Where Will You Go From Here?
Ruth 1:6-18
Imagine that you have been driving for several hours, at some point you see a sign, the sign informs you of the reality that you are lost. You have been driving in the wrong direction for a lengthy period of time. What will you do? Well, this happened to me a few weeks ago. I was following the directions that the GPS had given me (I thought) but some where along the way I turned in 400 ft instead of 500ft. I noticed that my arrival time had gone from 8:00 A.M to 10:30 A.M. I thought that if I just kept going sooner or later I would find a road that would take me back to where I was trying to go. I was wrong. Finally I had to turn around and go all the way back to the point of error and then go forward from there!
This morning we saw the tragic story of Elimelech & his family.They left Bethlehem-Judah for the pagan land of Moab. After arriving there Elimelech died, His sons Mahlon & Chilion marred pagan women from Moab, They dwelt there in Moab for 10 years...The sons died and Naomi was left with her daughters-in-law
Naomi was at a point where she had to decide “where she was going to go” from this point in her life. You may be at that same point in your life. You have taken a wrong turn so to speak …you have walked away from the Lord. You must decide where you will go from here. Will you continue going in the wrong direction or will you turn around and go back to the Father. You may be here and you are lost, you have never been born again. You must decide where you will go from here.
If you continue in your sins and die in them you will find yourself in a Lake of Fire. But you have the opportunity to be born again and receive eternal life. So, I would like to look at this text and ask the question “Where Will You Go From Here?”
There are a few questions I would like to pose to you this evening:
1) For the backslider, “Will You Return Unto The Lord?”
2) For the lost person, “Will You Reject or Receive The Lord?”
For those who are saved and not backslidden… just sit back and thank God for a right relationship with Him! The first question is for the backslider:
I. Will You Return Unto The Lord?
When you have walked away from the Lord there are only two choices continue going further away from Him or turn around and get back to Him. The great news I have for you is that you CAN return to the Father.
A. There Is An Opportunity - v6a Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab. for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
At this point there was nothing stopping Naomi from returning to Bethlehem-Judah. In fact, for the past decade there was nothing stopping them from returning to their home. She had long been in this pagan land enduring the hardships that came with her situation. I can imagine that there had been many times when Naomi wished she had never left Bethlehem-Judah... There were probably many days when she longed to return home.
If you have ever been in a backslidden condition here are many times when you stop and ask “How did I get here?” “How did I ever allow this to happen?” There are days when you know you should repent and return to the Lord but as we saw this morning “Sin will keep you much longer than you want to stay”
Understand this backslidden friend not only can you return to the Father …IT IS HIS DESIRE FOR YOU TO RETURN! The opportunity is there but there is also an obligation:
B. There Is An Obligation - v7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
I love how this is phrased “she went forth out of the place where she was” She was in a place of wickedness in order to get back home she got up and left where she was. If you are in a backslidden condition you are in a place of disobedience and sinfulness. You have the opportunity to return unto the Lord but you must leave where you are. You must turn from the sin that marks your life.
1) You must realize
2) You must repent
3) You must refocus
4) You must return
God’s prescription for restoration is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
o IF
• You will humble yourself, seek His face and turn from your wicked ways…
o THEN
• He will forgive your sins
After all that Naomi had endured in the Land of Moab, she was ready to return to her home. Notice also in verse she had heard in the country of Moab how that “the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.” This must have been enticing information for her to hear. With all that she had faced I am sure her mindset was “things will be better when I get back home” Friend, if you will just head back to the Father’s house I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT THINGS WILL BE BETTER WHEN YOU GET BACK HOME.
The journey back home - v8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again:
Do you hear the desperation in Naomi’s words? She is in a desperate situation. Notice this: Orpah chose to remain in Moab and return to her family. Ruth chose to return with Naomi to Bethlehem-Judah. We saw in this morning’s message that the decision to leave the Lord would have an impact on others. In this portion of scripture we see that the decision to return to the Lord has an impact on others as well. So my backslidden friend, will you return unto the Lord? The next question I have is posed to the lost person that may be here tonight.
II. Will You Reject The Lord? - v14b and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
Orpah had the opportunity to return to Bethlehem with Naomi & Ruth but she chose to remain
She remained in her comfort zone
She remained with her family
She remained with her friends
She returned to her gods.
She could have experienced the wonders of the one true God but she chose to stick with what she new.
It wouldn’t have done Orpah any good to go to Israel; her heart was still in Moab. There are many church members today who left Moab and went to Bethlehem but their heart is still in Moab. Let me explain: They have joined a church but they are not a part of the Church. They fill a pew but their heart is still in the things of the world.
Friend, you have the opportunity to leave the sinful world behind and become a part of the family of God. Will you do that? Or will you, like Orpah reject the Lord? There is none more question I would like to pose to the lost person that may be here tonight:
III. Will You Receive The Lord?
Though Orpah chose to stick with what she new, Ruth decided to leave her comfort zone and take the journey to Bethlehem-Judah with Naomi.
v16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
Naomi was a widow and had nothing to offer Ruth… Naomi even told her as much. Ruth decided to follow Naomi This decision is very important; this was part of God’s plan for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. If you will look at the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1 you will see something interesting - v5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.6 Jesse was the father of King David. We saw this morning the devastation that comes from one bad choice. Here we see the blessings that can come from one good choice!
Not only did Ruth leave the wicked land of Moab. She found a new home and a new family in Bethlehem. In essence she started a new life. She was able to be a part of something great because of her decision to follow.
Ruth’s greatest decision was not to follow Naomi. Her greatest attribute was not her devotion to Naomi. I think her greatest choice was summed up in the statement “your God will be my God”
Lost friend, you have a choice to make. Tonight before you leave here you will choice whether to reject Jesus or to receive Him.
1) Orpah chose to reject the Lord and return to her pagan Gods. We never heard of her again. No doubt she is in hell today.
2) Ruth chose to make the Lord her God and got a book in the bible named after her!
Lost person “where will you go from here?”
Backslidden person “where will you go from here?”
Saved person “where will you go from here?”
