I have forgotten to mention earlier that the DeLon lecture is at 7pm tonight in Cork Baptist Church.
I don't know if I mentioned the time.
So, verse 1, verse 1.
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land.
So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.
The man's name was Elimelech.
His wife's name was Naomi.
And the names of his two sons were Malon and Kilion.
They were Epaphrites from Bethlehem, Judah.
And they went to Moab and lived there.
Now, Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died.
And she was left with her two sons.
They married Moabite women.
One named Orpah and the other Ruth.
After they had lived there about ten years, both Malon and Kilion also died.
And Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them,
she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.
With her two daughters-in-law, she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law,
Go back, each of you, to your mother's home.
May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.
May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.
Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud.
And they said to her,
We will go back with you to your people.
But Naomi said,
Return home, my daughters.
Why would you come with me?
Am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands?
Return home, my daughters.
I am too old to have another husband.
Even if I thought there was still hope for me,
even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons,
would you wait until they grew up?
Would you remain unmarried for them?
No, my daughters.
It is more bitter for me than for you because the Lord's hand has turned against me.
At this they wept aloud again.
Then I'll pack, kissed her mother-in-law goodbye.
But Ruth clung to her.
Look, said Naomi,
Your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods.
Go back with her.
But Ruth replied,
Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.
Where you go, I will go.
And where you stay, I will stay.
Your people will be my people and your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die.
And there I will be buried.
May the Lord deal with me,
be it ever so severely,
if even death separates you and me.
When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her,
she stopped urging her.
So, the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.
When they arrived in Bethlehem,
the whole town was stirred because of them,
and the women explained,
Can this be Naomi?
Don't call me Naomi, she told them.
Call me Mara,
because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.
I went away full,
but the Lord has brought me back empty.
Why call me Naomi?
The Lord has afflicted me.
The Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.
So, Naomi returned from Moab,
accompanied by Ruth the Moabite,
her daughter-in-law,
arriving in Bethlehem
as the barley harvest was beginning.
Father, we thank you for this word.
We pray for Gary as he comes
to explain it to us
and to apply it to our lives.
Please empower him by your spirit
to do that effectively now.
And Lord, incline our hearts
and our ears
that we may hear,
receive,
and put into practice
your word.
Amen.
It's good to be with you again this morning
for Ruth, take two.
We're in the second in our series.
And I wonder if you know
what it feels like
to be alone,
to be lost at sea,
to feel that you are
devoid of help.
There's nothing that can reach you,
nothing that can help you.
It's you.
You're all alone.
Maybe you're at school.
Maybe you've been
the brunt of the bullying that day
and you feel alone.
Maybe you've lost a contract
at work
and you feel that it's your fault
and you have that sense of
aloneness or isolation.
I suppose over the weeks
you will find that
I have a love for popular music.
And so Neil Diamond,
he had a thought also
about this.
And so he wrote this song
and he said,
L.A.'s fine
and the sun shines
most of the time
and the feeling is lay back.
Palm trees grow
and the rents are low
but you know I keep thinking about
making my way back.
He says,
Well, I'm New York City
born and raised
but nowadays
I'm lost between two shores.
L.A.'s fine
but it ain't home.
But New York's home
but it ain't mine.
No more.
And he goes on to say
that the song I am,
I said,
if you know the song
and I said it to no one there
and no one heard at all,
not even the chair.
He is alone.
He feels alone
in this world.
And I think
right here in this text
this is how
Naomi feels.
It's not clear
but in verse 5
where it says
Naomi was left
without her husband
and her two sons.
The actual
the Hebrew text
doesn't say
the word Naomi.
It's put in there
for our information
hopefully by the NIV
to identify Naomi
but actually it says
the woman was left.
It doesn't even name her.
She's left.
She's there.
She's alone.
She's left.
Can we get into
the emotion of that
that we have?
We're looking at
how is God merciful to us
in that instance?
She's there.
She's alone.
She's lost
literally everything.
She's lost her livelihood.
We remember last week
that she had
you know,
women in that culture
they needed
their meal providers,
their meal protectors
and in that culture
without a man
she was destitute.
She was facing
poverty.
She was facing
a life
of hardship.
Okay.
Ah, there we go.
And so we can think
of two questions.
Had a little fight
with the controller there.
Must have hit the wrong button.
So where do we
turn to
when we've got
nowhere else
to go?
When trouble comes
into your life
what's your first
port of call?
Where do you go?
Where do you turn to
when you're
in that
state?
When you need
a helping hand?
Where do you go to?
And so
we find that here
in the first couple of verses
in verses 6 to 7.
Let's look at them together.
And we look at
Naomi's
empty
return.
And she's
leaving,
she's decided to leave
this place of judgment.
It's a place
that's, you know,
as we read in the text,
she's saying
that she feels
that God is against her.
Somehow
she is attributing
her current state
of losing her sons
as an act of God.
And where is she?
Why should she feel
that way?
Remember that she's
in Moab.
And we have to remember
what is Moab?
What does Moab mean
in this story?
Well, Moab
obviously is the place
of God's enemies.
It's where God's enemies
reside.
They worship
false gods.
They sacrifice
their children
to idols.
In history
with Israel
they have,
you know,
they are the result
of an incestuous
event
between Lot
and his daughter.
They're the offspring
of Lot
and his daughter.
We read
in Numbers 22
that the king
of Moab
actually tried
to get the prophet
Balaam
to curse Israel.
So there is no love
lost between
these two groups
of people.
And in Numbers 25
actually the ladies
of Moab
have brought
the men of Israel
into sexual sin
and they started
worshipping
idols
rather than God.
And in this
time period here
and in Judges 3
12-14
the Moabites
have inflicted
18 years
of pain
and punishment
on the Jewish
people in Israel.
So of all the places
that Elimelech
decided to take
his family
and to take Naomi
Moab seems
a very strange
location.
It seems a very
strange place
to have gone.
And what did she
leave?
She had left
the people of God.
She had left
the promises of God.
She had left
the covenant of God.
She had left
the worship
of the true
and living God
and she had left
God's promises.
And so she decides
through this event
that she's now
going to leave
this place.
This place that has
in the beginning
had such promise.
She left a famine
in Bethlehem.
She went to Moab
seeking food
and all that she's got
is death
and disaster.
And that's where
we left
Naomi
last week.
And so she's decided
to turn
to the place
of mercy.
And there are
three ladies involved.
There is
Naomi
and Orpah
and Ruth
the daughters-in-law
and they've decided
to leave the place
of Moab
and they're
setting out
on a road.
They're setting out
on a journey
and they're turning
towards a new home.
For Naomi
it's returning home
but for these two
young Moabite ladies
they're facing
an uncertain future.
They're three widows.
They're alone.
They have no male
protector
and they're going
to make a journey
on their own
which is dangerous
in itself
and they're heading
back
to a place
of mercy.
And why is it
a place of mercy?
Well we learn that
from the text.
It's because God
has had mercy
on his people.
It says
when Naomi
heard in Moab
that the Lord
had come
to the aid
of his people
the word there
means visited.
He's come
around them.
It also
can be used
in a negative term
that the Lord
has come
to visit his people
in judgment
or chastisement
but here
it's quite clear
that whether or not
Israel has repented
God has shown
grace to them
and he has come
and visited
to them
and that he has
brought food.
He's brought
bread
again to Bethlehem.
And as we were
looking in home groups
on Wednesday
the word Bethlehem
literally means
house of bread
and God was
stocking up
if you like
the house
he was refilling
the house
of bread.
And so
God had visited
his people
and the thought
from Naomi
is well
if God
has blessed
them
maybe I can
go back there
maybe God
can bless me
maybe I might
be able to have
some of that
bread.
In the law
it says that
the children of Israel
are to look after
their widows
so maybe
I can leave
Moab
I can return
home
and I will
find grace
and mercy
at home.
But she's empty
she has nothing
she went away
full
and she's now
heading back.
And so they head
off on the road
and we have
what I'm calling
a crisis of faith.
You know
we all start off
on a journey
and we all think
yeah
we're going
to climb
that mountain
we're going
to start off
with a couch
to 5k
and we're going
to make
that distance
we all start
off with
good intentions
and then somewhere
about week three
we realise
what we've
committed ourselves
to
we realise
you know
I have to
come back here
three times a week
you know
for the next
and we suddenly
count the cost
of what it is
that we've
agreed to do
whether it's
running around
a park
climbing a mountain
in this case
it's making a journey
and moving
an immigration
from one place
to another
and so we have
a misplaced
faith
I think it's
interesting
that we have
a person
after such loss
she still has
faith in her God
she still has
faith in the God
of Israel
Naomi
setting out
on that trip
she has
faith
but what
happens
suddenly
as they're
walking along
Naomi
decides
do you know
what I've asked
of these two
girls
I've asked
too much
I've asked
too much
from these two
girls
you know
maybe God
could bless
them
in Moab
maybe that's
best
she decides
that
those two
girls
coming with
her to
Israel
is just
too much
to ask
and so
that ensues
this conversation
that we're
going to look
at here
the majority
of this
morning
this conversation
between
Orpah
Ruth
and Naomi
and so
we look at
that and we
find that
here and
then in
verse 8
then Naomi
said to
your two
daughters-in-law
go back
each of you
to your
mother's
home
may the
Lord
show you
kindness
as you
have shown
kindness
to your
dead
husbands
and to
me
so
she's
got a
very
logical
response
she's
saying
thank you
very much
but I'm
I'm
setting you
free
you don't
have to
show any
loyalty
to me
I want
you to
go back
to your
mother's
home
I want
you to
be free
to marry
again
I want
you free
to have
a life
and in
that she's
showing us
a glimpse
of her
own
heart
and her
own
grief
she's
saying
there's
no
don't
come
with me
there's
only
heartache
there's
only
heartbreak
there's
no
future
with
me
and so
she's
urging
them
to go
back
and they
have
a
response
and she
says
in
verse
10
we look
and said
to her
we will
go back
with you
and your
people
it's a
good
response
the ladies
have
resolve
and they
say
no
Naomi
we're
not
going to
go back
we're
going to
go with
you
and your
people
but in
some ways
in this
response
they've
only
gone
so far
and later
we'll
see that
Ruth wants
to go
just that
little bit
further
they're
encouraged
they say
no
Naomi
we're
not
going to
leave
you
we know
it's
tough
but we're
going to
hang
in
there
and you
know
sometimes
we also
look for
what I'm
going to
call
looking for
the DIY
solution
you know
the do
it yourself
it's the
cheaper
option
shall I
get someone
to paint
my house
no
I'm
going to
go to
B&Q
and I'm
going to
buy the
paint
and I'm
going to
do it
myself
and
so
Naomi is
looking at
herself
and she's
thinking
how can I
solve this
problem
what am I
going to
do
and so
she has
another
logical
argument
and she
says
return home
my daughters
I'm too
old to
have another
husband
and even
if I
thought that
there was
still hope
for me
even if I
had a
husband
tonight
and then
give birth
to sons
would you
wait until
they grew
up
and so
she's
using all
of her
argumentative
skills
all of
her logic
and she's
saying
look
there's
nothing
here for
you
I
cannot
help
you
at this
point
we need
to
understand
a little
bit
about
the
custom
and the
custom
of
marriage
if
you were
married
and you
had a
brother
and he
was not
married
and you
died
and your
wife
and you
had had
no
children
well then
the custom
was
in
Deuteronomy
25
510
the custom
was then
that your
brother
would marry
your
wife
he
would
marry
the
widow
and
then
the
first
child
from
that
marriage
then
would
be
considered
the
child
of
the
dead
brother
and so
that his
name
and his
inheritance
would
continue
and so
this is
what's
going on
in the
background
of her
her
mind
she's
saying
even
if I
got a
man
tonight
and even
if
we
manage
to
conceive
tonight
it's
going
to be
another
18
years
until
there's
a
son
who's
able
to
marry
you
are
you
pair
going
to
hang
around
that
long
are
you
going
to
do
without
a
husband
for
the
next
16
18
years
and
even
then
what
age
will
you
be
are
you
going
to
be
past
child
bearing
by the
time
there's
an
old
enough
son
she's
saying
naturally
speaking
this is
a
hopeless
situation
hopeless
and
this
highlights
Naomi's
loss
even
further
it
highlights
that
she's
saying
look
girls
it's
over
for
me
I've
lost
my
inheritance
I've
lost
my
family
I've
lost
my
name
I've
lost
everything
please
go
back
so
what
happens
well
as we
see in
the text
we read
on
it says
return home
my
daughters
I am
too
old
to have
another
husband
and
even
if
I
thought
there
was
still
hope
for
me
even
if
I
had
a
husband
tonight
and
then
gave
birth
to
sons
would
you
wait
until
they
grew
up
would
you
remain
unmarried
for
them
no
my
daughters
it
is
more
bitter
for
me
than
for
you
because
the
Lord's
hand
has
turned
against
me
and
at
this
they
wept
again
then
Orpah
kissed
her
mother-in-law
goodbye
and
so
Orpah
I
can't
be
too
hard
on
her
she's
going
back
she's
bought
the
argument
she
says
you
know
what
Naomi
I
think
you're
right
I'm
going
to
be
an
obedient
daughter-in-law
and I'm
going
to
do
what
you
ask
I'm
going
to
go
back
to
my
mother's
house
and I'm
going
to
trust
hopefully
that
God
will
bless
me
in
Moab
and so
she
kisses
her
mom
in-law
for the
last time
and she
sets off
back down
the dusty
road
alone
heading
towards
Moab
and
this
and this
isn't
without
emotion
we can
read
that
there's
loud
wailing
there's
crying
there's
kissing
embracing
this is
an
emotional
mess
I've
seen
those
you know
goodbyes
and coming
home
my son
he was
in America
for
for four
weeks
and
you know
when kids
are there
teenagers
are four
weeks
on the
day that
they had
to come
home
from
America
and they
lived there
you know
for four
whole
weeks
they were
in tears
you know
they had
a day
of you
know
how to
cope
with
going
home
you know
it's like
come on
guys
and four
weeks
and they
were in
tears
the girls
were in
tears
the girls
that had
found new
boys
and the boys
that had
found new
girls
transatlantic
relationships
via you
know
text message
and they
were all
broken hearted
and in
tears
but this
is way
worse
this is a
decade of
life together
this is going
through grief
this is
this is them
sharing
in the
bereavement
throwing the
the soil
on the
coffin
of their
loved ones
and so this
isn't a light
decision
that Orpah
makes but she
makes it nonetheless
and she decides
to go back
but with
this
narrative
is wonderful
because of
this lady
Ruth
Ruth's
response
is startling
on any
any kind
of scale
despite
knowing that
the future
ahead is
bleak
despite
knowing that
it doesn't
look good
her response
is outstanding
let's read
together what
she says
it says
but Ruth
clung
to her
look
said Naomi
your sister-in-law
is going back
to her people
and to her
gods
go back
with her
but Ruth
replied
this is
amazing
she said
don't urge
me to leave
you
or to turn
back from
you
where you
go
I will go
where you
stay
I will stay
your people
will be my
people
and your
God
my God
where you
die
I will die
and there
I will be
buried
and may the
Lord deal
with me
be it ever
so severely
if even death
separates you
and me
wow
she says
I don't care
I'm going
with you
Naomi
but more
than that
I'm going
with you
and there's
nothing
that's going
to stop me
not even
death
from being
with you
and being
your daughter-in-law
I'm going
to be there
and even
when you
die
even when
you're
buried
I'm going
to stay
in your
land
with your
people
and your
God
and I'm
going to
die there
also
no matter
what the
cost
wow
I don't
know about
you but
when I
read this
it's
charged
with
emotion
it's
charged
with
just
the
amazing
prospect
that
she knows
she's
a Moabite
but there
are a few
questions
that I
have
a few
questions
that I
would like
to have
answered
she's clinging
to Naomi
but what
did she
know about
God
what did she
know about
the God
of Israel
what had she
learned in the
ten years
of being
with Naomi
about the
God of Israel
what did she
learn that
made her so
determined
to stay
and you
can't say
that she
had witnessed
great blessing
you can't
say that she
had witnessed
you know
an abundance
of a joy
filled life
she had
witnessed
Naomi
through pain
and through
suffering
1 Peter
3
15
it tells
us to
always be
ready to
give an
account for
the hope
that we
have
and I
think this
situation
here
it says
something
to us
that God
can speak
to people
God can
speak to
people out
of our
pain
God can
speak to
people out
of our
bad
situation
because
despite
the bleak
situation
Ruth
wanted
to choose
Yahweh
the God
of Israel
over
the Moabite
gods
what had
she learned
that child
sacrifice
the God
of Israel
doesn't like
that
I like
that
about
this
Yahweh
this God
of Israel
Yahweh
being
one of the
Old Testament
names for
God
the covenant
name of
God
what had
she learned
that she
decided
that this
God
it's better
than
my family
it's better
than everything
that's familiar
to me
it's better
than my
security
it's better
than my
possibility
of gaining
a new
husband
it's better
than
it's better
than
it's better
than
that was
what was
running
through Ruth's
mind
she didn't
want to
let Naomi
go
because she
didn't want
to let
Naomi's
God go
and so in
that Ruth
reaches towards
the mercy
of God
she says
no matter how
bad it's going
to be in
Israel I
think it's
going to be
better for
me there
than it is
going back
to Moab
and she
reaches
and she
clings to
Naomi
and she
clings
to mercy
Ruth replied
don't urge
me to
go back
I want
your God
to be
my God
and I
wonder this
morning
in this
conversion
because that's
what she was
doing here
she was
converting
she was
saying I
don't want
to be a
Moabite
I want
to be
an
Israelite
I wonder
if you
could say
that this
morning
maybe you
call yourself
a Christian
maybe you
don't know
what a
Christian
is
maybe this
is your
first time
in the
church
but really
as Christians
we should
be able to
say this
we should
be able to
say to
Jesus
I'm committed
to you
through thick
and thin
where you
go I
will go
what you
do I
will do
whom you
love I
will love
I am
with you
not only
in death
but through
death
could we
say that
this morning
about our
faith in
the Lord
Jesus
Christ
that no
matter where
you go
Lord
no matter
where you
take me
no matter
what you
do
no matter
who you
love
I'm all
in
I'm all
the way
till death
do us
part
and so
they're going
to return
return
and they're
going to
return
back then
to Bethlehem
and so
the story
closes then
in this
chapter
with a
return
they're
returning
to mercy
they're
returning
to the
promised
land
and so
what happens
on the
return
well
if you live
in a small
town
you know
that
gossip
travels
faster
than air
it travels
faster
you know
than the
speed of
light
I was
chatting
to Ross
and he was
saying
you know
there are
not too
many
northerners
down in
Cork
you know
you don't
see too
many number
plates
so maybe
that means
you know
my red
car driving
around here
people are
you know
they notice
and if they
don't notice
your car
when you
open your
mouth
you know
when you
go into
the supermarket
they say
you're not
from around
here
you're
different
and so
the prospect
of that
is in
Ruth
she's going
to face
all of
that
but so
is Naomi
and so
the buzz
and the gossip
of the
small town
it's there
it's
and they
ask the
question
the ladies
are saying
is this
Naomi
let's read
it together
so the
two women
went on
until they
came to
Bethlehem
and when
they have
arrived
in Bethlehem
the whole
town was
stirred
there was
a noise
there was
a buzz
and because
of them
and the
woman exclaimed
can this
be
Naomi
is it
her
is it
really her
she left
over a decade
ago
it looks
like her
oh boy
but the
years haven't
been good
to her
she went
away
she was
you know
she was
the wife
of
Elimelech
she had
two little
boys
but here
she is
she's
alone
and she
has
who's
that
who's that
Moabite
who's that
girl that's
with her
maybe somebody
should go
and ask her
and she
overhears this
or someone
builds up the
courage
and they
say you
know can
this be
Naomi
and she
said
don't
call me
Naomi
you see
what's in
a name
my name
is
Gary
James
Richmond
I was
named
by
my
father
my dad
is
Henry
John
Richmond
and for
many years
I cried
and I
said
why didn't
you call
me
John
Henry
because my
brother's
called
John
Henry
and I'm
not called
after you
and I
cried
because I
had a
different
name
for my
dad
and my
brother
that's
what
children
do
we're
idiots
and my
dad would
remind me
of this
she used
to cry
why didn't
you not
call me
and you
know
and
but Naomi
she's rejecting
all of that
she's saying
God is
against me
so much
that I
want a
change of
name
call me
Mara
which means
bitter
because
her name
Naomi
it means
sweet
what's in
a name
she's saying
I don't
have that
identity
anymore
I'm not
that person
anymore
see in the
beginning in
chapter one
we started
off with a
flurry of
names
we started
off with
Limelech
Malon
Kilion
you know
what does
name mean
you know
if you have
a new
baby
and you
name it
it's all
the promise
all the
promise of
life
all the
promise of
what lies
before them
all the
promise of
what lies
in the
future
but here
Naomi
she's taking
on a
new name
and she's
saying
I've lost
everything
all I am
is bitter
it's
disappointment
she's believing
that God
is against
her
and she
she owns
up
she fesses
up to
your own
mistakes
and she
owns up
in that
she has
this statement
in Ruth
121
where she
says
I went
away
full
it was
my decision
to go
to Moab
whether
she was
coerced
by her
husband
whatever
the reason
was
that took
her to
Moab
she owns
it and
she said
no it
was me
I went
but the
Lord
in his
dealings
with me
he's brought
me back
he's brought
me back
here and
I've come
back
empty
just call
me bitter
and that's
where we
leave
Naomi
today
she owned
her bad
choices
but she's
missing out
what can
she not
see
well she
can't
see
that
she
has
Ruth
she
can't
see
the
promise
she
can't
see
the
future
she
can't
see
the
mercy
of
God
and that
Ruth
has come
back
with her
she can't
even see
the possibility
of what
God
might do
through
Ruth
and that's
for next
week so if
you're really
encouraged
please come
back
but the
mercy of
God is
there in
that Ruth
has come
with her
Ruth has
claimed
her God
but here
she's still
known as
Ruth
the
Moabite
she still
has that
stigma of
coming from
another
place
and so all
that Naomi's
fears has
come true
she's not
being necessarily
accepted by
the people
she's there
but she's
there as
the outsider
she's there
as the
foreigner
she's there
as that
lady the
Moabite
that has
come with
Naomi
Ruth
the Moabite
we read
that in
the text
don't
call me
Naomi
she told
him
call me
Mara
because the
almighty
has made
my life
very bitter
I went
away
full
but the
lord has
brought
me
back
empty
why call
me
Naomi
the lord
has afflicted
me
the almighty
has brought
misfortune
upon me
and so
Naomi
returned
from
Moab
accompanied
by Ruth
the Moabite
her daughter
in law
and they're
arriving in
Bethlehem
just as the
barley harvest
was beginning
you see
we have a
harvest of
mercy
God's timing
is perfect
God could have
brought them
back at any
time
but he's
brought them
back at
harvest time
if he had
brought them
back after the
harvest all the
food would have
been collected
and there was
no prospect
of them
sharing in
the harvest
but God
has brought
them back
at their
right time
to share
in the
harvest
if you were
at home
grip you
would have
read this
I stole
this from
my notes
so I'm
going to
read it
out
Bethlehem
the house
of bread
was being
full of
bread
but this
morning we
haven't come
here this
morning to
think about
Bethlehem
in itself
we've come
here to
think about
the Lord
Jesus Christ
and Jesus
exclaimed in
John 6
35 he
said I
am the
bread of
life
and Jesus
is greater
than a
town full
of food
Jesus is
the very
source of
all life
and the
creator of
all things
through his
death
we can share
in that life
together
with us
with him
for all
eternity
you see
lacking
food is
serious
and hunger
and famine
well they
destroy many
lives
but how
more devastating
it is if you
don't know
Christ
to not know
Christ is far
worse than not
having any
bread
how terrible
it is to be
hungry
and not know
where to
find bread
if you
know Christ
this morning
you know
where to
find bread
we have
the bread
of life
if you
don't know
Christ
this morning
I can tell
you
where to
fill your
hunger
and your
hunger
won't be
filled
in the
philosophies
of the
world
it won't
be filled
on television
it won't
be filled
by the
lottery
it won't
be filled
by Tesco
because all
of those
things of
this world
are only a
temporary
filling
but Christ
can fill
you for
all eternity
Christ has
bread
that lasts
forever
he is
the bread
of life
so I'd
like to
leave you
with an
invitation
to come
to Christ
come to
the bread
of life
I'll just
read them
out for
you
the
powerpoint
seems to
not like
me
anymore
Matthew
11
28
says
come to
me
all
who
are
weary
and
burdened
and
I
will
give
you
rest
take my
yoke upon
you and
learn from
me
for I am
gentle
and humble
in heart
and you
will find
rest for
your souls
for my
yoke is
easy
and my
burden
is light
Jesus
says
come
Jesus
was calling
back
Naomi
and Ruth
he was
bringing
them back
to Bethlehem
he was
saying
come
it's
harvest time
there's
food in
Bethlehem
Jesus
is
beckoning
you
to come
last week
we thought
about
the
prodigal
son
who had
stayed
in the
far off
country
and then
he decided
that he
would
return home
and so
if that's
you
you're
living in
the far
off
country
or you're
living in
Moab
the blessing
and the mercy
of God
is saying
to you
this morning
to come
home
come
home
because
Christ
has
paid
a costly
price
so that
you can
do
that
he
died
on the
cross
he took
away
our sin
he took
our punishment
so that
we can
come
home
so that
we could
partake
of the
bread of
life
amen
let us
pray
together
father
god
we thank
you for
the lives
of
Naomi
and Ruth
lord
we thank
you for
Ruth's
statement
in the
center of
this chapter
the turning
point
lord
we thank
you that
she said
no I'm
not going
back to
Moab
I'm going
to Bethlehem
and I want
you to be
my god
I want your
people to
be my
people
and lord
this morning
if there's
someone here
and they
haven't said
that lord
I pray
that now
as we pray
together
that they
would say
I want
you to
be my
god
I want
the lord
jesus
christ
to come
into my
life
lord
if there's
a prodigal
here this
morning
or
lord
we're just
feeling far
away from
you lord
that we
would
again
turn
from our
sin
that we
would
set our
face
towards
you
and that
we would
come home
lord
be with
us
the rest
of the
day
lord
would you
bless
the
lecture
this
evening
and lord
would you
be with
us
as we
we go
out into
to
carry
a line
and lord
would you
help us
to share
christ with
others
the bread
of life
in jesus name
amen
so
and
the
talk
and
all
and
those