Transformed By Ruth (2)

Watch Out For Deception

Ruth 1:6–7 NLT

6 Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.

Pray

Confession of Faith

I am not moved by what I see or by what I feel. I am moved by what I believe. I believe the WORD of God! The victory is mine! I have it now! I can see it through the eyes of my faith! In Jesus Name

Intro:

We have talked about Staying Committed to God no matter what the situation looks like! We are reminded to walk by faith and not by sight! Now, Elimelech and His Wife Naomi made decisions based on what they saw and abandon their commitment to God! They moved the family from the place of blessing Bethlehem to a place of God’s enemies Moab! While in Moab Elimelech died and so did his two sons who had married Moabite Women! This left 3 Women as widows!

When we make mistakes, we cannot deceive ourselves and try to hide our mistakes!

Ruth 1:6 NCV

6 While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had come to help his people and had given them food again. So she and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and return home.

God took care of His faithful people who stayed in Bethlehem during the time of the famine! But he never visited Naomi! Naomi heard the report that the famine had ended; and when she heard the good news, she decided to return home.

This reminds me of the scripture about the prodigal son in

Luke 15:17 NKJV

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

He’re is what I have come to realize and stand on

There is always "bread enough and to spare" when you are in God’s will .

So many people only hear about God’s blessings, but they never experience God’s blessings , because they are not in the place where God can bless them.

I remember so many times I have asked God to Bless Me or Bless United Christian Fellowship, or bless a ministry! I remember reading a story where young people in a ministry was asking God to Bless the ministry and The Pastor Got up and said

"Lord, we've asked you to bless the ministry , but, please, Lord, make us blessable."

That hit me like a ton of bricks - Am I Blessable By God

Am I in the right place to be blessed by God! Have I repented from my sins

Am I deceiving myself and calling what God says is wrong Right!

Have I moved myself from the place of blessing, because I have been walking by sight and not by faith!

many of us have to admit to God, Lord, I’m Not Blessable

Whenever we disobeyed God

Whenever we move out of his permissive will

Whenever we follow the crowd instead of following the word

Whenever we sin

We must confess our sin and go back to the place of blessing!

Even Abraham, when he was operating in sin had to return to his place of blessing

Genesis 12:10 NKJV

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

Genesis 13:1–4 NKJV

1 Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. 2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

Genesis 35:1 NKJV

1 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”

God is always calling us to turn away from sin and return to him!

God loves us so much, that when he see’s move out of his protective will, he will send someone with a word, or he will sen a worship song to you, he will send a sermon to you as a plea to confess and return to him! Return to the place where you receive your blessing

The bible tells us

Isa. 55:7

Isaiah 55:7 NLT

7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

So Naomi, decided to go back to Bethleham

I believe Naomi's decision was right, but her motive was wrong.

Naomi was still interested primarily in food, but not in fellowship with God.

What I did not read in the text, was Naomi confessing her sins to God and asking Him to forgive her.

She was returning to her land but not to her Lord.

It’s funny - people want to return to a church building, but they don’t want to return to the Lord!

Also, there is something else was wrong in the way Naomi handled this decision: She did not want her two daughters-in-law to go with her.

If it was right for Naomi to go to Bethlehem, where the true and living God was worshiped, then it was right for Orpah and Ruth to accompany her.

If Naomi going back was good for her, why wasn’t going to live in Bethlehem not good enough for her two daughters - in law

Sometime we are so selfish! God is good for us, but not for us to share with others!

Instead, Naomi tried to influence the two women to go back to their families and their false gods.

Say Transformation!

We have the light, we have the truth, we have the way - which is Jesus Christ!

We have to tell people! We have to share the gospel, we can’t keep this to ourselves and only have it for us!

This is an opportunity for us to fill every church building, to fill every on-line ministry! There is enough Jesus for everyone!

If God is good enough for you, he is good enough for your family members, God is good enough for your friends, Jesus is good enough for your co-workers, He is all any of us will ever need!

This is a cry, a call to all of us- not to just keep the best thing that every happened to you - to your self!

Now here’s the deal

Sometimes we don’t want to bring people back to church

because we want to cover up our disobedience!

Here is Naomi, she broke the law of Moses - when she let her sons marry Moabite women!

So she get’s her self together, but doesn’t want to bring them with her because that is evidence that she sinned! Her Family had broken the law!

How many of us have sinned, and involved other people in our sin! But when we are ready to go back to the Lord, we never bring the people with us!

Proverbs 28:13 NKJV

13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

When we try to cover our sins, it's proof that we really haven't faced them honestly and judged them according to God's Word. True repentance involves honest confession and a brokenness within.

Psalm 51:17 NCV

17 The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin.

Say Transformation

We were in bible study recently and one of the Brothers kept reminding us that Sin is a Heart Issue - WHEN WE REPENT AND ARE TRULY, Godly sorrowful our spirits are broken - our spirits are broken for God!

There is so much in this text that speaks to the heart!

Ruth 1:7–9 NLT

7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. 8 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.

Then they daughter hit Naomi with this:

Ruth 1:10 NKJV

10 And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”

What an opportunity to witness to these two women! What an opportunity to bring someone who is loss into the saving knpowledge of Who God is and How much God loves you!

They said to Naomi we are coming with you! How many of us have people ask - What Church Do You Go To? or Can you Pray for me, Or there is something different about you! How many people we come across that we can invite to worship service! and we don’t! We may not say it literally, but just like Naomi - we are only focused on our selves!

Ruth 1:11–13 NKJV

11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!”

She presented God as this mean God, who’s hand has gone out against me!

Right now, Naomi’s motives are not what we would call loving, they are more selfish and self-centered!

Thank God, Jesus is not like that! His love for us was not focused on him, but everything he did was for you and I to be in intimate relationship with God the father! Everything Jesus did was so that we would have eternal life with God! Everything Jesus did was out of a deep love for those who didn’t know him, didn’t love him, and sinned against him! He never did it for himself - he did it for God!

Part of Transformation is really looking at ourselves in light of what the bible says! Transformation is submitting ourselves to the word of God! Transformation is committing our selves to God and walking by faith and not by sight!

God Bless You and God keep you - Is My prayer