1 00:00:00,598 --> 00:00:02,993 We're in the series called Journey life, and 2 00:00:02,993 --> 00:00:04,849 we've been looking at all of these heroes 3 00:00:05,148 --> 00:00:06,265 of the old testament. 4 00:00:06,664 --> 00:00:08,634 And and today, we move to our next 5 00:00:08,755 --> 00:00:10,355 character that would be looking at for the 6 00:00:10,355 --> 00:00:13,075 next 5 weeks, including today by the name 7 00:00:13,075 --> 00:00:13,634 of ruth. 8 00:00:14,514 --> 00:00:17,234 Now, now Ruth is a fascinating book. Very 9 00:00:17,234 --> 00:00:19,879 short book about 4 chapters, you can read 10 00:00:19,879 --> 00:00:22,421 it in about... I don't know 30 minutes, 11 00:00:23,454 --> 00:00:25,043 depending on how fast you read. 12 00:00:25,774 --> 00:00:27,687 And and if I can describe the book 13 00:00:27,687 --> 00:00:29,520 of ruth, the book of ruth is, 14 00:00:30,078 --> 00:00:32,709 first of all, a short condensed version of 15 00:00:32,709 --> 00:00:33,426 the book of joke. 16 00:00:34,239 --> 00:00:36,314 We looked at Job early in our series 17 00:00:36,314 --> 00:00:38,388 and and, you know, Job is a book 18 00:00:38,388 --> 00:00:40,623 about suffering. Well, risk got a lot of 19 00:00:40,623 --> 00:00:41,501 suffering in it. 20 00:00:42,551 --> 00:00:44,936 In the book of Joe, Job begins well. 21 00:00:45,334 --> 00:00:47,321 Then he goes through all this suffering, and 22 00:00:47,321 --> 00:00:49,547 then god bless him tremendously at the end. 23 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:52,679 Same thing happens in the book of ruth. 24 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,719 I mean, you've got blessings you've got suffering, 25 00:00:55,799 --> 00:00:57,420 and then you've got even more blessings 26 00:00:57,799 --> 00:01:00,449 at the end. The only difference is is 27 00:01:00,449 --> 00:01:03,081 that Ruth doesn't raise the question why? 28 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:04,676 And, of course, that's what the book of 29 00:01:04,836 --> 00:01:08,106 Job is all about. Now, that's 1 description. 30 00:01:08,757 --> 00:01:10,822 The other book I would use to describe 31 00:01:10,822 --> 00:01:12,832 the book of Ruth is Song solomon. 32 00:01:13,761 --> 00:01:16,541 Some solomon is a book about romantic love. 33 00:01:17,509 --> 00:01:19,496 Quite explicit in the Bible, 34 00:01:20,450 --> 00:01:22,539 but it's the it's the story of salvage 35 00:01:22,595 --> 00:01:24,938 love for this 1 particular 36 00:01:25,472 --> 00:01:27,620 individual and and he wrote a song about 37 00:01:27,620 --> 00:01:29,870 it. I mean, all of it very much 38 00:01:30,165 --> 00:01:31,142 romantic linked 39 00:01:31,454 --> 00:01:33,926 And and so here's Job on the 1 40 00:01:33,926 --> 00:01:36,159 hand. Here's Song solomon on the other. The 41 00:01:36,159 --> 00:01:37,755 best way I know to describe it is 42 00:01:37,834 --> 00:01:40,786 Ruth is the ancient hallmark channel. 43 00:01:42,714 --> 00:01:44,410 You know, if you've ever seen a hallmark 44 00:01:44,468 --> 00:01:44,866 movie. 45 00:01:45,424 --> 00:01:48,134 They always have something bad that's happening at 46 00:01:48,134 --> 00:01:50,617 the first and then in the end is 47 00:01:50,617 --> 00:01:53,161 this beautiful love story. Well, that's the book 48 00:01:53,161 --> 00:01:53,718 of ruth. 49 00:01:54,274 --> 00:01:56,897 It's the ancient Israel light version of the 50 00:01:56,897 --> 00:01:57,397 hallmark 51 00:01:58,169 --> 00:01:58,567 channel. 52 00:01:59,219 --> 00:02:00,596 Now, what's fascinating 53 00:02:01,053 --> 00:02:03,206 about this book is the way it begins. 54 00:02:03,445 --> 00:02:05,040 And by the way, we're only gonna cover 55 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:07,752 3 verses today. I mean, the first 3 56 00:02:07,752 --> 00:02:11,344 verses our packed with so much information that 57 00:02:11,344 --> 00:02:12,933 you really kinda need to take your time. 58 00:02:13,251 --> 00:02:15,078 I think when we do are, you know, 59 00:02:15,237 --> 00:02:17,476 yearly read through the bible if do that, 60 00:02:17,634 --> 00:02:19,063 You get to the book of ruth and 61 00:02:19,063 --> 00:02:20,095 it's over just like that. 62 00:02:20,810 --> 00:02:22,318 I mean, you get it done, you move 63 00:02:22,318 --> 00:02:24,327 on, and you really don't pause 64 00:02:24,953 --> 00:02:27,339 to take everything in. Let's just pause for 65 00:02:27,339 --> 00:02:28,475 a moment this morning 66 00:02:29,088 --> 00:02:30,439 to take everything in. 67 00:02:31,155 --> 00:02:32,427 It begins with these words. 68 00:02:33,158 --> 00:02:34,851 In the days when the judges 69 00:02:35,623 --> 00:02:36,100 ruled. 70 00:02:37,531 --> 00:02:39,440 Now, it's easy to read that and then 71 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,382 just fly back past it. Don't don't do 72 00:02:42,382 --> 00:02:42,621 that. 73 00:02:43,513 --> 00:02:45,110 Now you say, well, I mean, all that's 74 00:02:45,110 --> 00:02:46,707 doing is telling us chronology. 75 00:02:47,585 --> 00:02:49,501 It it is telling us chronology, 76 00:02:50,459 --> 00:02:51,736 but it's more than that. 77 00:02:52,947 --> 00:02:55,092 You see that very phrase in the days 78 00:02:55,092 --> 00:02:56,465 when the judge is ruled 79 00:02:56,839 --> 00:02:58,292 is setting a filter 80 00:02:58,984 --> 00:03:01,843 by which the writer the holy spirit wants 81 00:03:01,843 --> 00:03:03,472 us to see everything. 82 00:03:03,848 --> 00:03:05,919 Let me give you some illustrations. If I 83 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,425 threw this date up there, 07/04/1776. 84 00:03:10,620 --> 00:03:11,417 What would you think? 85 00:03:12,947 --> 00:03:14,245 Now, it's not about fireworks. 86 00:03:15,102 --> 00:03:16,320 It's not about barbecue. 87 00:03:17,177 --> 00:03:19,491 You know, today, our our celebration in July 88 00:03:19,491 --> 00:03:21,979 fourth is about you know, getting together here 89 00:03:21,979 --> 00:03:24,372 in Henderson the night before and watching a 90 00:03:24,372 --> 00:03:26,286 big fireworks show or going down to the 91 00:03:26,286 --> 00:03:29,078 river in Nashville, watching the biggest fireworks show 92 00:03:29,078 --> 00:03:31,085 in America right. That's why we think of 93 00:03:31,085 --> 00:03:34,748 the fourth of 07/09/1776. 94 00:03:36,500 --> 00:03:38,354 17 76 is about 95 00:03:38,983 --> 00:03:41,783 an incredible moment in the history of our 96 00:03:41,838 --> 00:03:42,338 country 97 00:03:42,949 --> 00:03:44,932 of where we basically ask a question? Are 98 00:03:44,932 --> 00:03:46,780 we going serve the King of England 99 00:03:47,802 --> 00:03:49,254 Are we gonna be a people 100 00:03:49,944 --> 00:03:50,975 who rule ourselves? 101 00:03:52,007 --> 00:03:53,673 What kind of nation are we gonna be? 102 00:03:54,883 --> 00:03:57,041 I mean, 07/04/7076 103 00:03:57,041 --> 00:03:58,239 is about Philadelphia. 104 00:03:59,278 --> 00:04:00,396 It's about minute men. 105 00:04:01,689 --> 00:04:03,444 It is it's about a group of people 106 00:04:03,444 --> 00:04:05,597 who who year for freedom. 107 00:04:06,475 --> 00:04:08,650 It's it's about a guy named George Washington 108 00:04:08,788 --> 00:04:11,362 are are Ben Franklin or Thomas Jefferson. 109 00:04:12,311 --> 00:04:14,221 I mean, when you look at that date, 110 00:04:14,619 --> 00:04:16,608 all of these images come in your mind 111 00:04:16,608 --> 00:04:18,678 and they should because they filter how we 112 00:04:18,678 --> 00:04:19,155 look at it. 113 00:04:19,809 --> 00:04:20,928 Or what about this date? 114 00:04:21,567 --> 00:04:23,405 12/07/1941. 115 00:04:24,603 --> 00:04:26,361 I mean, how many else remember, and of 116 00:04:26,361 --> 00:04:28,295 course, I wouldn't lie at the time. But 117 00:04:28,295 --> 00:04:30,855 we remember from even the history books. It 118 00:04:30,855 --> 00:04:31,835 was a day 119 00:04:32,455 --> 00:04:33,014 of what?? 120 00:04:35,749 --> 00:04:38,386 I mean, a day that will live in 121 00:04:38,386 --> 00:04:40,064 anthony infancy. And of course, if you know 122 00:04:40,064 --> 00:04:43,020 anything about December seventh, it was a Sunday. 123 00:04:43,834 --> 00:04:45,514 And it was a day when, you know, 124 00:04:45,914 --> 00:04:47,354 we were trying to stay out of the 125 00:04:47,354 --> 00:04:49,834 war, but Japan decided we needed to be 126 00:04:49,834 --> 00:04:51,995 in the war and so they attacked pearl 127 00:04:51,995 --> 00:04:52,394 harbor. 128 00:04:53,768 --> 00:04:54,747 Just out curiosity, 129 00:04:55,925 --> 00:04:58,023 how many of you been to the Missouri 130 00:04:58,242 --> 00:04:59,760 memorial, would you raise your hands? 131 00:05:00,334 --> 00:05:00,894 Look around. 132 00:05:02,492 --> 00:05:04,410 And by the way, do you remember what 133 00:05:04,410 --> 00:05:04,970 it was like? 134 00:05:07,527 --> 00:05:09,285 I mean, when when June and I went, 135 00:05:10,259 --> 00:05:11,137 total silence. 136 00:05:12,732 --> 00:05:14,327 I mean, nobody's saying anything. 137 00:05:15,683 --> 00:05:18,714 Just people standing there in all of those 138 00:05:18,714 --> 00:05:19,932 who gave their lives 139 00:05:20,244 --> 00:05:21,517 that we could live in freedom. 140 00:05:22,551 --> 00:05:24,482 And I mean, just watching the oil 141 00:05:25,176 --> 00:05:26,767 as it would come up to the surface. 142 00:05:27,815 --> 00:05:28,950 That black blood 143 00:05:29,563 --> 00:05:31,866 coming from that ship, saying so many years 144 00:05:31,866 --> 00:05:34,011 ago, but still coming up to the surface. 145 00:05:35,063 --> 00:05:36,898 I mean, you couldn't help, but just go 146 00:05:36,898 --> 00:05:37,377 wow. 147 00:05:38,095 --> 00:05:40,649 I mean, 12/07/1941 148 00:05:40,649 --> 00:05:41,846 it's not just another day. 149 00:05:42,739 --> 00:05:44,495 About how many of you remember this date, 150 00:05:45,532 --> 00:05:47,846 September eleventh, or as we call it today, 151 00:05:48,485 --> 00:05:49,203 09:11. 152 00:05:51,051 --> 00:05:52,720 John Mike and I were preparing to do 153 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:53,276 a funeral. 154 00:05:54,467 --> 00:05:57,088 A funeral for a sweet sweet lady there 155 00:05:57,088 --> 00:05:58,915 at the North side Church of Christ. You'd 156 00:05:58,915 --> 00:06:00,369 lived way up into her nineties 157 00:06:01,397 --> 00:06:02,912 And and our funeral was that day at 158 00:06:02,992 --> 00:06:04,109 I think at 11:00. 159 00:06:05,225 --> 00:06:06,661 And I was getting ready to leave the 160 00:06:06,661 --> 00:06:08,655 house and June said there's a plane that's 161 00:06:08,655 --> 00:06:09,692 hit the World trade center. 162 00:06:10,984 --> 00:06:12,821 I said really? And she said, yeah. And 163 00:06:12,821 --> 00:06:14,499 of course, I'm thinking a little bitty playing. 164 00:06:15,218 --> 00:06:16,815 I had no idea what kind of plane 165 00:06:16,815 --> 00:06:17,295 it was. 166 00:06:18,429 --> 00:06:19,707 And then as I was going to the 167 00:06:19,707 --> 00:06:21,465 church building to get ready for this funeral, 168 00:06:21,625 --> 00:06:23,143 I'm listening to the news, and they said, 169 00:06:23,383 --> 00:06:26,100 a second plane is hit. The other tower. 170 00:06:26,834 --> 00:06:28,351 And I'm thinking, what in the world? 171 00:06:29,389 --> 00:06:31,145 And we got to the church building and 172 00:06:31,145 --> 00:06:32,901 and John and I both are preparing for 173 00:06:32,901 --> 00:06:34,977 a funeral running back and forth to the 174 00:06:35,057 --> 00:06:37,247 Tv going what is happening? 175 00:06:38,901 --> 00:06:40,975 And I still remember going down to Wood 176 00:06:40,975 --> 00:06:42,091 funeral home that morning, 177 00:06:42,650 --> 00:06:44,723 clot, no no no nothing in the sky. 178 00:06:44,963 --> 00:06:46,412 Blue Skies, but no air lanes. 179 00:06:47,446 --> 00:06:48,503 And total silence 180 00:06:50,309 --> 00:06:52,456 I mean, we remember what that day meant. 181 00:06:52,694 --> 00:06:53,649 And all you have to do is say 182 00:06:53,649 --> 00:06:55,398 09:11, everybody knows what you're talking about. 183 00:06:56,684 --> 00:06:58,193 That's the same way in this text. 184 00:06:58,908 --> 00:07:00,893 I mean, if you'd live back in the 185 00:07:00,893 --> 00:07:03,593 old testament time period, the very phrase in 186 00:07:03,593 --> 00:07:05,995 the days when the judge ruled you knew 187 00:07:05,995 --> 00:07:06,954 exactly what it meant. 188 00:07:07,754 --> 00:07:09,035 You say all you gotta do is go 189 00:07:09,035 --> 00:07:10,314 back 1 verse. 190 00:07:11,354 --> 00:07:13,595 Go back to the last verse in judges, 191 00:07:13,914 --> 00:07:16,330 which is the book, right, in front of 192 00:07:16,330 --> 00:07:19,230 it. Okay? Joshua judge's ruth 193 00:07:19,610 --> 00:07:21,930 and notice what the text says in those 194 00:07:21,930 --> 00:07:24,009 days. What days, the day of a judges? 195 00:07:24,503 --> 00:07:27,632 Israel had no king, and everyone did 196 00:07:28,088 --> 00:07:29,305 as they saw 197 00:07:30,478 --> 00:07:30,797 fit. 198 00:07:33,273 --> 00:07:35,256 You see what the router trying to tell 199 00:07:35,256 --> 00:07:36,922 you is that it was at a moment 200 00:07:36,922 --> 00:07:37,660 of history. 201 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,501 That changed the trajectory of Israel as a 202 00:07:42,501 --> 00:07:42,899 people. 203 00:07:43,535 --> 00:07:45,683 Go back to judges to the beginning of 204 00:07:45,683 --> 00:07:46,717 the book before ruth, 205 00:07:47,766 --> 00:07:49,990 The people served the lord throughout the lifetime 206 00:07:49,990 --> 00:07:52,134 of Joshua of the elders who out living. 207 00:07:52,293 --> 00:07:54,199 In other words, as long as Joshua was 208 00:07:54,199 --> 00:07:56,184 leading the people, the people were faithful to 209 00:07:56,184 --> 00:07:56,502 god. 210 00:07:57,552 --> 00:07:59,864 And then when Joshua died, those who were 211 00:07:59,864 --> 00:08:00,342 older, 212 00:08:00,980 --> 00:08:02,734 they continued to follow the Lord. 213 00:08:03,850 --> 00:08:06,417 But then notice what happens. After that, the 214 00:08:06,417 --> 00:08:08,733 whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, 215 00:08:09,371 --> 00:08:12,245 another generation grew up who knew neither the 216 00:08:12,245 --> 00:08:14,262 lord Nobody had done for Israel. 217 00:08:16,411 --> 00:08:19,365 Now it's not talking here about every israel 218 00:08:19,365 --> 00:08:19,604 light. 219 00:08:20,801 --> 00:08:22,797 But he is talking about what happened to 220 00:08:22,797 --> 00:08:26,322 that generation basically as a whole. The majority 221 00:08:26,322 --> 00:08:29,113 of them had made a decision. And and 222 00:08:29,113 --> 00:08:31,345 the first lesson we get right off the 223 00:08:31,345 --> 00:08:33,674 bat by looking at this text is that 224 00:08:33,674 --> 00:08:36,950 every generation is, but 1 generation away from 225 00:08:36,950 --> 00:08:37,669 forgetting the lord. 226 00:08:39,107 --> 00:08:40,546 I don't think we realize that. 227 00:08:41,599 --> 00:08:43,351 Don't think we let that sink in enough. 228 00:08:44,466 --> 00:08:45,103 By the way, 229 00:08:46,298 --> 00:08:47,435 ham many did you 230 00:08:48,289 --> 00:08:49,665 30 years ago 231 00:08:50,534 --> 00:08:52,446 thought we would be at where we are 232 00:08:52,446 --> 00:08:53,583 today in America 233 00:08:54,119 --> 00:08:55,336 when it comes to morality. 234 00:08:56,669 --> 00:08:58,342 I mean, how many of us would have 235 00:08:58,342 --> 00:09:00,508 said, oh, yeah. 1 of these days days, 236 00:09:00,986 --> 00:09:02,260 and then we look back and go how 237 00:09:02,260 --> 00:09:04,410 in the world did we get here? 238 00:09:05,366 --> 00:09:07,277 And the answer is is that you just 239 00:09:07,277 --> 00:09:10,079 you just gotta fail to teach 1 generation. 240 00:09:11,273 --> 00:09:13,501 You go back to Gene 6 and Moses 241 00:09:13,501 --> 00:09:15,969 is trying to emphasize that. He knows he's 242 00:09:15,969 --> 00:09:16,606 about to die. 243 00:09:17,415 --> 00:09:19,556 And he's speaking to Israel 1 last time, 244 00:09:19,794 --> 00:09:22,173 and he says these commandments, go back 1 245 00:09:22,173 --> 00:09:24,235 chapter and you have the 10 commandments. Chapter 246 00:09:24,235 --> 00:09:24,552 5. 247 00:09:25,204 --> 00:09:27,042 These commandments that I give you today are 248 00:09:27,042 --> 00:09:28,560 to be in your hearts. And look at 249 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:29,039 verse 7, 250 00:09:29,838 --> 00:09:31,297 impress them, own 251 00:09:31,756 --> 00:09:32,635 your children. 252 00:09:34,396 --> 00:09:35,031 Impress them. 253 00:09:36,141 --> 00:09:38,601 You you put it in their hearts, you 254 00:09:38,601 --> 00:09:39,735 put it in their minds 255 00:09:40,044 --> 00:09:41,718 You talk about it when you sit at 256 00:09:41,718 --> 00:09:43,631 home when you walk along the road, when 257 00:09:43,631 --> 00:09:45,863 you lie down when you get up, you 258 00:09:45,863 --> 00:09:47,936 tied a symbols on your hands, you buy 259 00:09:47,936 --> 00:09:50,655 it. On, them on your forehead hit, write 260 00:09:50,655 --> 00:09:51,768 them on the door frames. 261 00:09:53,597 --> 00:09:55,267 If you watch the chosen, 1 of the 262 00:09:55,267 --> 00:09:56,483 things you'll see the chosen 263 00:09:56,793 --> 00:09:58,146 do is every time they go through a 264 00:09:58,146 --> 00:10:00,374 door, they'll kiss their hands and they'll touch 265 00:10:00,374 --> 00:10:01,726 something on the side of the door frames. 266 00:10:02,044 --> 00:10:03,954 What is it? It's a little box that 267 00:10:03,954 --> 00:10:05,068 has scripture written on it. 268 00:10:05,878 --> 00:10:08,099 If you go to Israel and and Rodney 269 00:10:08,099 --> 00:10:09,368 can tell you. They're everywhere. 270 00:10:10,161 --> 00:10:12,541 Every door you go through is 1 1 271 00:10:12,541 --> 00:10:14,701 of these little boxes was scripture written on 272 00:10:14,701 --> 00:10:17,090 it. Why? Because that's what Moses told them 273 00:10:17,090 --> 00:10:17,807 to do. 274 00:10:20,674 --> 00:10:22,187 And yet you had a generation. 275 00:10:23,876 --> 00:10:24,993 Who failed to do it. 276 00:10:26,827 --> 00:10:27,067 Now, 277 00:10:28,104 --> 00:10:30,018 can you date it any closer than that? 278 00:10:30,257 --> 00:10:31,613 Yes. You actually can. 279 00:10:32,904 --> 00:10:34,417 See to understand the book of ruth, you 280 00:10:34,417 --> 00:10:35,532 gotta go to book of matthew. 281 00:10:36,885 --> 00:10:39,194 Because matthew gives you a little detail that 282 00:10:39,194 --> 00:10:40,468 you go back and you plug in and 283 00:10:40,468 --> 00:10:40,787 you go, 284 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:42,179 Oh, 285 00:10:42,798 --> 00:10:43,996 that's when it happened. 286 00:10:44,955 --> 00:10:46,712 This is the gene of Jesus. 287 00:10:47,591 --> 00:10:49,601 And as he started you know, all the 288 00:10:49,601 --> 00:10:51,350 way back to Abraham and he's coming down. 289 00:10:51,589 --> 00:10:53,656 He gets to Selma, the father of Bo 290 00:10:53,656 --> 00:10:55,190 as, who is the, 291 00:10:55,565 --> 00:10:57,337 you know, the... 1 of the main guys 292 00:10:57,632 --> 00:10:58,746 in the book of Ruth. 293 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:01,240 Sam, the father of Bow whose mother was 294 00:11:01,399 --> 00:11:03,480 Ray rehab. This is the same ray rehab 295 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:04,840 that we talked about about 3 or 4 296 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:05,320 weeks ago. 297 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,046 This is ray have the har. 298 00:11:08,842 --> 00:11:11,069 And she mar an Israel light, 299 00:11:11,705 --> 00:11:14,289 and their son is Bo. And so what 300 00:11:14,429 --> 00:11:15,388 generation is Bo as. 301 00:11:16,187 --> 00:11:17,545 He's of that first generation. 302 00:11:19,144 --> 00:11:21,781 Bo is living in that first generation where 303 00:11:21,781 --> 00:11:24,669 they are forgetting God Now, Bo doesn't forget 304 00:11:24,828 --> 00:11:26,501 God. Not everybody did. 305 00:11:27,378 --> 00:11:29,847 But the majority of Israel, they they are. 306 00:11:30,724 --> 00:11:32,498 And so we know that it's within 307 00:11:33,209 --> 00:11:34,644 30, 40 years, 308 00:11:35,442 --> 00:11:37,595 maybe 50 years of Joshua dying. 309 00:11:38,313 --> 00:11:41,025 We've got a pretty nice time frame that 310 00:11:41,025 --> 00:11:42,222 we can plug that in. 311 00:11:43,195 --> 00:11:45,595 And notice what they did. They grew up. 312 00:11:45,754 --> 00:11:47,754 They didn't know the lord. They fore the 313 00:11:47,754 --> 00:11:50,794 lord. They followed and worship various gods of 314 00:11:50,794 --> 00:11:52,886 the people around them. And other words, they're 315 00:11:52,886 --> 00:11:55,119 starting to go after the bile. They're starting 316 00:11:55,119 --> 00:11:56,337 to go after the Asher, 317 00:11:56,714 --> 00:11:58,229 they're starting to go after the Gods. The 318 00:11:58,229 --> 00:12:00,461 philistines, the Gods, you just fill in the 319 00:12:00,461 --> 00:12:00,780 blanks. 320 00:12:04,226 --> 00:12:05,423 And so what does God do? 321 00:12:06,700 --> 00:12:08,456 In the days when the judge ruled, 322 00:12:09,346 --> 00:12:11,173 There was a famine in the land. Still 323 00:12:11,173 --> 00:12:11,808 the first verse. 324 00:12:13,317 --> 00:12:14,509 And you look at that and you go, 325 00:12:14,747 --> 00:12:16,574 okay, they had a famine. We we have 326 00:12:16,574 --> 00:12:18,162 famine all the time in the United States. 327 00:12:19,367 --> 00:12:20,477 I don't know if you know this, but 328 00:12:20,477 --> 00:12:22,934 every week, the federal government puts up a 329 00:12:22,934 --> 00:12:24,916 a drought pitcher. And it shows a whole 330 00:12:25,075 --> 00:12:27,237 United States colored in. Here's where the droughts 331 00:12:27,237 --> 00:12:28,914 are, you know? And here's where they have 332 00:12:28,914 --> 00:12:29,632 plenty of rain. 333 00:12:32,346 --> 00:12:33,384 In the ancient world, 334 00:12:33,943 --> 00:12:35,300 especially in the history of Israel. 335 00:12:37,071 --> 00:12:39,147 Dr. Yes, they were droughts that just happened 336 00:12:39,147 --> 00:12:40,823 to be what nature sent. 337 00:12:42,259 --> 00:12:44,015 But then there were drought sent by god. 338 00:12:45,549 --> 00:12:46,990 And, of course, that's 1 of the questions 339 00:12:46,990 --> 00:12:49,389 you gotta ask here. Is is where is 340 00:12:49,389 --> 00:12:51,709 this text leading us and and and Stan 341 00:12:51,709 --> 00:12:53,483 was talking a few months ago. Sometime we 342 00:12:53,483 --> 00:12:55,796 disagree on some of that. And and and 343 00:12:55,796 --> 00:12:57,711 in this particular text, you've got to take 344 00:12:57,711 --> 00:12:59,466 1 of 2 prospect perspectives as you're looking 345 00:12:59,466 --> 00:12:59,785 at it. 346 00:13:00,595 --> 00:13:02,105 And and I know there gonna be people 347 00:13:02,105 --> 00:13:04,250 who disagree with me and so, hey, again. 348 00:13:04,409 --> 00:13:05,759 Now does it make a difference in the 349 00:13:05,759 --> 00:13:05,998 end 350 00:13:07,284 --> 00:13:08,794 But the lands I'm gonna look at is 351 00:13:08,794 --> 00:13:10,703 this lands of Israel's failure. 352 00:13:11,339 --> 00:13:12,770 And there was a famine in the land. 353 00:13:12,929 --> 00:13:14,917 You go back to D 31, 354 00:13:15,409 --> 00:13:17,509 And here's most his last words 355 00:13:17,970 --> 00:13:19,169 and god speaking to him. 356 00:13:19,889 --> 00:13:21,490 And he says, you're going to rest with 357 00:13:21,490 --> 00:13:23,750 your ancestors, and these people will soon 358 00:13:24,064 --> 00:13:24,564 prostitute 359 00:13:24,942 --> 00:13:26,938 themselves to the foreign gods of the land. 360 00:13:27,258 --> 00:13:29,014 Very thing the book of judges says they 361 00:13:29,014 --> 00:13:29,254 did. 362 00:13:30,052 --> 00:13:32,128 They will for me and break the covenant 363 00:13:32,287 --> 00:13:34,455 I made with them then when you go 364 00:13:34,455 --> 00:13:36,148 to chapter 32 of jet. 365 00:13:37,637 --> 00:13:39,228 God says, this is what I'm going to 366 00:13:39,228 --> 00:13:39,705 do. 367 00:13:41,472 --> 00:13:42,531 To try and 368 00:13:43,386 --> 00:13:44,423 correct their behavior. 369 00:13:46,577 --> 00:13:48,092 Now I don't know if you remember what 370 00:13:48,092 --> 00:13:49,448 it was like when you're mom and day 371 00:13:49,448 --> 00:13:51,611 dad I tried to correct your behavior. 372 00:13:53,591 --> 00:13:55,121 I still remember it vividly. 373 00:13:56,206 --> 00:13:57,157 I was at church. 374 00:13:59,002 --> 00:14:00,359 I don't know what I was doing. 375 00:14:01,715 --> 00:14:03,391 But whatever I was doing, 376 00:14:04,190 --> 00:14:05,227 mama didn't like it. 377 00:14:06,919 --> 00:14:09,716 I had to been first grade, second grade 378 00:14:09,716 --> 00:14:10,755 somewhere right in there. 379 00:14:12,193 --> 00:14:13,792 And my mom, right in the middle of 380 00:14:13,792 --> 00:14:16,203 the sermon and leans over and says, when 381 00:14:16,203 --> 00:14:18,356 you get home, you're getting a spanking. 382 00:14:23,461 --> 00:14:24,258 Pete you're I. 383 00:14:26,186 --> 00:14:27,539 I think I said it out loud. 384 00:14:30,005 --> 00:14:31,836 Do Y'all know what that did to my 385 00:14:31,836 --> 00:14:32,711 worship that day? 386 00:14:33,999 --> 00:14:35,668 My mother ruined my worship, 387 00:14:36,543 --> 00:14:37,100 Ruined it. 388 00:14:38,531 --> 00:14:40,599 Man, if I'd been ready to get baptized 389 00:14:40,599 --> 00:14:42,348 at 6 years old, that would have done 390 00:14:42,348 --> 00:14:42,666 it in. 391 00:14:44,269 --> 00:14:46,175 And, of course, the rest of the morning, 392 00:14:46,333 --> 00:14:48,715 That's all I thought about. Mom's fixing the 393 00:14:48,715 --> 00:14:50,144 correct, whatever I did wrong. 394 00:14:51,672 --> 00:14:53,665 And I tried my best to change your 395 00:14:53,665 --> 00:14:55,181 tune. I got in the car. I said, 396 00:14:55,340 --> 00:14:56,775 mom, your hair's pretty today. 397 00:14:58,610 --> 00:15:00,125 I'm serious this true story. 398 00:15:02,059 --> 00:15:04,299 I said, boy and that dress you're wearing, 399 00:15:04,460 --> 00:15:05,740 that looks good on your mom. 400 00:15:06,460 --> 00:15:08,835 And mom just thank you sweetie. Thank you 401 00:15:09,034 --> 00:15:10,868 so much. By the time I got home, 402 00:15:11,108 --> 00:15:13,500 I was convinced. I'd turned the tide. 403 00:15:14,218 --> 00:15:14,458 Okay? 404 00:15:15,654 --> 00:15:17,648 And and and and right as I walked 405 00:15:17,648 --> 00:15:20,295 in the door, mom said, last, can you 406 00:15:20,295 --> 00:15:23,007 do me a favor sure mom, anything you 407 00:15:23,007 --> 00:15:24,762 want. Can you go to the back bedroom, 408 00:15:24,841 --> 00:15:27,075 get your daddy's belt? Oh, good night. 409 00:15:32,023 --> 00:15:33,691 God had told Israel what he would do. 410 00:15:34,566 --> 00:15:35,360 What's what he says? 411 00:15:36,409 --> 00:15:38,961 He says, I will send wasting famine against 412 00:15:38,961 --> 00:15:41,592 them, consuming pest and deadly plague. 413 00:15:42,629 --> 00:15:45,042 And and again, it's not that my mom 414 00:15:45,991 --> 00:15:47,978 wanted to punish me for punishment sake. 415 00:15:49,091 --> 00:15:50,919 Mom was trying to direct me. Mom was 416 00:15:50,919 --> 00:15:52,508 trying to get me. You need to pay 417 00:15:52,508 --> 00:15:54,673 attention to what? You know, your your dad. 418 00:15:54,833 --> 00:15:55,709 And I say to you. 419 00:15:56,585 --> 00:15:58,498 And basically, that's the lesson God's trying to 420 00:15:58,498 --> 00:16:00,171 get to us. Because of his great love, 421 00:16:00,490 --> 00:16:02,721 God disciplines people and hope that they will 422 00:16:02,721 --> 00:16:04,571 repent. And return to him. You see that 423 00:16:04,571 --> 00:16:05,689 all the way through scripture. 424 00:16:06,727 --> 00:16:09,042 Of where God is not wanting anyone to 425 00:16:09,042 --> 00:16:11,597 perish and he use whatever means to try 426 00:16:11,597 --> 00:16:14,077 to bring us back to him. The Hebrew 427 00:16:14,077 --> 00:16:17,329 writer says, have you completely forgotten these words 428 00:16:17,329 --> 00:16:19,709 of encouragement that addresses you as a father 429 00:16:19,709 --> 00:16:20,502 addresses his son? 430 00:16:21,152 --> 00:16:23,057 It says my son do not make light 431 00:16:23,057 --> 00:16:24,271 of the Lord's discipline 432 00:16:24,724 --> 00:16:27,264 and do not lose heart when he rebuke 433 00:16:27,264 --> 00:16:30,058 you because the lord disciplines the 1 He 434 00:16:30,058 --> 00:16:32,930 loves and chases everyone he accepts as his 435 00:16:32,930 --> 00:16:33,727 son or daughter. 436 00:16:35,163 --> 00:16:37,317 I mean, the reason that God disciplines us 437 00:16:37,317 --> 00:16:39,311 because he doesn't want us to be lost. 438 00:16:39,804 --> 00:16:40,520 He loves us. 439 00:16:42,589 --> 00:16:43,942 The text goes on then. 440 00:16:44,898 --> 00:16:46,330 And and and this is 1 of the 441 00:16:46,330 --> 00:16:48,917 most important phrases. So a man from Bethlehem 442 00:16:49,136 --> 00:16:50,892 and Judah together with his wife and 2 443 00:16:50,892 --> 00:16:53,846 sons went to live a while in the 444 00:16:53,846 --> 00:16:56,183 country of Moa. Now, I've got that highlight 445 00:16:56,241 --> 00:16:56,880 for a reason. 446 00:16:58,010 --> 00:17:00,021 You're gonna see it twice here 447 00:17:00,555 --> 00:17:02,702 in in verse 1 and then the next 448 00:17:02,702 --> 00:17:03,020 verse. 449 00:17:04,213 --> 00:17:07,327 I mean, twice. Once at the beginning, once 450 00:17:07,327 --> 00:17:09,337 at the end, we call that a sandwich 451 00:17:09,472 --> 00:17:11,855 in scripture. We find them quite often. 452 00:17:12,332 --> 00:17:14,000 And and of course, what you're looking for 453 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:16,162 is, okay. What's going on in between. 454 00:17:17,437 --> 00:17:21,184 What what's happening between the sandwich. Now, where 455 00:17:21,184 --> 00:17:22,698 they're living is way up here in the 456 00:17:22,698 --> 00:17:24,468 north in Bethlehem? Am I and the north 457 00:17:24,468 --> 00:17:25,607 is actually in southern 458 00:17:25,985 --> 00:17:26,464 Israel. 459 00:17:27,262 --> 00:17:28,778 You got all the way up the galilee 460 00:17:28,778 --> 00:17:30,615 lay up above this. But Bethlehem ham is 461 00:17:30,615 --> 00:17:32,690 just a few miles South of Jerusalem, 462 00:17:33,104 --> 00:17:35,020 Moa over here on the eastern side of 463 00:17:35,020 --> 00:17:36,696 the dead sea. And so they've got a 464 00:17:36,696 --> 00:17:37,974 cross over the Jordan and come down through 465 00:17:38,133 --> 00:17:40,230 Reuben and go to the land of Moa 466 00:17:40,368 --> 00:17:42,777 or go south through the desert and come 467 00:17:42,777 --> 00:17:44,049 across Inter moa. App have 1 way or 468 00:17:44,049 --> 00:17:44,527 the other. 469 00:17:45,799 --> 00:17:48,345 And so they've made a decision. It's dried 470 00:17:48,345 --> 00:17:51,621 over here they've got rain over here interesting. 471 00:17:51,860 --> 00:17:54,485 Right? And so let's go over there to 472 00:17:54,485 --> 00:17:54,803 live. 473 00:17:56,728 --> 00:17:57,845 And I want you to look at the 474 00:17:57,845 --> 00:17:58,084 text. 475 00:17:58,722 --> 00:17:59,759 The man's name was, 476 00:18:01,115 --> 00:18:02,652 and his wife's name was Naomi, 477 00:18:03,029 --> 00:18:04,464 and the names of his 2 sons were 478 00:18:04,624 --> 00:18:05,740 Mai and Killing, 479 00:18:06,154 --> 00:18:09,295 and they were ep from Bethlehem, Judah. Ep 480 00:18:09,755 --> 00:18:11,134 is a little village 481 00:18:11,914 --> 00:18:14,568 being say this not far from the little 482 00:18:14,568 --> 00:18:15,947 village, Of bethlehem. 483 00:18:17,525 --> 00:18:19,763 I don't know about y'all, but growing up 484 00:18:19,763 --> 00:18:22,160 out in in the country of Northern Mississippi, 485 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:24,806 you had little community here, in a mile 486 00:18:24,806 --> 00:18:26,717 away you had another little community, in a 487 00:18:26,717 --> 00:18:28,947 mile away you had another little community. I 488 00:18:28,947 --> 00:18:30,620 mean, by the way, Nashville used to be 489 00:18:30,620 --> 00:18:30,938 that way. 490 00:18:32,386 --> 00:18:34,693 I mean, do do y'all know that Henderson 491 00:18:34,693 --> 00:18:36,363 deal used to be a long way from 492 00:18:36,443 --> 00:18:36,920 Nashville? 493 00:18:39,004 --> 00:18:40,922 Mean, now when people say, where where are 494 00:18:40,922 --> 00:18:42,781 you from? I go Nashville 495 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:44,678 instead of trying to explain where I'm from? 496 00:18:45,637 --> 00:18:47,795 I mean, Madison used to be by itself 497 00:18:47,795 --> 00:18:50,124 and Queen used to be by itself and 498 00:18:50,204 --> 00:18:52,836 Henderson used to be by itself and no 499 00:18:52,836 --> 00:18:54,592 how many y'all know the number 1 community. 500 00:18:55,723 --> 00:18:57,159 Yeah. Just go up the road a little 501 00:18:57,159 --> 00:18:58,673 piece, and there was a little community called 502 00:18:58,673 --> 00:19:00,826 number 1. That was the first stop on 503 00:19:00,826 --> 00:19:02,899 on the trail that went down into Nashville 504 00:19:02,899 --> 00:19:03,935 from Gall. 505 00:19:04,429 --> 00:19:07,141 And if for a long time, Nashville Road 506 00:19:07,300 --> 00:19:10,251 Church Christ was named number 1 Church Christ. 507 00:19:10,491 --> 00:19:11,607 I always wanted to preach there. 508 00:19:14,492 --> 00:19:16,240 I mean, don't you know they started every 509 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,577 worship service with we're number 1. We're number 510 00:19:19,577 --> 00:19:19,895 1. 511 00:19:20,769 --> 00:19:21,007 Yeah. 512 00:19:21,659 --> 00:19:24,450 I mean, of all names to change from. 513 00:19:24,769 --> 00:19:26,603 Why did you change it from number 1. 514 00:19:26,842 --> 00:19:29,633 Well because the number 1 community got swallowed 515 00:19:29,633 --> 00:19:30,351 by Gall? 516 00:19:31,164 --> 00:19:32,545 Same way here with Ef. 517 00:19:34,205 --> 00:19:36,045 And then look at how this verse ends, 518 00:19:37,005 --> 00:19:38,845 and they went to Moa and lived there. 519 00:19:39,337 --> 00:19:41,088 Same thing that is said at the end 520 00:19:41,088 --> 00:19:43,156 of diverse 1. In diverse 1, they went 521 00:19:43,156 --> 00:19:44,509 to Moa lived there. In the verse 2, 522 00:19:44,668 --> 00:19:46,751 they went to Moa lived there. And and 523 00:19:46,751 --> 00:19:48,740 you gotta go, okay. So so what's the 524 00:19:48,740 --> 00:19:50,967 deal? What's the deal is the the name 525 00:19:50,967 --> 00:19:53,035 of the of the head of the household?? 526 00:19:55,436 --> 00:19:55,754 You see 527 00:19:57,026 --> 00:19:59,196 Is is a hebrew name, Eli 528 00:19:59,651 --> 00:20:00,151 El 529 00:20:00,844 --> 00:20:01,639 and then Male, 530 00:20:02,195 --> 00:20:02,513 king. 531 00:20:03,403 --> 00:20:04,698 And it basically means 532 00:20:05,072 --> 00:20:06,026 my god is king. 533 00:20:08,887 --> 00:20:10,477 And and and and again, 534 00:20:11,049 --> 00:20:12,645 If you look through this lien, you're going 535 00:20:12,645 --> 00:20:15,200 to direction, Other people say now is it's 536 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:15,939 not really 537 00:20:16,397 --> 00:20:18,472 significant to the story. And so I realize 538 00:20:18,472 --> 00:20:20,800 it that people disagree scholars look at it 539 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:21,437 differently here. 540 00:20:22,872 --> 00:20:24,226 But to me, what what 541 00:20:24,943 --> 00:20:27,731 Is doing is he saying, God, I'm not 542 00:20:27,731 --> 00:20:29,086 gonna wait for you to lift the famine. 543 00:20:30,859 --> 00:20:33,019 I'm not gonna stay in in Bethlehem. I'm 544 00:20:33,019 --> 00:20:35,500 not going to inter seed on behalf of 545 00:20:35,500 --> 00:20:36,299 of the people. 546 00:20:37,099 --> 00:20:38,539 I'm gonna go where there's food. 547 00:20:39,194 --> 00:20:40,709 I've got kids to eat, and you see 548 00:20:40,709 --> 00:20:42,622 the rationale. I mean, you understand that. 549 00:20:44,137 --> 00:20:46,450 But at the same time, there's there's another 550 00:20:46,450 --> 00:20:49,019 layer of the story there for someone whose 551 00:20:49,019 --> 00:20:50,059 name means. 552 00:20:50,460 --> 00:20:52,859 My god is king. Well, if he's king, 553 00:20:53,179 --> 00:20:55,339 that surely, he can bring relief to the 554 00:20:55,339 --> 00:20:58,228 famine or is something else going on in 555 00:20:58,228 --> 00:20:58,785 the text. 556 00:21:00,138 --> 00:21:01,013 He made a choice. 557 00:21:02,207 --> 00:21:03,957 And that's 1 of the most important things 558 00:21:03,957 --> 00:21:05,469 that I think comes out of these first 559 00:21:05,469 --> 00:21:06,208 3 verses 560 00:21:06,598 --> 00:21:08,451 life is often about choices 561 00:21:09,384 --> 00:21:09,862 we make. 562 00:21:10,658 --> 00:21:11,397 Not always, 563 00:21:12,569 --> 00:21:13,286 but often. 564 00:21:15,535 --> 00:21:16,494 I want you to think a few few 565 00:21:16,494 --> 00:21:18,335 moments about the choices you've made in your 566 00:21:18,335 --> 00:21:20,174 life or will make in your life, 567 00:21:20,815 --> 00:21:21,934 depending on how old you are. 568 00:21:23,307 --> 00:21:24,904 I think 1 of the biggest ones is 569 00:21:24,904 --> 00:21:27,378 is this 1 right here. Plus after high 570 00:21:27,378 --> 00:21:27,618 school. 571 00:21:29,135 --> 00:21:32,021 I mean, III remember when I got in 572 00:21:32,021 --> 00:21:33,851 high school. I began to, you know, everybody 573 00:21:33,851 --> 00:21:35,123 would ask me, what are you gonna do 574 00:21:35,123 --> 00:21:35,839 after you graduate? 575 00:21:36,953 --> 00:21:38,703 And for me, it was already in mind. 576 00:21:38,862 --> 00:21:40,109 I'm gonna go free hard and I'm what 577 00:21:40,309 --> 00:21:41,985 become a preacher. I already made the choice. 578 00:21:43,183 --> 00:21:44,619 But people oftentimes haven't. 579 00:21:46,136 --> 00:21:47,812 You know, I remember back when I taught 580 00:21:47,812 --> 00:21:49,421 ad junk at Lips come 1 of the 581 00:21:49,421 --> 00:21:51,248 things you would find is the students going, 582 00:21:51,406 --> 00:21:52,756 you know, they want me to declare a 583 00:21:52,756 --> 00:21:54,503 major? I don't even have a clue what 584 00:21:54,583 --> 00:21:55,536 I wanna do with my life. 585 00:21:56,330 --> 00:21:57,918 How do you declare a major? I mean, 586 00:21:58,568 --> 00:22:01,218 June and my oldest son, Rob 587 00:22:01,991 --> 00:22:04,140 Rob went in as an engineer, 588 00:22:05,254 --> 00:22:08,063 switched over and became a business major 589 00:22:08,855 --> 00:22:11,994 Switched over and became a education major 590 00:22:12,855 --> 00:22:14,775 and is the first semester of this freshman 591 00:22:14,775 --> 00:22:14,934 year. 592 00:22:16,787 --> 00:22:18,296 I mean, I'm like son. 593 00:22:19,328 --> 00:22:20,781 Got a degree in history, 594 00:22:21,233 --> 00:22:23,694 did a student teaching got a master's degree 595 00:22:23,694 --> 00:22:25,203 in educational leadership. 596 00:22:25,853 --> 00:22:28,314 I mean, Eric, I mean, I'm thinking he's 597 00:22:28,314 --> 00:22:30,377 gonna go and teach. Never taught a day 598 00:22:30,377 --> 00:22:32,203 in his life other than student teaching. 599 00:22:32,917 --> 00:22:34,187 You're like, what does he do? 600 00:22:35,315 --> 00:22:36,270 He's a security, 601 00:22:36,668 --> 00:22:39,475 computer security expert who works out his basement. 602 00:22:44,872 --> 00:22:45,268 I mean, 603 00:22:45,903 --> 00:22:47,409 he had no clue where he was gonna 604 00:22:47,409 --> 00:22:47,647 go. 605 00:22:49,867 --> 00:22:50,581 I think a stand. 606 00:22:51,789 --> 00:22:54,029 I mean, staying coming out of of college. 607 00:22:54,750 --> 00:22:57,549 I mean, preaching, Oh, no. No. No. Street. 608 00:22:57,710 --> 00:22:59,390 No. No. No. John Mike is exact same 609 00:22:59,390 --> 00:23:01,954 way. I love these guys because they're both 610 00:23:01,954 --> 00:23:03,864 sons of preacher, and they came out of 611 00:23:03,864 --> 00:23:06,650 school guy. I'll never go. No. You know, 612 00:23:06,809 --> 00:23:08,322 be a, be a minister and then God 613 00:23:08,322 --> 00:23:09,436 said, really? Never. 614 00:23:10,008 --> 00:23:11,836 And God has a way of saying, yeah, 615 00:23:12,313 --> 00:23:14,402 maybe maybe you need to realize it sometimes. 616 00:23:15,095 --> 00:23:18,115 What's after high school? Trade school, go straight 617 00:23:18,115 --> 00:23:18,830 in the workforce. 618 00:23:20,039 --> 00:23:20,516 Next 1, 619 00:23:21,550 --> 00:23:22,267 what's your career. 620 00:23:24,017 --> 00:23:24,813 What are you gonna do? 621 00:23:25,768 --> 00:23:27,519 You gotta survive. How do you do that? 622 00:23:28,809 --> 00:23:30,967 I still remember something that someone said, not 623 00:23:31,127 --> 00:23:32,805 I don't even know who it was, but 624 00:23:32,805 --> 00:23:34,643 said, if you'll do something that you love, 625 00:23:34,883 --> 00:23:36,481 you'll never work a day in your life. 626 00:23:38,575 --> 00:23:39,694 I think there's a lot of truth to 627 00:23:39,694 --> 00:23:39,855 that. 628 00:23:41,375 --> 00:23:43,375 When you're doing what you love, it it's 629 00:23:43,375 --> 00:23:44,575 not like work. 630 00:23:46,501 --> 00:23:47,851 When I was in high school, I worked 631 00:23:47,851 --> 00:23:48,804 in a grocery store. 632 00:23:49,599 --> 00:23:50,869 And I was 1 of the stock boys. 633 00:23:51,028 --> 00:23:52,061 I was 1 of the guys, you know, 634 00:23:52,220 --> 00:23:54,543 price the cans back then, put prices on 635 00:23:54,543 --> 00:23:55,981 the cans. We didn't put them on the 636 00:23:55,981 --> 00:23:57,579 on the shelves. And so you had to 637 00:23:57,579 --> 00:23:59,257 price all the food and and I was 638 00:23:59,257 --> 00:24:00,615 the guy who had do that. And let 639 00:24:00,615 --> 00:24:02,302 me tell you something. You do that all 640 00:24:02,302 --> 00:24:03,730 day, guess what you do all night. 641 00:24:04,841 --> 00:24:06,190 You do it all night in your dreams. 642 00:24:07,459 --> 00:24:09,125 I remember waking up, Mom said to do 643 00:24:09,125 --> 00:24:11,527 a sweetheart. Sleep good. No. I didn't sleep 644 00:24:11,527 --> 00:24:14,316 good. I stock shelves all not long. You 645 00:24:14,316 --> 00:24:15,829 know, Now I gotta go do it again. 646 00:24:16,068 --> 00:24:18,220 And y'all ever had that experience. I, is 647 00:24:18,220 --> 00:24:19,335 a horrible experience. 648 00:24:20,781 --> 00:24:22,052 You know, what's your career? 649 00:24:23,244 --> 00:24:24,436 Do something that you love? 650 00:24:25,549 --> 00:24:26,184 Will you marry? 651 00:24:27,297 --> 00:24:28,410 Some choose not to. 652 00:24:28,982 --> 00:24:31,051 Nothing wrong with that at all. Others choose 653 00:24:31,051 --> 00:24:31,290 to. 654 00:24:32,484 --> 00:24:34,076 You know? 1 1 thing by the way, 655 00:24:34,315 --> 00:24:35,748 when you're a preacher, guess what? 656 00:24:36,639 --> 00:24:38,551 They don't hire a lot of single preacher. 657 00:24:39,586 --> 00:24:41,658 As they all saying go, the apostle Paul 658 00:24:41,658 --> 00:24:43,092 would have been in trouble trying to get 659 00:24:43,092 --> 00:24:44,143 hired at a church, today. 660 00:24:45,101 --> 00:24:46,457 You know? So were you marry? And by 661 00:24:46,457 --> 00:24:47,493 the way, if you marry who? 662 00:24:48,849 --> 00:24:50,365 I just want all you English people to 663 00:24:50,365 --> 00:24:52,917 know that first, I had who and realized 664 00:24:52,917 --> 00:24:53,475 it was wrong. 665 00:24:54,687 --> 00:24:56,464 And I switched it to to 666 00:24:57,082 --> 00:24:59,157 sister Howard said, yeah. I'm pretty sure it's 667 00:24:59,157 --> 00:25:00,992 who. And so we got whom up there. 668 00:25:01,152 --> 00:25:01,950 Whom will you marry? 669 00:25:03,644 --> 00:25:04,045 Children. 670 00:25:05,404 --> 00:25:07,244 You know, when June and I started talking, 671 00:25:07,884 --> 00:25:09,404 you know, she's like, any many children you 672 00:25:09,404 --> 00:25:10,684 want. I said I won't forward. 673 00:25:11,815 --> 00:25:13,246 I said, hem you want. She said I 674 00:25:13,246 --> 00:25:13,881 want 12. 675 00:25:18,331 --> 00:25:19,125 I'm like, okay? 676 00:25:20,253 --> 00:25:22,082 We had our first child and after our 677 00:25:22,082 --> 00:25:23,831 first child, June said, I tell you what. 678 00:25:24,069 --> 00:25:24,864 Let's have 3. 679 00:25:26,534 --> 00:25:27,409 And I okay? 680 00:25:28,219 --> 00:25:29,569 And then she had the second 1 and 681 00:25:29,569 --> 00:25:31,078 she said, we're done. I mean, 682 00:25:32,904 --> 00:25:34,970 amazing how the choices change. 683 00:25:36,734 --> 00:25:37,931 And then the most important 1. 684 00:25:39,368 --> 00:25:40,486 Will you follow Jesus? 685 00:25:42,002 --> 00:25:44,237 I mean, there's no choice more more important 686 00:25:44,237 --> 00:25:46,403 than that question right there. Will you follow 687 00:25:46,562 --> 00:25:46,960 Jesus? 688 00:25:47,913 --> 00:25:50,535 And by the way, our choices often have 689 00:25:50,535 --> 00:25:51,750 lifelong consequences. 690 00:25:53,652 --> 00:25:55,806 I mean, what you decide, you know, whether 691 00:25:55,806 --> 00:25:57,002 you go to college or or an otter 692 00:25:57,002 --> 00:25:59,236 or what what subjects you get into or 693 00:25:59,236 --> 00:26:01,548 not, What that first job is, oftentimes they 694 00:26:01,548 --> 00:26:02,846 have life long 695 00:26:03,159 --> 00:26:03,659 consequences. 696 00:26:05,157 --> 00:26:07,635 And oftentimes we don't realize that. And and 697 00:26:07,635 --> 00:26:09,792 if there's anything we got to realize is, 698 00:26:10,032 --> 00:26:12,030 yes, you're gonna have to live with the 699 00:26:12,030 --> 00:26:15,809 choice you make and oftentimes with lifelong consequences. 700 00:26:17,059 --> 00:26:18,593 And so how do you make an important 701 00:26:18,809 --> 00:26:21,773 decision that You know, when when Joshua was 702 00:26:21,773 --> 00:26:23,050 trying to figure out what I do with 703 00:26:23,209 --> 00:26:25,682 Jericho, he meets the commander of the Lord's 704 00:26:25,682 --> 00:26:28,012 army, which as standing and I did kind 705 00:26:28,012 --> 00:26:31,125 of some talk there was God himself who 706 00:26:31,125 --> 00:26:33,360 come down to guide him. And and he 707 00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:34,876 said, okay. What what do you want me 708 00:26:34,876 --> 00:26:36,965 to do, Lord? Lord said, here's what you 709 00:26:36,965 --> 00:26:38,400 do. You go and you march around the 710 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,893 city. God told him exactly what to do 711 00:26:41,031 --> 00:26:42,945 because Joshua said, Lord, what do you want 712 00:26:42,945 --> 00:26:43,423 me to do? 713 00:26:44,554 --> 00:26:45,907 But now all you gotta do is turn 714 00:26:45,907 --> 00:26:47,498 just a couple of chapters on the next 715 00:26:47,498 --> 00:26:49,828 chapter and when they go up against eye 716 00:26:50,124 --> 00:26:52,209 instead of going to God in prayer. He 717 00:26:52,209 --> 00:26:54,599 sent spies up, They came back, and they 718 00:26:54,599 --> 00:26:56,512 said, not all the army will have to 719 00:26:56,512 --> 00:26:58,823 go up against I. Sent 2 or 3000 720 00:26:58,823 --> 00:27:00,666 men to take it. And don't wear the 721 00:27:00,666 --> 00:27:02,646 whole army and brothers and sisters, he was 722 00:27:02,646 --> 00:27:03,463 a disaster. 723 00:27:04,469 --> 00:27:06,291 When he finally asked God, and he says, 724 00:27:06,450 --> 00:27:08,134 God, and What am I supposed to do? 725 00:27:08,294 --> 00:27:10,285 He says you take the whole army up 726 00:27:10,285 --> 00:27:10,604 there? 727 00:27:12,118 --> 00:27:14,747 I mean, so oftentimes we forget that the 728 00:27:14,747 --> 00:27:16,755 answer to how we make the decision is 729 00:27:16,755 --> 00:27:17,394 through prayer. 730 00:27:18,355 --> 00:27:20,515 I love this passage in cautions to devote 731 00:27:20,515 --> 00:27:23,474 yourselves to prayer, be watchful and thankful and 732 00:27:23,474 --> 00:27:24,275 pray for us, 733 00:27:24,849 --> 00:27:26,525 that God may open the door for our 734 00:27:26,525 --> 00:27:28,280 message that we may reclaim the mystery of 735 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:30,753 Christ for which I am in change, pray 736 00:27:30,753 --> 00:27:31,572 that I'm a 737 00:27:32,044 --> 00:27:33,873 that I may pro it clearly as I 738 00:27:33,873 --> 00:27:36,260 should, look at the word prayer there. 3 739 00:27:36,260 --> 00:27:38,407 times a form of prayer or pray is 740 00:27:38,407 --> 00:27:38,907 there 741 00:27:39,456 --> 00:27:41,682 But it's much more there in the sense 742 00:27:41,682 --> 00:27:44,146 that, pray that a door will open. Pray 743 00:27:44,146 --> 00:27:46,530 that I can pro the mystery, Pray that 744 00:27:46,609 --> 00:27:47,961 I can pro it clearly. 745 00:27:48,452 --> 00:27:50,197 Paul, what do we need to do? We 746 00:27:50,197 --> 00:27:50,911 need to pray? 747 00:27:53,370 --> 00:27:54,798 I think if I failed any anywhere. 748 00:27:56,248 --> 00:27:58,805 In my ministry is not praying enough. I 749 00:27:58,805 --> 00:27:59,524 know it to be true. 750 00:28:00,882 --> 00:28:03,120 Not asking god's guidance near enough. 751 00:28:04,255 --> 00:28:05,535 And then, of course, God's word. 752 00:28:06,815 --> 00:28:08,335 I mean, sometimes you just need to go 753 00:28:08,335 --> 00:28:09,855 and open the word. I don't know him 754 00:28:09,855 --> 00:28:12,309 many times I've had to make a decision 755 00:28:12,429 --> 00:28:13,703 and then I look at what God's word 756 00:28:13,703 --> 00:28:14,817 it has to say about it, and I 757 00:28:14,977 --> 00:28:16,489 I go, no, it's not a hard decision 758 00:28:16,489 --> 00:28:18,480 to make it all. Here's what the bible 759 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:19,674 says we ought to do. 760 00:28:20,804 --> 00:28:22,242 And I wanna tell you, if you begin 761 00:28:22,242 --> 00:28:25,279 with prayer and God's word. Yes, getting advice 762 00:28:25,279 --> 00:28:27,117 from other people. I mean, there's a lot 763 00:28:27,117 --> 00:28:28,235 of other things you can do. 764 00:28:28,969 --> 00:28:30,804 But you can probably go a long way 765 00:28:30,804 --> 00:28:32,159 to making good decisions. 766 00:28:33,595 --> 00:28:35,749 Now, Limo Naomi husband died, 767 00:28:36,865 --> 00:28:38,540 and she was left with her 2 sons. 768 00:28:39,033 --> 00:28:39,590 Third verse. 769 00:28:41,419 --> 00:28:42,453 They get to moa. 770 00:28:43,885 --> 00:28:44,840 Things are looking up. 771 00:28:46,369 --> 00:28:48,210 And then the 1 whose name means my 772 00:28:48,210 --> 00:28:50,849 god my my god is king does. 773 00:28:51,650 --> 00:28:53,089 And of course, she can ask the question 774 00:28:53,089 --> 00:28:53,330 why? 775 00:28:54,622 --> 00:28:56,537 I mean, was it because he made a 776 00:28:56,537 --> 00:28:58,451 decision to leave Bethlehem or was it just 777 00:28:58,451 --> 00:28:59,727 because he got sick. 778 00:29:00,285 --> 00:29:02,040 And again, it depends on which lens you 779 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:03,635 look through to answer that question? 780 00:29:05,329 --> 00:29:06,849 Boy, here's the point that you need to 781 00:29:06,849 --> 00:29:07,329 realize, 782 00:29:08,289 --> 00:29:10,130 and that's some choices are made for us. 783 00:29:11,809 --> 00:29:13,490 While we make a lot of choices. 784 00:29:15,093 --> 00:29:17,078 Sometimes life makes choices for us. 785 00:29:18,825 --> 00:29:20,492 Naomi didn't make a choice to be a 786 00:29:20,492 --> 00:29:20,809 widow. 787 00:29:23,049 --> 00:29:24,798 Mothers don't make a choice to lose a 788 00:29:24,798 --> 00:29:25,115 child. 789 00:29:26,785 --> 00:29:29,090 I mean, spouses don't... I mean, if they 790 00:29:29,090 --> 00:29:30,544 had a choice oftentimes 791 00:29:30,853 --> 00:29:32,921 it's not their choice you know, to have 792 00:29:32,921 --> 00:29:34,829 their spouse run off with someone else. 793 00:29:36,181 --> 00:29:38,726 I mean, in life oftentimes, we get dealt 794 00:29:38,726 --> 00:29:40,609 things that we're like, we're in the world 795 00:29:40,729 --> 00:29:41,446 this come from. 796 00:29:42,561 --> 00:29:44,553 And so, yes, we make a lot of 797 00:29:44,553 --> 00:29:47,183 choices, but sometimes life makes choices for us. 798 00:29:48,074 --> 00:29:49,979 You turn over to the gospel, and you've 799 00:29:49,979 --> 00:29:52,440 got people coming to Jesus. About that time 800 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:54,425 some people came up and told Jesus about 801 00:29:54,425 --> 00:29:55,163 the gall, 802 00:29:55,695 --> 00:29:58,015 powell had killed. Why They were at worship, 803 00:29:58,333 --> 00:29:59,766 mixing their blood with the blood of the 804 00:29:59,766 --> 00:30:02,870 sacrifices on the altar. And Jesus responded, do 805 00:30:02,870 --> 00:30:04,404 you think those murdered gall 806 00:30:05,033 --> 00:30:07,122 we're worse sinner than all the other gall. 807 00:30:07,417 --> 00:30:07,894 No. 808 00:30:10,436 --> 00:30:10,834 No. 809 00:30:12,917 --> 00:30:15,230 I mean, just because something bad happens to 810 00:30:15,230 --> 00:30:17,464 someone, doesn't mean they're at worse sinner. In 811 00:30:17,464 --> 00:30:18,979 the minds of so many people back then, 812 00:30:19,219 --> 00:30:21,133 that was the case, but it's not the 813 00:30:21,133 --> 00:30:21,372 case. 814 00:30:23,140 --> 00:30:24,731 I mean, all of us can look at 815 00:30:24,731 --> 00:30:25,868 incidents in our lives 816 00:30:27,199 --> 00:30:29,427 and go, you know, why why was my 817 00:30:29,427 --> 00:30:30,541 brother on that airplane? 818 00:30:31,988 --> 00:30:34,052 Why why why was my brother? Why did 819 00:30:34,052 --> 00:30:35,480 he pull out in front of that truck? 820 00:30:37,068 --> 00:30:38,735 Why there... Was there an off duty police 821 00:30:38,735 --> 00:30:40,972 officer who hadn't slept for several days why 822 00:30:40,972 --> 00:30:43,277 did it go to sleep and unfortunately come 823 00:30:43,277 --> 00:30:45,423 across the road and my nephew died? Those 824 00:30:45,423 --> 00:30:46,694 are all stories this happened to me in 825 00:30:46,773 --> 00:30:47,091 June? 826 00:30:49,175 --> 00:30:51,567 I mean, is it because somehow those people 827 00:30:51,567 --> 00:30:52,922 were worse sinner now. 828 00:30:54,436 --> 00:30:56,763 In fact, Jesus goes on. He says in 829 00:30:56,763 --> 00:30:58,518 those 18 in Jerusalem on the other day? 830 00:30:58,677 --> 00:31:01,150 The once crash killed when the tires swung 831 00:31:01,150 --> 00:31:03,383 collapsed and fell on. Do you think that 832 00:31:03,383 --> 00:31:05,138 there were worse citizens than all the other 833 00:31:05,217 --> 00:31:06,150 Jerusalem mites 834 00:31:06,749 --> 00:31:07,228 No. 835 00:31:09,705 --> 00:31:12,102 In other words, Jesus says sometimes bad things 836 00:31:12,102 --> 00:31:13,380 simply happened to good people. 837 00:31:14,592 --> 00:31:15,708 That's where we live in. 838 00:31:17,303 --> 00:31:19,318 I mean, does anyone choose to get cancer 839 00:31:20,971 --> 00:31:22,008 or heart disease? 840 00:31:23,618 --> 00:31:25,690 I mean, does anyone really choose to get 841 00:31:25,769 --> 00:31:26,269 Parkinson's? 842 00:31:27,124 --> 00:31:28,399 I mean we we choose that? 843 00:31:29,514 --> 00:31:29,913 No. 844 00:31:31,121 --> 00:31:32,945 But the point Jesus makes is such an 845 00:31:32,945 --> 00:31:34,928 important point. And again, out of the message. 846 00:31:35,324 --> 00:31:37,069 But unless you turn to God, you too 847 00:31:37,069 --> 00:31:38,338 will die. You're gonna die. 848 00:31:40,185 --> 00:31:41,860 Before what the difference it makes when you 849 00:31:41,860 --> 00:31:44,013 turn to God. I mean, that's the most 850 00:31:44,013 --> 00:31:46,406 important decision you'll ever make in your life 851 00:31:46,406 --> 00:31:48,241 is turning to god. 852 00:31:49,292 --> 00:31:51,046 And when people ask me, what do I 853 00:31:51,046 --> 00:31:52,321 have to do to turn to god. 854 00:31:53,517 --> 00:31:55,589 Now, there's a lot involved in following Jesus. 855 00:31:55,749 --> 00:31:56,466 Don't get me wrong. 856 00:31:57,594 --> 00:31:59,973 I mean, becoming a disciple of Jesus is 857 00:31:59,973 --> 00:32:00,370 huge. 858 00:32:01,242 --> 00:32:03,249 But the process is as simple 859 00:32:03,621 --> 00:32:04,335 as it can be. 860 00:32:05,542 --> 00:32:08,014 This is Mark 16 16 out of the 861 00:32:08,014 --> 00:32:11,283 complete Jewish bible. I I love Jewish translations 862 00:32:11,283 --> 00:32:13,675 because they translate the word correctly. 863 00:32:14,888 --> 00:32:17,766 Notice in both instances here, saying already talked 864 00:32:17,766 --> 00:32:19,524 about tested in the old testament can mean 865 00:32:19,524 --> 00:32:22,721 trust. Same thing, Pas, our in the new 866 00:32:22,721 --> 00:32:24,753 testament. Whoever we typically 867 00:32:25,528 --> 00:32:26,803 quote it, whoever believes. 868 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:29,911 But the word is more than just intellectual 869 00:32:29,911 --> 00:32:31,527 consent is whoever trust 870 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,319 just like Ke in the Old testament. God 871 00:32:34,319 --> 00:32:36,240 wants you to trust him, in the new 872 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,279 testament. Jesus wants us to trust him. And 873 00:32:39,279 --> 00:32:42,095 whoever trust and is immersed. There's the translation 874 00:32:42,095 --> 00:32:42,835 of Ba. 875 00:32:43,695 --> 00:32:44,515 Instead of translating 876 00:32:44,815 --> 00:32:45,714 it, the Jewish 877 00:32:46,015 --> 00:32:47,535 translations translated. It's mers. 878 00:32:48,589 --> 00:32:50,341 And that's 1 of the things our our 879 00:32:50,341 --> 00:32:52,570 newest brother here. This last week, I told 880 00:32:52,570 --> 00:32:53,924 him I said, you need to be baptized. 881 00:32:54,083 --> 00:32:55,756 You need to be immersed to have your 882 00:32:55,756 --> 00:32:57,839 scenes us washed away and he said, when 883 00:32:57,839 --> 00:32:59,031 can I do that? I said, you do 884 00:32:59,031 --> 00:33:00,621 it anytime you want to? He said, how 885 00:33:00,621 --> 00:33:01,415 about right now. 886 00:33:02,925 --> 00:33:04,117 And so we came up here. 887 00:33:05,169 --> 00:33:07,405 And if you haven't noticed, drivers could be 888 00:33:07,405 --> 00:33:08,124 taller 9, 889 00:33:09,243 --> 00:33:10,681 You know, that twice as tall. 890 00:33:11,813 --> 00:33:13,561 And so someone said, how'd you get him 891 00:33:13,561 --> 00:33:15,230 under the water and back up and the 892 00:33:15,230 --> 00:33:17,217 answer is I went under with him? That's 893 00:33:17,217 --> 00:33:17,853 way you do it? 894 00:33:20,014 --> 00:33:21,366 I mean, the first thing I did was 895 00:33:21,366 --> 00:33:23,274 went home, changed my clock. I had wait 896 00:33:23,274 --> 00:33:24,387 zone. Didn't make any difference. 897 00:33:25,501 --> 00:33:26,773 Water poured in any way. 898 00:33:28,622 --> 00:33:30,537 And boy what joy we had when he 899 00:33:30,537 --> 00:33:31,756 came up out that water 900 00:33:32,772 --> 00:33:34,310 because he had trusted Jesus 901 00:33:34,688 --> 00:33:35,486 and been immersed. 902 00:33:36,378 --> 00:33:38,758 How simple a decision it is. And I 903 00:33:38,758 --> 00:33:40,266 don't know where you are today, but maybe 904 00:33:40,266 --> 00:33:41,614 it's time for you to be making a 905 00:33:41,614 --> 00:33:42,114 simple 906 00:33:42,884 --> 00:33:44,153 decision to follow Jesus. 907 00:33:44,803 --> 00:33:47,190 But putting your trust in him, being immersed 908 00:33:47,190 --> 00:33:49,417 in him, and then rising to walk with 909 00:33:49,417 --> 00:33:49,656 him. 910 00:33:50,221 --> 00:33:52,361 That's the invitation you have. If you're locked 911 00:33:52,361 --> 00:33:53,787 oil obey, you can do it right now 912 00:33:53,787 --> 00:33:54,658 as we stand and see.