It's Time for a Change

— Is anybody ready to let me preach a little bit tonight? — I want to turn your attention to Ruth chapter 1 — and I want to read just a few verses and then — come to some of the conclusions from an experience — that's probably one of the most familiar experiences of the Bible. — It's a little fourchapter book, but believe me, that story — carries carries an impact that is worthy of our consideration. — I really would like to talk to some people here tonight that would like to have a little better understanding — about God's take on things, how God views things, and what God loves about the way we view things. — Many times God does not respond just by what he thinks about a thing. — He it comes into play how we feel about the thing and how we feel about it a lot of times dictates what God's going to do about it. — I I there's just some things that I want to I want to share with you. Not perhaps — well let me I wanted to give you just a little synopsis but maybe I can weave it in and work it in into the story. that — you will understand what I feel like this message is all about tonight. church. — There's no way that we can be overcautious — about making sure that decisions we make — are God oriented — and God inspired and God directed. — Does anybody remember pastor preaching a sermon some time ago? Decisions that I made that I did not know I had made. — The sermon deals with decisions that you make today and how they affect the furtherest reach of your days on this earth. — and you made it in one day not knowing what it was going to decide for you in years to come. — Again, I come back with something that God has dealt with me about for years and I have preached at different times — about this. But I come back again tonight starting with Ruth chapter 1 and — I want to read first of all chapter 1 verses 1-5. — I tell you what let's do. Why don't we go ahead and pray right now and then I'll just read the scriptures as I — minister and we can pray right now as we're standing. And I really would like for you to pray that God would anoint — our ears, that he would melt our hearts together, and above all that he would bless this feeble servant of the Lord — and anoint my lips and my mind and my spirit. I want God to articulate what happens here tonight, even the words — that come out of pastor's mouth. Would you lift your hands and your voices and let's intercede to the Lord for just a — moment. Not a courtesy prayer. Let's call on God, church. Father, in your name, we want the mind of God. We want — the mind of God. We want the secrets of the Lord. We want to hear the things — that we need to pick up about how you feel about things, your take on things, — and then even when we make mistakes, the attitude that you like for us to have — for you to come in with grace and intervention and do the things that we — can't do to make the best of the situations that we're dealing with. God, let us learn tonight and let us be — anointed of the Holy Ghost. Anoint my lips and my spirit as I talk to this — church in Jesus name. And everybody say amen.

— God bless you. Thank you. You may be seated. Now Ruth chapter 1 verses 1 — through five. This is the facts of the story. — Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled — that there was a famine in the land. — And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, — went to sojourn in the country of Moab. — He and his wife and his two sons. — And the name of the man was Imc. — and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons, — Malon and Chile, Ephrathites of Bethlehem, — Judah, and they came into the country — of Moab, and continued there. — And IMC Naomi's husband died — and she was left and her two sons — and they took them wives of the women of Moab. — The name of the one was Orpa and the name of the other Ruth. — And they dwelt there about 10 years. — And Melon and Chileon died also. — Both of them. — And the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. — The facts of the story are simple — and I will reiterate just a point or two or three here so that we are all on — board with what happened. — Things were not so well in Israel. Things got a little tough in Israel. — In fact, things got just a little uncomfortable in Israel — because Israel was experiencing a famine. — In chapter 1 verses 6 and 7, — things had deteriorated in Naomi's life to such a degree. — I don't know how long she had been there. perhaps when IMC died. — But all of this happened within a period of about 10 years. They said the scripture said they were there in Moab about 10 years. — So it didn't take long for whatever this was that was following or dogging her steps. — Didn't take long for it to go to showing up. — IMC died. Then the two boys, Meen and Chileian, they grew old enough at this particular — time that they got the eye on the girls. — And this is one thing that I would like to point out here because I may not come — back and cover some of these points that are offering such unbelievable points to inject some teaching.

— But I do not want to overplay or overstay myself here tonight. — One of the things that needs to be considered — so very very strongly and with with such prayer — and supplication to God — is if you're going to do something that is not going to be kosher with God. — Please check yourself out because you may be creating a situation — that you may be able to handle and you may recover from a mistake that you make. — But things that happen to your children while they're out from under the — umbrella of that holy hand of God on their lives. — Many times things happen that they never have a chance to recover from. — Mail Chilean like young people are going to do. — They found themselves a companion. — But the sad thing was that the only thing they had to choose from was Moabites. — Because mom and dad had decided to ease the pressure on themselves — and to go take a sojourn to another country. — I'm not pausing here because I don't have something to say, — but I want what I feel the Holy Ghost is wanting to get across to some precious people in this house. I want it to have — time to sink in and perhaps even gel while I'm preaching this sermon. — Somebody hear me tonight. — Decisions that you make don't just affect you. — They affect your heritage and your children from now on. — Who wouldn't stand the bedside of starving kids — going to bed with their little stomachs empty crying? I'm hungry. — I understand that. — or I say I understand it. I've never experienced it. But to whatever compassion that I have, I I can I can fathom that. Let me say it that way. — I can at least fathom that. — But I want in the rest of this the rest of this story, I want you to understand that there are some things that are worse than hunger. — Now, I know you're waiting for me to to prove that or explain that, but I — want to say it again because I want somebody that just because pastor said it, you understand and you say, "Hey, — he's going somewhere with this." I want somebody to understand if Israel is in a — famine remember there are some things worse than hunger. — Now to some of us and I wouldn't I wouldn't be too hardressed to call a few names here. — Some of us it don't seem like that there's much worse than hunger

— because you can tell we ha as my grandpa Wilks would say we ain't done a lot of it — hungering I'm talking about but for those some that would like for — me to qualify a little bit I have known what hunger was and it has not been so much hunger — because I couldn't have gotten something or didn't have any money whatsoever to — have. But sometimes hunger — in the inward man supersedes the hunger of the outward man. — So you just go ahead and let the outward man hunger with the inward man. — Is that you you understand what I'm saying there? — And I've said before that Naomi and IMC, — they decided to choose what they chose and that was to — perhaps relieve themselves of the suffering, their children of the suffering. — and they decided to go on a ser sojourn to another country to help the situation. — They didn't intend to worsen the situation. They wanted to help. — But the bottom line was if anybody made it through the famine, — it's a foregone conclusion that Naomi and IMC could have made it as well. — So in other words, it was not an impossibility that they just were pressed and had to do something. — Somebody said some I've heard it so many times. Well, we got to do something if we do it wrong. I beg to differ with you. — You don't do anything just because it's time to do something. If you haven't found out what's right to do, you just — hold your horses and do do nothing until you get direction from the man that's — calling the shots and orchestrating the whole thing. — Chapter 1 verses 6 and 7 it says in Moab — she talking about Naomi heard from home — of how God had visited his people in giving them bread. — Everybody say it with me. God's always going to come through. — Whatever is happening, it's not here for always. — Somewhere things are going to get better. — and in Moab. Now, here she is a widow. — She's got two daughter-in-laws who are also widow widows because of the loss of me and Chile. — And now she's hearing that God is visiting his people again in — Bethlehem, Judah in giving them bread. — So Naomi, Ruth, and Orpa started on their way to return to the land of Judah. — Ruth 119 says, — well, there's a lot of of a lot of stuff that goes on in their starting on the — journey and Naomi talking to the girls about you stay here with your people and — and and they first said, "No, we want to go with you." But then they get out where they've got to make the decision

— either to go on the journey or go back home. And we know that Orpa chose to go back to her people in Moab. — But that's when Ruth made that — that declaration that is talked about and sung about all over this country. — She said, "Entreat me not to leave thee, — nor to return from following after thee. — For whether thou goest, I will go. — And whether thou lodest, I will lodge. — Thy people shall be my people, and thy God shall be my God. — So Ruth now and Naomi made it back to Bethlehem. — And chap verse 19 of that chapter says that the people — when they lifted their eyes from the field the people was moved about them. — They saw them coming and the people were moved and evidently they saw there was something different. — there was something that was noteworthy. — And then the question when they were moved, I'm talking about the people out in the fields and in the countryside. — When they saw and were moved, the next question was, "Is this not Naomi? — Evidently Naomi was close enough that she heard their question. — Before I go to Naomi's response, I would like to share with you that up — until this point, the writer of the book is silent — up until this point about the sojourn to Moab. — Now, you got to get this right here. — Would you would you say that with me? Up until this point, the writer of the book — was totally silent about the sojourn to Moab. — Up until this point, no stones have been cast. No accusations have been made. — No one has branded the sojourn right or wrong. — No one has said when Naomi and Alim backslid. — That has not come out of anybody's mouth. No one has said it. — No one has brought up the negatives about the trip. — Nobody has blamed her for losing her husband and her sons because they made a — foolish choice and went to Moab. Nobody brought it up. — Would you say that with me? Nobody brought it up. — But listen to Naomi now. — When they said, "Is this not Naomi?" — Naomi is the one who brought in the negative aspect of the journey. — She's the one that came out with the observation about the results of that sojourn.

— She's the one that said it herself. And I want somebody to hear me tonight when I tell you this is one of the most — important stories you'll find in the Bible because you don't just find where — people can make mistakes. You understand through this where if people will be — honest about their mistakes, they can have the help and the assistance of God to bring them through that thing. and — God will help them make the best out of a bad situation. — Come on now, church. Don't Don't just sit there now. I'm I'm I'm about ready to preach to you for just a few minutes here, and it's not going to take me — long. If you try to keep on petting your own ideas and doing it your way and — justifying yourself when you're feeling in your heart there's something that's not right about this, you better check — yourself again and again and again and again. And don't listen to somebody else — that's accusing you. Don't listen to somebody else that's got a bunch of bare tales going on it. you listen to your — heart and if you have done wrong in the sight of God, the best thing you can do is to be honest about it and say, "I — haven't done everything right, but God is going to help me." — Somebody say, "Yes. — We're human and we're going to make mistakes — and sometimes we're going to make faulty decisions. — But when you find that you've made a faulty decision, don't keep on trying to justify yourself. — Is anybody hearing what I'm saying? — If you want to go on and and and live out what you have started with your mistake, you keep trying to justify — yourself and you'll have to live with the end result of it. But if you'll be honest enough and clean enough and pure — enough to say, "I didn't do it right. I made a mistake." There's a God in heaven — that will come to your rescue and he will fix things that you never dreamed he could fix. — Boy, I feel the Holy Ghost. I feel the Holy Ghost. — Does anybody feel like doing a little shuffle with me here tonight? Somebody scream yes. — When they said is this Naomi — Naomi, nobody else had accused her. Nobody else — had thrown stones at her. Nobody else had prejudged her. that they just made a — mistake. They were backsliding and no, nobody said any of that. — But Naomi is the one who evaluated their decision to do what she and her husband did. — Verse 20, when she heard, is this Naomi? She lifts her voice and — says, "Call me not Naomi. — Call me Mara." I learned — that the name Naomi in one word simply means pleasant. — But Mara with just one word definitions means sad. — And then she goes on after that immortal statement, "Call me not Naomi,

— call me Mara." But then this is her words, not an accuser. — This is her words. — The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. — And then listen to this. — She left because of a famine. — But listen at this statement and admission. — I went out full And the Lord — hath brought me home again empty. — Everybody say, "I went out full and she left because of a famine." — But looking back in rep retrospect, she's saying, "I went out full." — In other words, she went out with things that were more dear to her than just to have a a meal at a table. — So, I'm telling somebody again, there are some things that's worse than hunger. — Are you hearing what I'm saying? — I went out full. Looking back at it now, I was not even in need. — I just went out full. — But God have brought me back home again empty. — And then she winds up by saying, "The Lord hath testified against me. — The Almighty hath afflicted me." — Church, in today's world, one of the things that we find most difficult for people to do is to admit their error. — They can find any number of people — to blame their mistake on. — And when they can't think of somebody, well then society is helping them out by — saying if there's some misnomer in their life or some some some out of kel or something happening, well, — it was because of some abuse that they've suffered. Well, if you want to talk about abuse, my — mother and daddy loved me and they fed me and all this kind of stuff, but my mom and daddy whooped me. — I'm telling you, my mom and dad laid some stuff on me that if it was today, I'm afraid mom and daddy, if they were found out, would go to jail. — And I know we're living in a different time, but somebody hear me tonight. All of this business that we are being fed — in today's society is not going to hold up for all of us because there are some — things that we do ourselves and mistakes that we make and we'll never get the — favor of God on our lives until we own up to our mistake and confess ourselves — and go ahead and be honest enough and say, "I did wrong. I didn't do it right. — And I've got to have God to help me. — Somebody tighten your seat belt." But we're living in a society today — that your guilt or innocence over a situation is not necessarily determined by the evidence. — It can be determined by what nationality you are or what color your skin is before the evidence ever plays a part in — whether you're guilty or whether you're not guilty.

— Somebody hear me tonight. We've got to be honest before God. — Somebody hear me tonight. We've got to be honest before God. — because it's our honesty before God that's going to predetermine what God's going to do about it. — When that little old darling was as honest as she was about — what she and her precious husband had done and the fact that she had lost her — husband, lost her boys, and now coming back home because she had heard that God had — visited again. And she wanted to get back in, back in where revival was happening, — make it back in where bread is on the table. — make it back in to where the needs can be supplied — to where there's kinsmen and and family members and people that love you that — can help sustain you. And they're not all always there to — criticize you and prejudge you and and and and cast stones at you. Is somebody here? I want somebody to hear me tonight — when I tell you that everybody is not your enemy. — The devil wants to make every one of us think that everybody in the church is our enemy. Get off of that kick. There's — some people in this church that love you. It don't matter what's happened in your life. There's some people that love — you and will stand by you. They're not going to swallow everything that you've done. hook, line, and sinker, but — they're going to pray that God will bring you to a place of restoration. — Somebody say, "Yes." — The beautiful thing about Naomi, — God saw way in advance the attitude that she was going to have — over what had happened in her life and the fact that she was not going to — allow the people that were her strength — and her future livelihood and friends and neighbors. She was not — going to allow herself to be ostracized from them by getting all caught up in — this accusing them. They have mistreated me. They have done this or they've done that or they've done the other. I want — you to know a lot of that junk is nothing but a trick of the devil to separate you from the people that really — do love you and really do care for you and will feed you when you're hungry and you get out in the field. I want you to — hear me. If you'll have the right attitude, God's going to allow a little old girl by the name of Ruth to come — back home with you. And that little girl, Ruth, is going to find a place to work and glean in the field. And it's — going to be the right place for her to find. — how this has turned out to be one of the most awesome stories of a mistake that people made, — but yet one of the most colorful stories of divine restitution. — When repentance and a and an honest attitude will forego — and take to take ad the preeminence over — the negatives that somebody you may hear that they said or they said — people have had more repentance for things that they have done that were wrong. They've had more repentance

— stolen from them than what they could afford to have stolen. It don't matter — who who sides up to you and tells you, "Well, I think you were right by going to Moab. you if you feel it if you feel — it in your spirit that wasn't right and God has testified against me and I'm not going to push the point and I'm not — going to try to justify myself. God has spoken. God has testified and who am I — to try to justify? Don't let nobody justify you in your wrong if you know — you did wrong. You let your repentance be the order of the day. And if you'll repent and let that be your attitude, — God is going to come to your rescue. — So Ruth, they just — show up the exchange and then they find a place to stay. — And Naomi, boy, it's not a it it's not a nightmare anymore. — She's back home. She knows the ropes here. She knows what to do here. — And she says, "Ruth, — go out to the to the gathering place where the workers who are gathering sheav — join yourself to some of them and go to the field and you just stay behind what they're — doing and you just gather whatever the har ers leave behind. — Don't get out ahead and and and and go to No, no, no. You you stay behind — and you just gather what the harvesters leave. — She didn't know whose field she had come to. — She just she gets home tells Naomi, — she comes with a with it was unbelievable because while she was out there trailing the harvesters, picking — up a a sheave here and there, the owner of the field comes by and — says, "Who is this stranger?" And somebody said, "Well, this this this happens to be — you you remember Naomi coming Oh, yeah. Well, this is Naomi's daughter-in-law. — Oh, well, I'll tell you what, do. — If that's Naomi's daughter-in-law, I tell you what, do you just go along — out of what you have gathered and every once in a while she's following you and gathering some that — you thought you forgot. You just take a handful and on purpose drop it back behind you. — Is anybody hearing what I'm saying? — When we have the right attitude, God will let the owner of the field show up and question about who you are. And — when they find out who you are, it's going to strike a note somewhere deep. — Oh my God, that's something that's something that I need to be interested in. That's part of my kinsmen. That's part of my family. So, I'll tell you — what, you go ahead and take care of her and just drop some along the way on purpose. — And she got back home and found out all that she had been able to glean and garner from what she had gathered — and what the grain that she had brought home. — Naomi was was shocked of course. My how did this happen? Well, I was I happened to — find myself gleaning in the field of Boaz. — Oh, Boaz. That's a close kinsman to my husband.

— Oh, boy. I want somebody here tonight to know it didn't take no Naomi long to — find out the worth of being honest before God. and confessing upfront what — her mistake was. The fact that she hadn't done everything right. But is anybody hearing me tonight? It don't — take God long to let you know I appreciate you being honest about what you're saying. I'm glad I'm glad that — somebody has been honest about it and they found themselves by divine — providence in the field of boys. — Now Naomi was just a little bit I mean she was — very up to snuff on the ways. — So she told her daughter-in-law again and I'll tell you what I want you to go. I want you to go to this certain place tonight. — And when the meal is done and the food is and and and Boaz is is full and and — they've had their drink and all of this and when everybody kind of slips away, I want you — to find yourself a place at the feet of Boaz. — And poor little old Ruth, she said, "Okay." I mean, there's no problem to her because this is a strange country to her anyhow. And she did exactly. — And about midnight, her at the feet of this master of the farm that had — fallen asleep and dozed off and most everybody else was evidently gone. He looks and said, "Who are you?" And then she told him. — And then the light starts coming through and and and Boaz says, "I'll tell you what. — I don't want anything to happen until I get to the nearest kinsman redeemer. — There's one person ahead of me in line to take Meen or Chile, whichever one I — think was Mail to take his rightful place. There's one ahead of me, but I — want to make sure that he can't do it because I want to go ahead and raise up — a name for my kinsman. And it happened to be what we call a kinsman redeemer. — The nearest of kin could not do it. And Boaz says, "It's my chance." And he takes Ruth and takes her to be his wife. — And now you know it to be. — Well, let me let me go over to the last chapter of the book of Ruth and let me let me read it to you. — Now, these are the generations. — Well, maybe I should start with verse 16. — And Naomi took the child. Now, this was Boaz and Ruth's child. — Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the — women, her neighbors, gave it a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi." — And they called his name Oed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. — Is anybody hearing what I'm saying? — Because of Naomi's honesty and spirit about her mistake, — she didn't try to justify herself. She came clean with it all. But God — vindicated her repentance and allowed Ruth to come with — her. And Ruth became the bride of the kinsman redeemer and gave birth to a son — who was the grandfather or in the lineage of David himself. And being in

— the lineage of David, he was in the lineage of Jesus Christ. — How many of you would lift your hand and say, "I've taken a few bad turns in my life. — I made some bad decisions in my life. — I've toyed with some things and took some trips that weren't in God's plan in my life. — I made some decisions about what was good and what wasn't good, what was holy and what wasn't holy, what God loved and what God didn't love, what God accepted. — And I tell you what you better do. You better be very careful putting your label on anything that you're not so — sure about how God feels about it. — Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. But your decision is not the one that matters. — Everybody say my decision. Don't mean beans. — God's decision is the one that counts. — How many of you understand that our idea in today's world that don't me believe fat meets greasy? Our opinions about — what's holy and what what's not holy don't amount to a hill of beans. It's God's decision about it. We better — adjust ourselves to go to feeling the way God feels about some things. Because if we want to be justified in the end, — we're going to have to have that kind of an attitude to say, "God, you go ahead and be God, and I love what you do, and — I'll do everything I can to embrace your decision about everything that's in my life." — How many of you found some pretty runchy things happened in your life because you made some wrong decisions? — But in a spiritual sense, I want you to stand with me as we affirm, — but somehow God allowed me to find the field of Boaz. — Come on, say it with me. God allowed me to find the field of Boaz. — And there were some things that was left on purpose for me that I didn't deserve to have. And God allowed me favor with — Boaz that I didn't really deserve because I had a mother-in-law who had an attitude that was right. And me being — from Moab, I became a part of the lineage of Jesus Christ because Moab or — because Boaz, I'm sorry, was my kinsman — redeemer. Somebody hear me tonight. None of us was worth anything because we had — a track record and we came out of a world and we were worth a just a whole lot of nothing. But somehow God put us — in the right field. God gave us the right favor. And somehow now we have been taken in by the kinsman redeemer. — And what's his name? Would you say it with me loud? — The bottom line, if you want your life — to be blessed of God and the fact that we're all human beings and we're so proned and subject to — mistakes, if you will just simply make a decision, I'm going to be honest about it all and — I'm going to let God be my God and I'm going to own up to the things that I — need to own up to to let God call the shots in my life because I am so blessed to have this great salvation. — I don't deserve it, but I am blessed to have it. I want somebody here tonight to — know none of us really deserved a chance at an altar repenting of our sins, but — our kinsman redeemer saw that we were worthy of it. He saw that we wanted it and we needed it. I'm glad for my salvation.

— Somebody scream it with me. I'm glad for my salvation. — And if you're here tonight and you've never felt that you have gotten to first base — in making things work for you, maybe it's because you have been trying to connive here and there and cover for yourself. — You maybe not have never really known the beautiful art of repentance and God's forgiveness. — where God could take the broken pieces of your life and your shattered dreams. — God could put it all together and make it beautiful. Is there anybody here tonight like that? — I want every head bowed. — I want people in this building tonight that say, "Pastor, I didn't know what you was going to preach. didn't know what was going to — happen here, but maybe maybe you've opened up some things to me tonight that I need to consider. — Maybe I do need to come down to that altar and just say, "God, I'm sorry. I haven't done — everything right. I haven't been truthful about everything, and I want you to help me. I want you to — pick up the pieces of my broken dreams and I want you to help me to make the best of the rest of my life. I want — people everywhere in this building that would like to come toward this front admitting what I've just asked you. I — want God to take the broken pieces of my dream for my honesty and allow me to have the best for the rest of my life. — Would you mind everybody? Head bowed, eye closed. Come on, if you're in the building and you want to come front — because we're going to pray together and we're going to pray for one another and we're going to pray that God would touch everybody's life in this building. God's — going to do some miracles. God's going to do some things for some people here tonight. God's going to do some things for some people. Church, if there's — anybody in the house, if you feel disposed, please ease to where somebody is. Let the Holy Ghost lead you right — now. Reach out. Get a hold of somebody's hand and say, "I would be so honored to walk with you toward the front." Let's — work together, church. There's people here tonight that really want the things in their life to happen. They just don't — know how to get there. Up until this point, they've just tried to make it the best way they know how to do, and they — didn't know a whole lot about how to do it. But tonight, tonight is a beautiful chance. I'd like for — everybody to lift your hands and let's pray while those that would work the congregation and just invite people to — come and pray with you right now. Come on. Come on. Come on. Find somebody and invite them toward the front. We want to have a good prayer meeting together. — Somebody here tonight needs to find their kinsman redeemer. Somebody needs to find the field of Boaz. Somebody — needs to know. They need to find those handfuls that's dropped on purpose. God — has provided a miracle for you. It's just that you've got to find it. You've got to find it. — And pastor is preaching it to you tonight. — That's beautiful. Come right on. Come right on. — Sister Vonnie, I want you to start singing. Brother Landy, I turn the service. I want y'all to work with