You're not free to choose the consequences of your choice. And when you make a big choice, you make a lot of other choices right along with it. Welcome to Love Worth Finding. bad consequences of your daily decisions? In part one of today's lesson, we began learning about Ruth, a woman from a pagan land who decided to hold on to the God of her late husband's family, even in spite of their disobedience and their death.
As a result, she changed the entire trajectory of her life and placed her in a love story that would count for all eternity. If you have your Bible, turn to Ruth chapter 1 as Adrian Rogers begins part 2 of It's Decision That Determines Destiny. We're going to be talking about the choices that people make. Because you're going to see the choice that a man named Elimelech made, which was a bad choice.
And then you're going to see the choice that Ruth made, which was a wonderful choice. And our life, very frankly, our lives are the sum total. of our choices. There are three things about choices, three things about choices that I want you to notice. And the very first of these three things is the principle of willing choice. The principle of willing choice. God gives us a will. And with that will, we make choices. We're not automatons. We're not machines. We're not forced. God made us
Moral creatures and when God made us moral creatures God gave us a choice now you are free to choose But now listen to me very carefully. Why are you free to choose? You're not free not to choose. There's no way that you can be neutral. There's no way that you can say, I will not choose. I choose not to choose because when you chose not to choose, you just chose. It's a choice. It's so simple that we're free to choose, but we're not free not to choose.
And you are not free to choose the consequences of your choice. Now you climb up to a 10 story building, open the wind and step out. You're free to do that. But then after that, your choice chooses for you. You see what I mean? You're not free to choose the consequences. You're going to go down. You are not going to break the law of gravity. You're going to demonstrate it. Because your choice then begins to choose for you. And you're not free to choose the consequences of your choice.
We're talking here about the principle of choice, the principle of willing choice. Now let me talk to you about the problems of a wicked choice. Here was a man who made a very unwise, literally a wicked choice. He got out of the will of God. He went over into the land of Moab.
And there he meant to sojourn there. He stayed there for 10 years. He just thought he's going to take a little side trip into Moab. But he went into Moab and Moab got him. And he met tragedy there in Moab because he did not trust the Lord. He made a wicked choice. Now, what was the reason for that choice? What was the cause of his choice? May I submit to you that, first of all, that he had the wrong motive in his choice?
It was physical. He went there for bread rather than spiritual. He's not seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. There was a famine in the land of Israel and therefore he hightailed it over to Moab. To get some food, to get some bread. And not only did he have the wrong motive, he had the wrong method. He is operating by sight and not by faith. That's the wrong method. And he ended up serving the wrong master. He got over into Moab. He left the covenant blessings of Israel.
And got over there with the ungodly pagans and found himself in the devil's camp. He became a dirty double-crosser of the God of Israel. And that's what we do sometimes when we make the wrong decisions. We disgrace and dishonor our God and say, God, I cannot trust you. I'm going over. to the enemy camp. I'm going over to the other side. That's what he did. The consequences were devastating.
When he got over there, we're going to find out that he died over there. Can you imagine a man of God dying in Moab and his son? took wives of the Moabites. And then those sons died. Look, if you will. Verse three, and Elimelech, Naomi's husband died and she was left and her two sons.
Now there she is in a pagan land, a widow with two boys. And they took them wives of the women of Moab. That was contrary to the word of God. And the name of the one was Orpha and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about 10 years. And Malon and Chilion died also, both of them. And the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. There is a woman there, Naomi, whose name means pleasantness, but her life is not pleasant now.
There she is in a pagan land. She is a widow. Her husband, Elimelech, is dead. And her two sons are dead. And there she is with her daughters-in-law, Ruth. You see, the reason that Elimelech left Bethlehem was for a livelihood and what he found was a grave. Now we need to understand this. That you cannot, you cannot run from God. Don't you think that if you get somewhere else that you're going to somehow get out of the will of God and get into the place of blessing?
Hey, folks, if you want God to bless you, find a place of blessing where God can bless you. Get back where you need to be so God can bless you. You can't run away. Here was a man running from death and he ran to death and found his grave right there in the land of Moab rather than staying where God had put him and where God had planted him. He couldn't trust God, and he found death, and he found disappointment, and his wife.
Naomi now changes her name from Naomi to Myra, which means bitterness. And she blames her bitterness on God. And there are many people saying, well, if there's a God, why are all these things happening to me? Part of them may be just simply the result of a choice that you've made. Now what I've talked about is this, the principle of a willing choice.
I've talked to you about the problems of a wicked choice, but I'm just moving toward the third thing and the most important thing, and that is the power of a wise choice. Ruth, in this book. She chooses for God. She makes a very wonderful choice that not only transformed her life. But in a real sense, has touched your life.
And my life. Because we're going to see not only does she become a beautiful picture of redemption and salvation, as we're going to see later on when we get into the other parts of this book, but she, Ruth, became an ancestress. of the Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. was one of her descendants. What a wonderful story. I mean, she is a Moabite. Now, you think you have it bad? You think that things are going bad for you? You think there's no hope for you?
Well, I want you to think about Ruth for a little bit. I want you to understand the condition of Ruth's life. First of all, she had a cursed life She was under a curse. The Bible says that a Moabite should not enter the camp of Israel, the covenant of Israel, even up to the 10th generation, because there was a curse upon Moab. And folks, there's a curse upon us. The Bible speaks of us in Ephesians 2 as aliens.
From the commonwealth of Israel. That we have a curse upon us. And the Bible says, cursed is every man that abideth not in all things of the law to do them. And the law said to Ruth, stay out. But we're going to see that grace said, come on in. And so she had a cursed life. Not only did she have a cursed life, she had a crushed life. She knew sorrow. She was a young woman. Her husband died. She watered that grave with her tears. She's there in the land of dearth and dirt.
She just had a crushed life. She knew sorrow. Do you know sorrow? Do you have a broken heart? Well, the book of Ruth is for you. You can become part of a love story. Not only was she cursed and crushed, she was condemned. I mean, she was condemned to death. She had no way. Condemned life. Because her husband, who was to be her provider and her protector, was dead. There was no social security. There was no way for widows to be taken care of apart from the goodness of God.
And just as her husband died and her hopes died when her husband died, we, through the death of Adam, are condemned by one man's disobedience. Many are made sinners. There's such a parallel there between Ruth. but against this dark background. is the diamond of God's grace as we're going to see next time that we come together. But don't say there's no hope for you.
Don't say it's too late for me or too dark for me or too difficult for me or whatever, too degrading for me. God will make a way for you, the same God that made a way for Ruth, because against all of that. Ruth made a decision. You know, her life then became a new life. A new life. Do you know what the Lord Jesus says? The Lord Jesus says, All things new. All things new. You know what the Apostle Paul said? The Apostle Paul said, if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature.
I want you to see seven new things that happened to Ruth right here. Let's begin reading now in verse 7. She went forth out of the place where she was, that is Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law, that would be Ruth, And they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. Now, Naomi has heard that there is bread in Bethlehem and she's going home. She's going back to the place of blessing.
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. The Lord grant you that she may find rest each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them and they lifted up their voice and wept. And they said unto her, surely we will return with thee unto thy people. They said, no, Naomi, we're going to go with you. But now notice what she said, and this is sad.
Verse 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? Turn again, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. And if I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband also tonight, and should also bear sons, would ye tarry for them until they were grown?
That is, you can't have any more sons from my womb. Even if I could have children, they would just be babies. You couldn't wait for them. Verse 13, would you stay for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters. For it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is going out against me. And like many backsliders, she is blaming God for it. Now notice verse 14. And they lifted up their voice and wept again. And Orpha kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.
Now, I've been pastoring long enough to know that You have those who get emotionally moved. but never go through with a decision for the Lord Jesus. And then you have those who get a hold of God and will not let go. Now there's a difference here between... Ruth and Offa. That is a line of demarcation that goes for all eternity. But now listen to what Naomi said in verse 15. And that's the reason why I said it is so sad. And she said,
Behold, thy sister-in-law is going back unto her people and unto her gods. Return thou after thy sister-in-law. Can you imagine this? Naomi is so backslidden that she would tell her two daughters-in-law to go back to your people, back to your land, and back to your pagan God. And Martha turned and went back. And friend, that's the last we've heard of her. But resolute Ruth makes a decision, a wonderful decision, and it was a decision for Almighty God.
And what a wonderful decision it was. And remember we said that when you come to God, He makes all things new. Notice what Ruth had. Look in verse 16. She had a new determination. She says, No, from following after thee. Now, what she's saying is this, Naomi, where you go, I will go It is a decision I wonder, would you make a new determination today? I mean, would you say with every inch, every ounce, every nerve and fiber and sinew? I am going with you. She has in verse 16, a new determination.
And that new determination leads to a new direction. Look again in verse 16. For whither thou goest, I will go. Do you know what a Christian is? He's a follower of Jesus. I will follow. Have you said that to the Lord Jesus Christ? A new direction. You see, when Jesus calls disciples, he says, what? Come and follow me. And then there was a new dependence. In verse 16, she says, where thou lodgest,
I will lodge. That is, I'm coming into your household. I'm coming under your shelter. I'm coming for your provision. I'm coming to live with you. I'm coming, Naomi. to look to you for my provision where you lie. That's where I'm going to lodge. Have you ever said that to Jesus? A new determination, entreat me not to leave thee. A new direction, wherever you go, I'm going. A new dependence, wherever you lodge, I will lodge. And a new desire.
Thy people shall be my people. I want to be with your people. I don't want to be with the pagans. I don't want to be the heathen. I don't want to be in this land of death and degradation and debauchery and defilement and idol worship. I want to be with the people of God. One of the marks that we've been saved, we want to be with God's people. I can't understand why man says he loves the Lord Jesus and doesn't love the people of God.
The Bible says we're not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. When a man gets saved, he desires the fellowship of the people of God. And there's a new devotion. She says in verse 16, Ruth says, And thy God... You cannot serve God in mammon. And friend, you've got to let go of this world and give your heart to Jesus Christ. She knew that she had to follow the God of Israel. There is a new devotion and a new dedication, she says, in verse 17.
Where you die, I will die. Now, what does that mean? She said, look, Naomi. I am going with you all the way. I'm not going to get there, and if things get bad over here in Bethlehem, I'm not going to turn around and go back to Moab. This is a lifetime commitment. I am with you, and where you die, I will die. And then she says, Where you're buried, I'm going to be buried. I mean, I'm with you. You see, even death, even death will not separate.
Isn't that what Paul says in Romans 8? For I'm persuading neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is one of the sweetest declarations of faith in all of the Bible. And treat me not to leave thee, nor return from falling 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. And where you die, I'll die. And where you're buried, I'll be buried. She made a decision. It was her decision to make. Elimelech made a decision, a bad one. Ruth, out of a dark background, made a wonderful decision.
There were some people who came to our house when I was a teenage boy and invited our folks to a revival meeting. I was out there with my dad cleaning the front yard. I saw my dad go over and speak to those people and nod his head. And so my dad said, we're going to church tonight. We were not a church going family. We went in church, Northwood Baptist Church there. And I was sitting about 12 rows back. My dad was sitting.
right next to the aisle, and I'm sitting next to him. And the preacher was preaching. And then he gave an invitation for people to come forward and give their hearts to Jesus Christ. My dad stepped out. I was amazed. I didn't even think he was listening. My dad went out. It was like a dagger of conviction in my own heart. I knew I needed to be saved. I knew I needed God. I didn't know anything about sexual immorality or dope, and I thank God I never have and never will by God's grace.
I knew what it was to tell a lie and get in fights and I knew what it was to skip school and be disrespectful to my parents and cheat and all those things that boys ought not to do. Take God's name in vain. I knew I needed to be saved. And I went down there. I got up, followed my dad down the aisle. They said, we're glad Adrian has come. And I'm sure they were because I terrorized that neighborhood. We're glad Adrian has come.
And they sent me down there and dealt with me. And there on that front row. I gave all I knew of me to all I knew of Jesus. I've learned a whole lot about both since then. I've done far more repenting after I got saved than ever did when I got saved because I've learned more and more about me. But I gave all I knew of me to all I knew of Jesus and made a decision there. As a teenage boy, many, many years passed since that time, and I went back to that church.
Church had passed on to other hands, and that little auditorium where I'd gone forward was no longer an auditorium. They'd changed it into a little dining hall. But I said, can I be alone here? And they let me be alone. I went to the front and found as best I could where that pew would have been at that time. And thank God that by his grace, I was able to say to the Lord, not in these words, but I meant it, entreat me not to leave thee.
No to return from following after thee. For where you go, Lord, that's where I want to go. And where you live, Lord, that's where I want to live. Lord, your God will be my God. Your people, my people. And as a result of that decision. I'm standing here today because of that. It is decision that determines destiny. You're free to choose. You're not free not to choose. You're not free to choose the consequences of your choice. And when you make a big choice, you make a lot of other choices.
Well, maybe as you've listened today, you are ready to make that decision, that ultimate decision to choose Jesus. If so, pray a prayer like this from your heart. Oh God in heaven, I know that I've sinned against you. And there is a great chasm between us, you're holy and I'm not. And I believe that Jesus came to live that holy life that I can't live. And he gave himself for me, died on the cross for me, and then rose again to new life.
And so today I abandon myself, my holiness, anything that I do to work my way to you. And I cling to Jesus. I ask you to come into my heart. Save me from my sin. and make me holy through the sacrifice of your son. I trust fully in him today, and I pray this in his name, in Jesus' name. Amen. If you prayed a prayer of surrender like that just now, we would love to celebrate with you and invite you to our Find God's Love page at the website where you can find out more about your newfound faith.
Go to lwf.org slash radio and click the tab that says find God's love. Welcome to his forever family. We can't wait to hear from you today. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of this message, it's titled, It's Decision That Determines Destiny. Mention that when you call us at 1-877-LOVE-GOD. Now, this message is also part of the insightful series, Redeeming Love. For that complete four-message collection, call us, 877-LOVE-GOD, or you can order online at lwf.org slash radio.
or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600. There is life and death in every decision we make. Choose to hold on to Him, to live by faith and make wise decisions. Thanks for studying in God's Word with us today and join us next time when we'll hear another message from Adrian Rogers right here. A longtime listener reached out and left this brief note so encouraging. I'm so glad Pastor Rogers recorded his messages. My husband and I listen to him every day on radio.
We'd love to send you a copy of the powerful book, His Story, inspired by eight timeless messages from Pastor Rogers. The goal of this book is to help you see Jesus in all of history and better understand the message of redemption in the Bible from start to finish. If you'd like to give, call us today, 1-877-LOVE-GOD, or give online at lwf.org slash radio. And thanks for your generous support of Love Worth Finding.