Ruth 1:6-18

Proposition: Because God is in control of all things we should faithfully follow him

Introduction:

The moment of air created by the wings of a butterfly may seem inconsequential, but some have theorized that it may have enormous impact, it is called The butterfly effect, and it basically says that an inconsequential act like flutter of a butterfly wing could set in motion a chain of events that slowly build into large weather events like a tornado or a hurricane.

Or we see this in the movie Back to the future as Doc Brown says to Marty Mcfly, don’t interact with anyone because even the smallest change can alter your entire future.

Or in real life we can see this too. Frank Willis, a security guard at a hotel was making his rounds, as he was making his rounds he notices that a door was cracked ever so slightly. He went over to it and found a piece of ducky tape around the door lock to prevent it from closing all the way. He removed the tape and moved on, half an hour later he came back, and the door was open again with a new piece of duct tape. So he called the police. And that night 5 men were arrested setting off one of the biggest US political scandles, that we know today as Watergate.

Is the flap of a butterfly wing random chance? Or was Frank Willis’s keen eye random chance? Or is there an order to the universe? The author of Ruth would have us believe that God orders and controls all things.

In our passage we see God in control of all things. Even actions of individuals, mysteriously are also presented as something God does.

FCF:

But here is the issue that many of us have or will wrestle with. How do you follow a God who is in control of all things, yet many times from our perspective there is so much that looks out of control. Especially when the future is so unpredictable. The future seems especially uncertain for Christian today in America. It looks like orthodox Christian belief is “on the wrong side of history” as some have said. This might not be how we would imagine things going if God was in control.

FCF:

What does it look like to trust God, when around you things arent

much of life looks out of control. When the future seems very uncertain.

There is a cost to following God, especially if it looks like he is not in control, when the future seems uncertain. It can look like quite a risk.

But our passage this morning shows us a God who is in control, of the good and the bad, the big and the small.

Following God does not always seem the most sensible thing to do, especially when we don’t know the future. Many people look at the current state of our nation and think, it does not look like God is in control, if he is maybe he is just a bad driver.

Or maybe

The big question at the beginning of the sermon:

f God is really in control of all things, what should we do?

So, if God really is in control of all things even when things seem to not be going well from our perspective, what do we do?

Well our passage in Ruth shows us what we might do. So Let’s jump in

Headline: The high and uncertain cost of going

Scene 1: 6-14

Ear

It had been over a decade since Naomi left with her husband and two sons. The famine was harsh, but their deaths brought an empty loneliness was even harsher. She was alone, well almost alone, her daughters in-law Orpah and Ruth were still by her side, why? she could not tell you, but they were there, but she was still alone. Then one day she caught wind of some news. The Lord, her lord, provided food for her cousins and aunts and uncles back in Bethlehem. But this time she did not get her hopes up, but God was bringing her back home so she followed.

She got up early the next morning and started packing her things, she noticed Orpah and Ruth packing too, she did not say anything though, not yet, she kept her mouth shut so they would not try and persuade her to stay.

So after gathering her things

Naomi started walking, Ruth and Orpah right by her side. They walk in silence for some time, all the while Naomi is thinking, why are they continuing to walk, why wont they just leave go back to their home. After a couple of miles of pregnant silence, Naomi stops. She gathers herself, and breaks the silence, and with as much gratitude as she can muster she speaks,

“Go

Go, go back to your home, thank you for coming this way, but you really need to go back. And gently pulling their heads in near to hers and she sees their exhaustion and grief, they too are worn by loss, and with her hand on their heads and tears streaming down her checks Naomi sends her daughters off with a blessing “may the Lord grant that you find rest,”

Once they gather themselves, Orpah and Ruth now speak together, we will go with you to your people. But Naomi, wants none of this, and like the scene from White Fang with Ethan Hawk yelling at the wolf-dog to go, get out of here, she tries to convince them to leave.

and tries to convince them to leave, she kinda goes off on them

Once they gather themselves, Orpah and Ruth speak to Naomi “we will go with you to your people.”

But Naomi, wants none of this, and like the scene from White Fang with Ethan Hawk yelling at the wolf-dog to go, get out of here, she tries to convince them to leave.

Don’t you know how dangerous it is to be a widow and a foreigner, in these times, back in my home everyone is doing whatever is right in their own eyes. You would not make it for more than a few years maybe, if that. I would be happy for you to marry one of my sons, but as you can see that is not going to happen because they are dead, and even if by some miracle I were to give birth today, would you even wait for him? No, no you would’nt

And besides, you don’t want to be with me. The Lord’s gives me only bitter water to drink. I don’t know why, and I don’t know if that will change when I go back home. But he is bringing me back so I have to follow.

Tears again fall as they embrace on the open road. Orpah, she knows the cost of going, she wants to go, but as widow and a foreigner among a people who hate her simply because she is a Moabite, is just too much. She loves Naomi, but the uncertainty, and oh the cost. The future is too uncertain for Orpah, and there seems to be much more security and safety back in Moab, it would probably be an easier life, she thinks. What to do?

Ruth holds on, but Orpah lets go.

Application:

The only problem with this is that “God’s wonderful plan for your life” probably does not always look wonderful. It might look like Naomi’s.

There is a cost to following God. To being a Christian. For Orpah the cost was an uncertain future and the reality was that she would more than likely be a widow for the rest of her life. We can almost hear the echo of Jesus words when he said that if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me.

There is a cost to following God

There is a cost to following God

The days are dying when being a Christian, and being a part of a Church was not only socially acceptable, but possibly good for your social status, these days are gone in many places already, and they are dying here.

Right now the cost of following Jesus is not felt so much in affirming a belief, like the resurrection, people are actual more open to the possibility of miracles now than they have been in a while, but the cost is felt in the area of ethics, and particularly sexual ethics, is where a Christian can feel cultural pressure.

For some following what God says in his word when it comes to our sexuality will, like Orpah, make marriage seem like an uncertain possibility. How will you get married if everyone expects that you live together before you get married. Will you follow God when the future looks uncertain. Is he in control of all things? Or is the universe random chance?

Or when your good friend or adult child tells you he or she is living a gay lifestyle. Will you be able to cherish their friendship and unconditionally love them, and always welcome them at your table with out affirming everything they do. It would be a risk, for the future of the relationship may be uncertain.

In the American South it has been possible to be at a church for

There is always a cost to following God. For you it may not be in the area of sexual ethics, but there is always a cost.

A number of years ago there was this famous evangelism method called the Four Spiritual laws, and the first spiritual law that was shared with someone being evangelized was “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”

Orpah let go, but Ruth held on.

The only problem with this is that “God’s wonderful plan for your life” probably does not always look wonderful. It might look like Naomi’s.

So if God is really in control of all things, what should we do?

So if the cost of following God is high and uncertain to us, for we do not know what the future holds, what is needed in order to go?

Ruth did not have any more knowledge than Orpah, but she clung in faithfulness to Naomi and God.

Headline: The unwavering commitment needed to go

Scene 2: 15-18

Ruth clung to her she would not let go. The sound of Orpah’s cries and the crunching of dirt under her feet were fading. Ruth wont even look, not even as Naomi is urging her, “look Orpah walking home, you know that world those people their your people, those are your god’s you know those gods, go back.”

Ruth will have none of it, she clings even tighter. Once Naomi stops pleading with her to go back, Ruth loosens her grip and says with more force, and clarity than earlier. “Naomi, you don’t understand, I am not just going with you to your people, you don’t get it, I can never go back, when I married Mahlon, your son, I began to worship the Lord alone. And while yes I have lost so much, even the one I loved as my own soul. I have gained more life than I ever thought possible. Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

she is not simply saying she will go with Naomi to her people.

I am with you, until death, and even in death I will be with you, with God as my witness, may he take my life if anything whether its tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger if anything but death separate us.

Catching her breath Ruth waited for Naomi to say something, but Naomi said nothing.

Naomi could see that there was noting she could say, nothing she could do, to change Ruth's mind. She just turned and kept walking. In silence the two widows marched to a land know only as a distant memory.

Application:

Ruth turned away from her family, familiar surroundings, religious traditions, She turned from that to follow God and the almost sure possibility that she would not remarry, and she clung to Naomi.

Little did Ruth know that this faithful act of following God and clinging to Naomi would play a role in God’s extraordinary plan of redemption.

Ruth did not have any more knowledge than Orpah, but she clung in faithfulness to Naomi and God.

Sometimes we think that if we just knew what God’s future plan was, then it would be a whole lot easier to follow him, if I just knew what the future held, should I change jobs, move, go to this school or that, but the future is God’s plan, what he calls us to is to follow him by being faithfulness to the place and people he has given us.

Ruth did not have any more knowledge than Orpah, but she followed God and clung to Naomi

God has called us to do the same to follow him in by showing ordinary faithfulness to the people he has put in our lives. And who knows what story he might write in our lives, but in some mysterious way he will use our faithfulness to tell his story the greatest story the world has ever known.

God is in control of this story, and Ruth got to play her part.

Sometimes we think that what is required to follow God is knowing the plan ahead of time.

Transition:

Headline: Faithfulness in bitter distress

Scene 3: 19-21

But what does faithfulness look like for us if the story God is writing looks more like a tragedy than a comedy?

The weeks journey was coming to an end as Ruth and Naomi stagger into Bethlehem. More than a decade has past since Naomi left, everything looks the same, but it is all is so different. A stranger walking into town causes a ruckus especially if it is two women, traveling by themselves. But, one is no stranger, Naomi is seen, the women, her old friends, the women she worshiped with, farmed with, cooked with, the women who helped wrangle her two boys when they would get into trouble. She sees them, and they see her, and with exited hope they come to greet their old friend, is this Naomi, is this the pleasant woman we always knew.

An stranger walking into town causes a ruckus especially if it is two women, traveling by themselves.

Naomi, heard her name and

For Naomi, every time she heard her name it was like hearing a cruel joke.

“Pleasant, no my name is not pleasant, that name left me in Moab, don’t call me pleasant anymore. Call me bitter, because God has given me only bitter water to drink.”

The smiles on her old friends faces fell, and everyone began to shush the kids who were singing and dancing. The ruckus died down.

Naomi continues, “Don’t you remember what it was like when I left. Sure there was a famine, life was hard. We could not grow grain, and our livestock was dying and we were hungry. But when I left even though by belly was hungry, I went away full, I had a full life, I had a good husband, I had two strong boys. I went away full, but God has brought me back empty.

Why would you call me pleasant? When God who is not only my judge, but also seems to be the only witness and has testified against me, and so it seems I am sentenced to a life of trouble.

Pleasant, no, maybe that was me at one time, but that woman is gone. All that stands here to day is a bitter woman, who has drunk bitter water from the hand of God.

Application:

If Naomi were to walk into most churches and say something like this she would probably be encouraged to not think so negatively, or maybe someone would want to correct her theology, that is not how God works.

I doubt that we would see her as an example of faithfulness and having a deep and rich relationship with God. We might give her the benefit of the doubt that this is just the grief talking.

But, Naomi is an example of what ordinary faithfulness looks like. You see the Bible not only tolerates this kind complaint, the Bible honors this kind of complaining, it is the proper stance of someone who takes God seriously.

You see Naomi knew that God is in control of all things, and if he is in control of all things, he is the one who can do something about it.

If God is not in control, then it is all hopeless, but ordinary faithfulness sees God in control of all things, and because of that we can complain and lament, and plead for change.

You see Naomi even as she has experienced bitterness, she went back to Bethlehem, God brought her back. She heard the news of God’s provision and followed him. She had not lost faith, but acting in faith God brought her back to Bethlehem.

She knew God was in control and even though she had lost everything, she followed God.

Conclusion:

Because

Scene 1: 6-14

Scene 2: 15-18

Transition:

Headline: Faithfulness in bitter distress

All along in our passage we have seen God in control, in sending food and provision and even mysteriously behind calamity, our passage said it was God who brought Naomi back, even though it was Naomi’s feet that did the walking. God is behind all things and in control of all things. Nothing is left to chance.

So if God is in control, what do we do when the world seems so out of control, and the future is uncertain? We should follow him. For nothing is left to chance, and nothing is with out meaning. In a very mysterious way God will use all things to tell his glorious story.

You see Ruth followed God in showing faithfulness to Naomi. When Ruth clung to Naomi on that open road she did not know that she would get married, she did not know that she would have a son who would save Naomi’s family name from dying off and being forgotten. She did not know that her son would be grandfather to king David, the man after God’s own heart.

And she did not know that her great grandson King David would be the many great grandfather to Jesus Christ the savior of the world, who did not just save one family's name from dying off, but all the families of the world.

did not know her eventual son would be the grandfather to king David, or that David would be the many great grandfather to Jesus Christ the savior of the world. She was just acting in faithfulness to Naomi.

God is in control, life is not just random chance, God is in control of the ups and the downs, and he is writing the greatest redemption story the world has ever know.

And eventually all that

Because

This means that

Scene 3: 19-21

If God is in control we should follow him

The Big idea at the end of the sermon

We should journey where he leads

Both Ruth and Naomi saw the same things, and they both journeyed back

God is in control of all things we should faithfully follow him