(Breath of Life Theme Music)
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Sermon #B710 - Moabite
By Birth, Hebrew By Choice
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Dr Byrd: It is time to get in
the word now. And so I want to
invite you to take your Bibles
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and go with me to the book of
Ruth, the book of Ruth, Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus numbers,
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Deuteronomy Joshua, Judges,
Ruth. Ruth, the eighth book of
the old Testament in the Bible.
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And we are going to chapter one,
Ruth chapter one. And we are
going to go to verse number 16,
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a very familiar passage of
scripture, Ruth chapter one,
verse number 16. The word of God
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says to us, I read in your
hearing and Ruth said, 'and
treat me not to leave me or to
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return from following after thee
for whereth thou goeth, I will
go and whereth thou lodgeth I
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will lodge people shall be my
people. And I God, my God, where
thou dies, will I die and there
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will I be buried. The Lord do so
to me and more also if ought,
but death part being and me
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today, I have tagged this text
with the subject Moabite by
birth Hebrew, by choice Moabite
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by birth, Hebrew by choice God
today we thank you that you have
sent encampments. Roundabout,
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me, Lord whom shall I fear. And
so while the devil and is imps,
maybe trying to make it up on
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this rostrum to distract me
right now in the name of Jesus.
I am so glad to know there are
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encampments of angels,
roundabout, me, and though the
devil may be trying to seek
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entrance in somebody's home
right now, distracting them from
hearing this word right now.
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I am so glad that there are
encampments of angels around
your people. So Lord speaks for
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your servant heareth today.
Forgive me of my sins. Hide
behind the cross of Jesus Christ
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and Lord. I pray when we
should've of culminated the end
of this semester today, the men
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and women, boys, and girls would
give their lives to you. Give me
clarity of thoughts. I pray.
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I will be in tune with your
spirits and I pray that your
people have the reception of
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heart. Today. We pray this
prayer in Jesus' name and for
His sake, amen. Moabite by birth
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Hebrew by choice. Let me begin
today by asking you a question
who and what are you committed
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to who and what are you
committed to your spouse, your
children, your family, your
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church, your job success. What
does commitment look like for
you? Because it seems as if we
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are now living in a world with
little to no commitment and
people operate on the mindset of
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I am free to do whatever I want
to do. God is the commitment to
marriage till death do us part
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has now become a 90-day option.
People change mates like they
change clothes. Gone is the
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commitment in the marketplace.
People are no longer loyal to
certain stores. Store owners are
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no longer loyal to their
customers because we are no
longer customers. We are
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consumers gone is the commitment
to the job. People will tell you
in a minute, I am just here for
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a paycheck, or I am just using
this job as a stepping stone to
something else gone is the
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commitment to the church. People
used to work in the church,
serve in the church, sacrifice
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for the church. But today people
will tell you I am tired. I am
busy. I cannot. And I will not.
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But in our text today, we find
one of the greatest examples of
commitment ever recorded in
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scripture. It is the story of a
woman. We know as Ruth women
remember are mentioned
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throughout scripture, but out of
all 66 named the books of the
Bible, only two Ruth and Esther
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are named after women. Last
week, we preached on Esther.
Today we preach on Ruth. Now in
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the context surrounding the book
of Ruth, you need to know that
these were terrible times for
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the nation of Israel. These were
difficult days. These were the
days of the judges. When Israel
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was caught in a vicious cycle of
disobedience and defeat,
everybody did what was right in
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their own eyes. And the nation
was in a moral mess. So God sent
a famine to Bethlehem Judah to
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get their attention. He also
allowed terrorists to attack
their land, but none of it
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seemed to do much good. The
nation, the Bible teaches, kept
getting worse and worse and
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worse. So what does God do? God
says I will send a family and I
will send a famine to the land
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and I will do this but
understand and sending a famine
to get their attention. Things
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did not get better, but things
kept getting worse. So then
instead of staying put and
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trusting, God Bible says, there
is a man named Elimelech, who
decides to move his family from
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Bethlehem Judah to Moab. So they
depart from their home choosing
to leave God's land. And God's
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people they are running away
from trouble. But more than
that, they are running away from
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the Lord. They leave Bethlehem,
the house of bread. They leave
Judah, the place, praise, and
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they go, the Bible says to Moab,
a pagan region, a land, a false
gods, a land that God describes
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in Psalm 108:9 as his wash pot
or his washbowl. So rather than
trusting God to turn things
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around in Bethlehem Judah, they
leave the house of bread and
they leave the place of praise
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for a garbage can. The Bible
says, Elimelech his wife, Naomi.
And their two sons Mahlon and
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Chilion go to Moab. And they
stayed there. They had intended
originally to stay just for a
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short time. But the Bible says
they ended up staying there for
an extended long time. And
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somebody knows that is what sin
will do. Sin will always take
you further than you want it to
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go. Sin will keep you longer
than you want it to say. And sin
will cost you more than you
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wanted to pay Elimelech and his
family-run from the Lord, but
you know, you can run, but you
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cannot hide when they get to
Moab things, turn on them again.
Elimelech dies. Naomi is then a
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widow and left with her two sons
Mahlon and Chilion. They married
two Moabite girls. They take
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wives from a nation that doesn't
worship the almighty God. They
take wives from false religion,
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a pagan culture. They are now
unequally yoked. 2 Corinthians
6:14 says be not unequally yoked
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together with unbelievers,
somebody is mad, but I am trying
to help you get to the kingdom
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who you marry will very well
impact where you spend eternity.
Somebody needs to say today, I
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do not have time to be trying to
change anybody. You better be
changed before you get with me.
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Are you hearing what I am
saying? Somebody, you better
tell somebody I am not here for
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social work. You ought to tell
somebody. Jesus is the best
thing that ever happened to me
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and anybody who loves me has to
love him. Like he loves me. Are
you hearing what I am saying? I
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am here to tell somebody, quit
doing permanent things with
temporary people. Mahlon and
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Chilion married these Moabite
girls, Ruth and Orpah and then
Mahlon and Chilion died Their
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departure from God led to
obedience, disobedience, and
their disobedience now leads to
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death. Now in the story, all
three women, Naomi, Ruth, and
Orpah are widows. All three of
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their husbands are dead. So what
is Naomi decided to do? Naomi
says you know what? I am going
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back to Moab. I am going back to
my Homeland because she hears
that God has visited his people
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in Bethlehem Judah. So she's on
her way back to Bethlehem and
her two daughters in law, Ruth
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and Orpah are on their way back
with her. But then they only
stop and says, hold up or hold
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up, Ruth, wait a minute. You do
not need to go with me. You need
to go back to your Homeland. You
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need to go find new husbands and
you need to start a new life. I
am too old to get married and
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have sons. And even if I were to
get married and have sons, they,
when they get grown, you'd be
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too old to marry them. Anyway, I
have nothing. I have no husband.
I have no money. I have no
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power. I have nothing. Leave me
and save yourself. Go home.
Orpah thinks about what Naomi is
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saying. She wants to go to
Bethlehem, but she wants to go
back to Moab. She wants to go
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with Naomi, but she also
remembers the bright lights of
Moab. Her going back to Moab has
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a stronger pool than her going
to Bethlehem. Orpah in this
context is an example of one who
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has been exposed to the gospel
of Jesus but never submits to
his offer of salvation. Orpah Is
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like those who attend church,
but never know God in the
building, but not in the body,
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in the sanctuary, but not in the
spirits. Know the 23rd psalms,
but know the shepherd, know the
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commandments, but do not know
Christ know the Lord's prayer,
but do not know God Lord, know
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religion, but do not know the
relationship. Orpah is not
interested in living a godly
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life, Orpah desires the gods of
Moab. So she puts the needs of
her body before the needs of her
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soul. She goes back, the Bible
says to her gods, she goes back
to a land where God is not
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welcome. Orpah's choice meant
that her descendants wouldn't
hear about God and would become
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the enemies of God. Because Moab
was a strong enemy of Israel.
Are you hearing what I am
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saying? The Bible then never
again speaks about Orpah and so
it is very likely that Orpah
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died without God. But then Ruth
stands in contrast to Orpah Yes,
they have the same past. Yes,
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they have the same present, but
they also have different
futures. Ruth chooses God over
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the gods of Mohab. And she
clings to Naomi because she sees
Godliness in the Naomi that she
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wants in her own life. Because I
am a witness that if you live a
godly life, if you live a life
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of dignity, honesty, integrity,
and honour, somebody will see
the God in you and they will
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want to cling to you. You'll see
it when you are nice. When
you're kind and you're polite
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and you're encouraging, you
cannot get rid of people. But
when you're a sour, when you're
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nasty, when you're messy, when
you're mean-spirited, people do
not want to be around you. Ruth
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saw God in Naomi. Ruth clings to
Naomi. And when Naomi was trying
to get her to go back home, Ruth
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says, no, I am not going,
although her husband had died,
although she was in the prime of
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her life, although she could
have gone back home, hit the
reset button, found a new man,
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start a new life. She tells
Naomi, 'Where you go, I will go.
Where you lodge, I will lodge.
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Your people shall be my people
and your God, my God, wherever
you die, I will die too. There
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will I be buried? May the Lord
do thus. And so to me, and more
as well, even if that parts me
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for you.' Now that is commitment
folk. And she pledges this
commitment and three ways
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without reservation. Number one,
this commitment is costly
because she gives up her future
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and her freedom to care for
Naomi. She thought that she
would never marry or have
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children, but even as a young
widow, she committed to caring
for her ageing widowed
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mother-in-law. But not only
that, she gives up her
familiarity, Ruth, a Moabite
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woman, a woman who had never
been to Bethlehem. She looks at
her mother-in-law. She looks at
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Naomi and says, I am all in. I
am going to leave the land where
I was born to go to a land that
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I know nothing about. She gives
up family and friends. She says
to Naomi, your people shall be
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my people. She gives up her
fate. She says, your God shall
be my God. Her commitment was
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costly, but not only was her
commitment costly. Number two,
her commitment was long-term.
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Ruth said, 'where you die will
die.' That is a till death do us
part commitment. She did not
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approach this commitment with
the mindset that a change. If
things get tough or do not work
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out the way she wants she'll
bounce, she'll leave. No. She
had the mindset that if things
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do not work out, I will work
harder. This commitment was
long-term. But then number
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three, this commitment was
spiritual. She says the Lord do
so to me, she did not, did not
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just make this vow to Naomi, but
she also made this vow to God.
Ruth was a Moabite by birth, but
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a Hebrew. And Israelite by
choice. She chose to stick with
Naomi. She chose to stick with
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Naomi's people. She chose to
stick with Naomi's God. And so
Ruth follows Naomi to Bethlehem.
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But the Bible says that when
Naomi gets to the city, the
people there in the city see how
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life has turned on. Naomi, Naomi
left. Beautiful. But now she's
worn. She left young, but now
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she's old. She left married, but
now she's single. She's lost her
husband. She's lost her two
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sons. She doesn't walk as
quickly as she once did. She
doesn't stand up as straight as
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she once did the women in
Bethlehem start gossiping about
her. The women start talking
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about her behind her back saying
she left here looking good but
look at her. Now she was fine
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and young. But look at her. Now
she had money then. But look at
her. Now she left home full, but
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now she comes back empty. And
when they see her they are
socked and they say is this
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Naomi? Naomi says, do not call
me. Naomi. Call me Mara for the
Almighty has dealt bitterly with
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me. Naomi then brings Ruth with
her, a Moabite woman, a pagan
woman, an outsider from the
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other side of the tracks. She is
not a church girl. She hasn't
gone to Oakwood. She's not a
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member of the church. And you
know how we can treat outsiders.
If they do not look like us,
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dress like us, walk like us.
Talk like us. Act like us. Smell
like us or worship like us. They
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cannot be with us. You see? We'd
like to talk evangelism. We
liked the idea of evangelism. We
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liked the concept of evangelism.
We like to give money to support
evangelism. We'd like to get
00:19:55.56\00:20:06.40
money to support water drives,
but do not mess up our nice
pretty church with your outsider
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ways. We leave Ruth outside, But
praise God for the Naomi's of
the church. I said, praise God
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For the Naomis of the church.
Naomi says to Ruth, Ruth, I do
not care what they say about
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you. These folk aren't as Holy
as they are trying to act their
grey now, but they haven't
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always been grey. They are old
now, but they all haven't always
been old. They are in church
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now, but they haven't always
been in church . I know some
things about them that they are
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not going to say. So come and go
with me. We are going to church.
I am here to say that. Aren't
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you glad that when nobody else
wants you, God will raise up
some people in your life? Aren't
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you glad that when nobody else
wants to be around you, God will
raise up some friends in your
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life? When everybody else thinks
that you'll never make it
because you used to be on drugs.
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You used to be on alcohol. You
had a baby before you were
married. You got divorced. But
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God says I can still use you.
Somebody are you glad for the
Naomis of the church? Do not you
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look down on others because of
where you are, because what goes
up can come down and all the
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folk who are on top today,
cannot be on the bottom
tomorrow? Are you hearing what I
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am saying? Bible says that Ruth
and Naomi, try to take care of
themselves. Ruth's out in the
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field gleaning. She's gleaning
in Boaz's field. Boaz notices
that she's a good worker. He
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tells her that she can glean in
his field all the time. When
Ruth gets home, she has more
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gleanings than normal. Naomi
wants to know Ruth, where did
you get all that grain from?
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Ruth then starts talking about
Boaz. I met a man, but Naomi
says it is Boaz. Now you need to
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remember that Naomi and Ruth are
widows and they need a kinsmen
redeemer. Boaz is that one. So
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Naomi says to Ruth, Ruth, come
here, girl. Let me show you how
to get that, man. She says,
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Ruth, put some perfume on. Ruth,
put some on. Ruth, wear some
heels and shave those legs.
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Ruth, get your nails done. Ruth,
fix her hair, fix yourself up,
make yourself look good and go
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stand out in that field. So Boaz
can see you. I am trying to help
somebody today. Boaz sees Ruth.
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Ruth is a picture of beauty and
grace Boaz wants to marry Ruth.
But there is a family member.
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Who's closer than Boaz. And so
Boaz has to get that family
member out of the picture so he
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can get in the picture. You all
don't hear what I am saying. So
Boaz goes to that family member
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and in harmony with the customs
of that day, Boaz, the Bible
says, takes his shoe off and he
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makes a covenant with the
closest family member and says
I'll buy Naomi's land back and I
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will take care of Naomi and
everything. And everyone
connected to Naomi, including
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Ruth. So he buys back, Naomi's
land. And now he has the
responsibility for Naomi. Ruth
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marries Boaz. They have a son
named Obed. Obed has a son named
Jesse. Jesse has a son named
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David. David becomes King of
Israel and the Messiah comes out
of the bloodline of David. And
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so when you read the genealogy
of Jesus, there is a woman by
the name of Ruth, a Moabite and
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pagan woman in his bloodline.
Jesus comes out of the blood of
David and David comes out of the
00:24:36.14\00:24:44.71
bloodline of Ruth. Jesus was
born in Bethlehem, smuggled into
Africa, reared in Nazareth,
00:24:44.75\00:24:52.19
baptized in the muddy Jordan
misunderstood by his family,
condemned by the government,
00:24:52.22\00:24:59.59
arrested in Gethsemane, wounded
in his side, crucified on
Calvary, buried in a borrowed
00:24:59.63\00:25:07.27
tomb, but on the third appointed
day, one Sunday morning, Jesus
rose from the dead. And today,
00:25:07.30\00:25:18.11
if you're looking for a Boaz,
he's already coming in the
person of Jesus Christ. He is
00:25:18.15\00:25:27.19
Abraham's redeemer. Abel's
vindicator Abraham's sacrifice.
Noah's Ark. Moses's Burning
00:25:27.22\00:25:33.86
Bush. Joshua's battle ax.
Gideon's fleece. Samson's power.
David's music. Solomon's wisdom.
00:25:33.90\00:25:43.91
He's a friend when you're
friendless. He's bread when
you're hungry. He's water when
00:25:43.94\00:25:48.08
you're thirsty. Jehovah Jireh my
provider. Jehovah Nissi my
banner. Jehovah Rapha, my
00:25:48.11\00:25:55.52
healer, Jehovah Shalom my peace.
Let me tell you all something I
am about ready to go, but I do
00:25:55.55\00:26:05.73
not need a praise team to get me
excited. I do not need an
organist to get me pumped up.
00:26:05.76\00:26:16.17
When I think of the goodness of
Jesus and all he's done for me,
my soul cries out. Hallelujah.
00:26:16.20\00:26:25.08
Thank God for saving me because
I have a kinsmen Redeemer and
his name, his name, his name is
00:26:25.11\00:26:30.85
Jesus. Do you know him? Have you
tried him? Isn't he all right?
You may have been a sinner by
00:26:30.89\00:26:37.33
birth, but by choice, you can be
saved. You may have had a demon
in your life, but you can be
00:26:37.36\00:26:45.90
delivered by choice. You may
have been a wreck in your life,
but you can be redeemed by
00:26:45.93\00:27:00.75
choice. What a wonderful change
in my life has been wrought.
Since Jesus came into my heart,
00:27:00.78\00:27:11.13
I have the light for my soul.
For which long I have sought
since Jesus came into my heart
00:27:11.16\00:27:25.41
and all you have to do, my
friends is choose Jesus. Ruth
had the same chance as Orpah to
00:27:25.44\00:27:40.82
return to Moab, but she chose.
She chose a much different
choice. And the choice that Ruth
00:27:40.86\00:27:53.23
May change your life forever.
Boaz was her kinsmen Redeemer.
And he purchased her to be his
00:27:53.27\00:27:59.14
wife 2000 years ago. Jesus,
because he's your kinsmen
Redeemer. He went to Calvary and
00:27:59.17\00:28:03.75
he purchased you with his blood.
Ruth made her choice more by, by
birth Hebrew, Israelite by
00:28:03.78\00:28:08.38
choice. She made a commitment
and she was determined to keep
that commitment. Thank you very
00:28:08.42\00:28:10.79
much for tuning in to this
week's Breath of Life broadcast.
We hope and pray that you've
00:28:10.82\00:28:16.69
been blessed by Dr. Byrd's
inspirational message. If you
would like to hear this sermon
00:28:16.73\00:28:22.93
in its entirety, please feel
free to visit us at
www.breathoflife.tv. Or, call us
00:28:22.96\00:28:37.98