, we're up, we're up because 780 00:37:57,380 --> 00:37:59,140 we heard a great. But we're down because it's 781 00:37:59,140 --> 00:38:02,060 Monday, and then we don't read our Bible for a week. 782 00:38:02,510 --> 00:38:05,510 And then I'm up because something really good happened 783 00:38:05,510 --> 00:38:07,230 to me. I I end up getting on extra $100 784 00:38:07,230 --> 00:38:09,270 in my paycheck. So God must be happy with me 785 00:38:09,270 --> 00:38:10,750 this week. So I'm I'm good. 786 00:38:10,750 --> 00:38:13,670 But then all I had to pay 200. For a bill I wasn't expecting, 787 00:38:15,590 --> 00:38:16,750 well, I guess things are down again. 788 00:38:18,350 --> 00:38:21,390 The Christian life was never meant to be a roller coaster. 789 00:38:21,990 --> 00:38:25,430 It's a road. The God does that work on the 790 00:38:25,430 --> 00:38:29,590 road, whether a Mass or Damascus or the Bethlehem. 791 00:38:29,590 --> 00:38:36,500 Judah, what do we do? As we slowly plod our way every 792 00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:40,500 day to where God wants us to be, we say I'm going to get where 793 00:38:40,500 --> 00:38:42,820 God wants us to go. I'm not going quick, but I'm 794 00:38:42,860 --> 00:38:44,340 going to get there. We're. 795 00:38:44,460 --> 00:38:46,580 Driving down the road yesterday, I'll say this and we'll be done. 796 00:38:47,820 --> 00:38:50,740 Kayla was in the car with me and we were watching someone walk 797 00:38:50,740 --> 00:38:55,780 into a building and he was walking across the parking lot 798 00:38:56,180 --> 00:39:00,300 like the cares of the world were placed upon his shoulders like 799 00:39:00,300 --> 00:39:02,880 someone had taken. 8 bags of wet cement. 800 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:05,200 Put it on. His shoulders and said now walk, 801 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:08,360 son. And I mean, he was just 802 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:17,360 shoulders drooped, slow. Steps step by step to where he 803 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:20,960 wanted to go, and I told her I said he's plotting. 804 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:24,120 Said what I think she thought. Plotting. 805 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:28,040 Like you know, I'm plotting something you know, you know, 806 00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:34,340 but but plotting PLOD. He was just methodically going 807 00:39:34,340 --> 00:39:36,700 where you need to go. By the way, he wasn't doing it 808 00:39:36,700 --> 00:39:39,620 to impress me. He wasn't walking to, you know, 809 00:39:39,620 --> 00:39:41,860 make me feel good. You know what? 810 00:39:42,700 --> 00:39:44,620 He kept going long enough he would have got where he was 811 00:39:44,620 --> 00:39:46,540 going. I think sometimes in the 812 00:39:46,540 --> 00:39:52,740 Christian life, we're so looking for that 60 mile an hour 3G 813 00:39:52,740 --> 00:39:56,280 launch of the roller coaster. I'm going to go. 814 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:58,080 I want my. Face to be back. 815 00:39:58,080 --> 00:39:59,760 That's what this Christian life supposed to be, you know. 816 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:01,600 And there are some pretty exciting times in the Christian 817 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:02,640 life. Don't get me wrong. 818 00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:05,240 I think of the the anniversary and the the day that we were 819 00:40:05,240 --> 00:40:06,840 here. I mean, one, I was dog tired 820 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:09,280 when we were done. And two, I was like, this is 821 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:11,280 great, isn't it what God did. It's amazing. 822 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:14,040 But that's not the Christian life every day. 823 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:18,200 You know what it is? It's the road walking. 824 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:23,640 This is my land. This is my lot. 825 00:40:24,980 --> 00:40:29,580 This is my Lord. We just make that understanding 826 00:40:29,860 --> 00:40:32,780 every single day and just go a little farther for him. 827 00:40:33,020 --> 00:40:34,620 Maybe you're on that roller coaster ride. 828 00:40:34,820 --> 00:40:38,420 You'll be good tonight because hey, we we had a message that 829 00:40:38,420 --> 00:40:40,420 kind of stirred your heart. If that's the case for you 830 00:40:40,420 --> 00:40:42,660 tonight, and that's great, I. Praise the Lord for that. 831 00:40:42,660 --> 00:40:44,860 God gave us. God gave us emotions. 832 00:40:44,860 --> 00:40:46,580 It's not like we shouldn't have any emotions. 833 00:40:46,580 --> 00:40:48,860 If he wants to be robots, He would have made us robots. 834 00:40:49,340 --> 00:40:51,500 We're just not to be governed by our emotions in our Christian 835 00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:54,100 life because not all of them are trustworthy. 836 00:40:54,900 --> 00:40:57,500 There's no doubt about that. So what do we do in our 837 00:40:57,500 --> 00:40:58,540 Christian life? Here's Ruth. 838 00:40:59,140 --> 00:41:01,260 She said, this is what I'm going to do when we get there. 839 00:41:01,500 --> 00:41:03,900 I imagine she was probably slow. She was walking with her 840 00:41:03,900 --> 00:41:07,700 motherinlaw, who is older than her, Who would have had to go 841 00:41:07,700 --> 00:41:10,980 slower, whose body was probably, to a point, betraying her by 842 00:41:10,980 --> 00:41:13,420 that point in her life. But you know what? 843 00:41:13,420 --> 00:41:15,180 She just kept going. She got to Bethlehem. 844 00:41:15,180 --> 00:41:17,180 Judah, you know what? You'll get to Bethlehem. 845 00:41:17,180 --> 00:41:23,020 Judah eventually, too, step by step, day by day, understanding 846 00:41:23,020 --> 00:41:24,700 the things that God has revealed to us. 847 00:41:26,940 --> 00:41:29,620 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 848 00:41:29,620 --> 00:41:32,540 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 849 00:41:32,540 --> 00:41:36,020 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 850 00:41:36,020 --> 00:41:40,580 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 851 00:41:40,900 --> 00:41:45,420 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 852 00:41:45,420 --> 00:41:48,260 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 853 00:41:48,260 --> 00:41:49,420 grow in His Word.