WEBVTT 00:00:11.733 --> 00:00:14.733 Oh. 00:00:29.166 --> 00:00:31.233 Well, good morning, Valley View. 00:00:31.233 --> 00:00:32.432 Great to be with you today. 00:00:32.432 --> 00:00:36.665 I love seeing all these high school seniors graduating up on stage. 00:00:36.665 --> 00:00:43.165 And I just want to encourage you pick one of them and pray for them for this coming year. 00:00:43.165 --> 00:00:45.600 Pray for them at least once a week for the coming year. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:47.033 I'll put their names. 00:00:47.033 --> 00:00:48.732 I'll list them out in the midweek update. 00:00:48.732 --> 00:00:53.932 If you don't get that, that's an email we send out every Wednesday and you can fill out one of those connection cards. 00:00:53.932 --> 00:00:56.399 Just add your email address, you'll get that. 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:09.900 But choose one of those graduating seniors to pray for this year because I don't know about you, but many have found that first year after high school to be a struggle, and it's an important year. 00:01:09.900 --> 00:01:15.900 So much of the direction of life is not determined, but there are a lot of big decisions being made. 00:01:15.900 --> 00:01:27.132 So would you just pick one of those young folks who were up here and pray for them every day or every week for the coming year, maybe even write them a note occasionally and let them know you're praying for them. 00:01:27.132 --> 00:01:32.066 I think it'll mean a lot to them, and ultimately it'll mean a lot to the health of our church. 00:01:32.066 --> 00:01:36.832 Because these these folks are the the new families in the church in the coming years. 00:01:36.832 --> 00:01:41.066 Who knows, maybe we can pair up a few of them today even. We can take care of that right now. 00:01:41.066 --> 00:01:43.000 Get them into pre-marriage counseling. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:46.233 They didn't sign up for that. I know, but listen. 00:01:46.233 --> 00:01:55.033 Today we are continuing our series in the study of Esther, and last week Colby set us up with chapter three of Esther, and we're moving into chapter four this week. 00:01:55.033 --> 00:02:07.900 So if you want to go ahead and turn in your Bibles on page 384, if you have a church Bible, one of the things we're going to see in this chapter today is we're going to see a defining moment for Esther. 00:02:07.900 --> 00:02:16.800 You know, a lot of people are remembered for their defining moments, this moment in time where they're called to step up in the midst of great challenges. 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:22.832 I think in our generation or era, someone that comes to mind is Winston Churchill. 00:02:22.832 --> 00:02:32.665 He was prime minister of World War Two, and he was known for really calling the whole nation to stand firm against the Germans, against the onslaught. 00:02:33.866 --> 00:02:41.432 And he probably is best known in his defining moment for a defining speech that was given in June of 1940. 00:02:41.432 --> 00:02:45.032 This was right after the French had fallen to the Germans. 00:02:45.032 --> 00:02:51.432 And so probably coming next, the British assume the Germans are coming for them. 00:02:51.665 --> 00:02:58.599 And what he said was in that speech, he spent about 20 minutes laying out all the ways that they had prepared for that. 00:02:58.599 --> 00:03:03.665 Here's all the ways that we are ready as a nation to face this. 00:03:03.665 --> 00:03:08.032 But then he ends that speech with this iconic defining line. 00:03:08.032 --> 00:03:25.133 He says, let us therefore now brace ourselves for our duties, for if the British Empire and its Commonwealth are to last another thousand years, may it be that men will still say this was their finest hour. 00:03:27.265 --> 00:03:31.599 He recognized this was a defining moment for us as a people. 00:03:31.832 --> 00:03:37.765 Even in the midst of a great onslaught of evil and challenge, we're going to stand firm. 00:03:38.066 --> 00:03:54.500 We're we're going to see in Esther today for her is this defining moment, but it's a defining moment that comes in the midst of great grief in fact, I think sometimes the way you respond to griefs, grief or challenges shows a lot about where we put our hope. 00:03:54.532 --> 00:04:08.932 And we're going to see some of that in Esther today, in fact, we're going to see three responses to Grief or Three Displays of grief in this chapter in Esther chapter four, and how that leads to and builds towards Esther's defining moment. 00:04:08.932 --> 00:04:16.899 So if you would turn to Esther chapter four, I'm going to read the first few verses there to set our context. 00:04:16.899 --> 00:04:18.000 Esther four, verse one. 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:31.533 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city. 00:04:32.132 --> 00:04:36.733 And he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 00:04:36.733 --> 00:04:59.033 He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the gate, clothed in sackcloth, and in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes. 00:04:59.233 --> 00:05:07.000 So this section starts out with when Mordecai learned, which points back to what Colby unpacked for us last week. 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:17.000 You remember that last week Haman was furious with Mordecai because Mordecai would not bow down to him, and because one man wouldn't worship him. 00:05:17.500 --> 00:05:22.632 Haman decided that every person related to him needed to die. Quite a strong reaction. 00:05:23.766 --> 00:05:29.065 But this word goes out, and I love the way that the end of chapter three ends. 00:05:29.065 --> 00:05:33.966 The last verse it says, and the city of Susa was thrown into confusion. 00:05:33.966 --> 00:05:37.033 This didn't just affect one small group of people. 00:05:37.033 --> 00:05:39.432 This affected everyone. 00:05:39.432 --> 00:05:41.033 What is going on here? 00:05:41.033 --> 00:05:42.766 There is confusion everywhere. 00:05:42.766 --> 00:05:44.132 How are we going to get through this? 00:05:44.132 --> 00:05:45.833 What is this going to mean for everyone? 00:05:45.833 --> 00:05:50.333 Confusion everywhere now. 00:05:50.333 --> 00:05:54.565 Mordecai, his response to this is very public grieving. 00:05:54.699 --> 00:06:03.065 In fact, sackcloth and ashes would have been known at this time as kind of the attire of those who are grieving. 00:06:03.065 --> 00:06:06.865 Ashes would have represented my connection to death. 00:06:06.865 --> 00:06:11.766 I am grieving so deeply that I might as well be dead from dust. 00:06:11.766 --> 00:06:14.733 We come to dust will return the symbolism. 00:06:14.733 --> 00:06:16.600 There is a deep connection to this. 00:06:16.600 --> 00:06:25.033 Such deep grieving sackcloth would have been a rough, plain fabric that would have represented a poverty of spirit. 00:06:25.033 --> 00:06:28.199 But also, if you saw someone wearing this, you would know what's happening. 00:06:29.233 --> 00:06:31.699 Something difficult is going on in their lives. 00:06:31.699 --> 00:06:34.665 They are grieving deeply. 00:06:34.665 --> 00:06:40.865 And so Mordecai puts this on and becomes very public about his grieving. 00:06:40.865 --> 00:06:43.333 In fact, the phrase that's used here is really interesting. 00:06:43.333 --> 00:06:46.500 It has a connection to another part of the Old Testament. 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:52.333 It says that not only he, but all the Jews were fasting and weeping and lamenting. 00:06:52.365 --> 00:06:56.533 Now those three words are also used in connection in the book of Joel. 00:06:56.533 --> 00:06:59.333 And so I want to turn there real quick and show you this passage. 00:06:59.333 --> 00:07:01.333 Turn to Joel chapter two. 00:07:01.333 --> 00:07:06.432 Joel is one of the minor prophecies prophets that are near the end of your Old Testament. 00:07:06.432 --> 00:07:17.533 It's on page 713 in the Church Bible, and Joel is probably most well known because of the section that's quoted in the book of Acts where the Holy Spirit will come upon you. 00:07:17.533 --> 00:07:20.766 It's quoted in acts chapter two, and it shows up here in Joel chapter two. 00:07:25.632 --> 00:07:33.899 But this the connection between this passage in Joel two and what happens in Esther is really important. 00:07:33.899 --> 00:07:36.899 Look at Joel two verse 1213 and 14. 00:07:38.466 --> 00:07:41.899 Yet even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart. 00:07:41.899 --> 00:07:52.966 And here's that phrase with fasting, with weeping, with mourning, that word mourning, the same word as lamenting, and rend your hearts and not your garments. 00:07:52.966 --> 00:08:01.966 Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and he relents over disaster. 00:08:01.966 --> 00:08:10.333 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him? 00:08:10.865 --> 00:08:12.665 Here's the key idea here. 00:08:12.665 --> 00:08:16.432 And it's summed up in fasting, weeping, mourning. 00:08:16.432 --> 00:08:19.733 Verse 13, rend your hearts, not just your garments. 00:08:19.733 --> 00:08:25.632 Meaning look, put on a great show of fasting and sorrow and grief. 00:08:25.632 --> 00:08:29.600 But I'm not as worried about how things appear as what's going on in your heart. 00:08:30.899 --> 00:08:40.732 And what this passage does is it makes a strong connection between asking God to rescue and repentance. 00:08:40.932 --> 00:08:49.600 And so when we are crying out to God to rescue us, he's also calling us to search our own hearts. 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:55.265 Where are areas that I need to repent and pursue him and walk with him? 00:08:55.265 --> 00:08:57.066 And yes, please come rescue me. 00:08:57.066 --> 00:09:04.133 But maybe I've caused some of the situation as well that ever happened. 00:09:04.133 --> 00:09:11.500 I remember reading the story Emerson Edgar, who wrote Love and Respect, he wrote a book of Four Wheels of God, and he was also a counselor full time. 00:09:11.500 --> 00:09:12.432 Is this full time job? 00:09:12.432 --> 00:09:13.932 A couple came in to see him. 00:09:13.932 --> 00:09:18.232 They were engaged to be married, and they were going through premarital counseling. 00:09:18.232 --> 00:09:23.066 And they asked him one week in particular, listen, we really want to know God's will for our life. 00:09:24.232 --> 00:09:25.765 What's his plan for us? 00:09:25.765 --> 00:09:27.533 What will he have us do in life? 00:09:27.533 --> 00:09:28.299 Where will we work? 00:09:28.299 --> 00:09:29.533 What kind of jobs we have? 00:09:29.533 --> 00:09:30.432 Where will we live? 00:09:30.432 --> 00:09:31.332 How will we build our family? 00:09:31.332 --> 00:09:35.232 We were really desperate to know his will for our life. 00:09:35.700 --> 00:09:56.500 I mean, our sin pauses and he says, listen, it's really hard to expect God to speak to you specifically about his will for life when you are ignored, his very clear will for your life, because he knew that they were ignoring some clear commands of Scripture around sexual intimacy before marriage, in particular. 00:09:56.832 --> 00:09:57.399 And he said this. 00:09:57.399 --> 00:10:07.066 It's hard to say, but if God makes his commands and will clear and you ignore that, it's going to be real hard to expect to hear from him real clearly in other areas of life. 00:10:07.066 --> 00:10:07.700 You see what I mean? 00:10:07.700 --> 00:10:08.466 You know what I'm saying? 00:10:10.932 --> 00:10:13.566 Lord rescue us, rescue us. 00:10:13.566 --> 00:10:18.265 Rend your hearts, repent when we're crying for him to rescue. 00:10:18.265 --> 00:10:21.000 Repent. Search your own heart. 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:23.299 And I'm not saying at the same time I say that. 00:10:23.299 --> 00:10:28.033 I'm not saying that if you're going through something hard in your life, that's because you sinned. 00:10:28.033 --> 00:10:30.466 Maybe, but maybe not. 00:10:30.466 --> 00:10:32.966 But the call is the same. 00:10:32.966 --> 00:10:34.000 Rend your hearts. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:40.332 Turn to me in the midst of crying for rescue. 00:10:40.633 --> 00:10:44.566 Now, I love hear what happened back in Esther, back to chapter four. 00:10:44.566 --> 00:10:51.399 I love what happened because when he weeps, so do Jews. Everywhere. 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:53.000 They follow his example. 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:54.100 They begin to fast. 00:10:54.100 --> 00:10:58.265 Their spontaneous reaction is to cry out to God. 00:10:58.265 --> 00:11:02.899 And I also love that he didn't shy away from grieving publicly. 00:11:02.899 --> 00:11:04.966 I mean, it says he went to the King's Gate. 00:11:06.066 --> 00:11:06.765 That's his public. 00:11:06.765 --> 00:11:16.466 Because you can get let me go to the most public place in the city, the city where all the important people will be and want to grieve openly there. 00:11:17.100 --> 00:11:18.966 And let me just make a side note about grieving. 00:11:18.966 --> 00:11:29.033 I think in some churches and some Christian culture, there is this myth around grieving that says you have to pretend to have it all together all the time. 00:11:29.765 --> 00:11:31.600 Even when something's hard, you have to. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:33.100 You still have to smile through it. 00:11:33.100 --> 00:11:36.932 You still have to act like everything's great. 00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:39.399 And there are times to do that. 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:42.399 I get that it's okay to grieve. 00:11:43.633 --> 00:11:46.033 It's okay to grieve publicly. 00:11:46.033 --> 00:11:49.033 It's okay to admit that something's hard. 00:11:49.399 --> 00:12:09.832 I went through a season where I faced a really challenging situation, and what made it harder is I didn't want to admit that it was hard because then I would look weak, and what happened was not admitting that it was hard actually made me weak, stressed out, anxious body shutting down. 00:12:09.832 --> 00:12:14.332 The first step to healing was to admit now this really was very hard. 00:12:14.332 --> 00:12:17.700 And you know, at the same time you try to explain it away. 00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:19.500 Well, other people have it harder. 00:12:19.500 --> 00:12:20.600 We of course they do. 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:22.299 Someone always has it worse. 00:12:22.299 --> 00:12:24.232 Pick any situation. 00:12:24.232 --> 00:12:27.232 That didn't mean it's not still hard for you. 00:12:27.232 --> 00:12:31.765 And it's okay to go there and admit that and enter into the grief. It's okay. 00:12:31.765 --> 00:12:36.666 In fact, that's going to be the first step toward really beginning to heal. 00:12:36.732 --> 00:12:38.500 Now, we don't want to stay stuck in our grief. 00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:43.732 In fact, the three dynamics of grief, the first one we see here is just grief observed. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.765 I mean, this is a public display of grief. 00:12:49.765 --> 00:12:52.666 Mordecai doesn't shy away from it. 00:12:52.666 --> 00:12:55.200 I'm going to make sure others know I'm grieving. 00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:58.033 I've got a purpose with this. 00:12:58.033 --> 00:13:00.566 Now, how does Esther respond to that? 00:13:00.566 --> 00:13:03.332 And this is why he's gone to the King's Gate to get her attention. 00:13:03.332 --> 00:13:03.732 Probably. 00:13:03.732 --> 00:13:05.500 In particular, how does she respond to that? 00:13:05.500 --> 00:13:16.633 Look at verse four, when Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her about the grief, the Queen was deeply distressed. 00:13:16.666 --> 00:13:23.432 She sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he might take off sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 00:13:23.432 --> 00:13:28.066 So her response to this is to be deeply distressed, because at this point she doesn't know why he's grieving. 00:13:28.066 --> 00:13:29.500 We're going to see that in just a second. 00:13:29.500 --> 00:13:33.633 She doesn't know what's going on, and so she's concerned. 00:13:33.633 --> 00:13:35.466 And her immediate response I love this. 00:13:35.466 --> 00:13:37.432 Her immediate response is to end his grief. 00:13:39.432 --> 00:13:40.533 Take off your sackcloth. 00:13:40.533 --> 00:13:41.966 This is uncomfortable. 00:13:41.966 --> 00:13:43.066 Put on these clothes. 00:13:43.066 --> 00:13:49.332 Now part of that was to so that you can come in and we can talk about it, but don't stay there in that grief. 00:13:50.533 --> 00:13:52.166 I think sometimes we try to rush past. 00:13:52.166 --> 00:13:57.133 We try to rush others past their grief because of how uncomfortable it makes us. 00:13:57.265 --> 00:14:01.232 Sometimes grief takes a while to process. 00:14:01.232 --> 00:14:03.365 It takes a while to get through. 00:14:03.365 --> 00:14:05.100 We got to be patient with that process. 00:14:05.100 --> 00:14:06.399 Yes, we can get stuck there. 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:11.200 We need to be prodded, but sometimes we want to move past it too fast. 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:15.500 She sends out clothes and he says no. 00:14:15.732 --> 00:14:19.232 And one of the themes in Esther really stands out here. 00:14:19.232 --> 00:14:21.332 It's separation. 00:14:21.332 --> 00:14:23.799 There was a separation between the king and Vashti. 00:14:25.732 --> 00:14:30.399 Not only were they separated in the moment, but he said, I don't want to have anything to do with you. 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:35.633 There is a separation now between there's been separation between Mordecai and Esther, and now there's another distance. 00:14:35.633 --> 00:14:36.666 Grieve has created. 00:14:36.666 --> 00:14:40.633 Grief has created separation between them. 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:42.365 Now what happens? 00:14:42.365 --> 00:14:43.533 How does Mordecai respond to this? 00:14:43.533 --> 00:14:44.732 How does this move forward? 00:14:44.732 --> 00:14:48.432 In the midst of this, there has been grief observed. 00:14:48.765 --> 00:14:50.166 What's going to happen next? 00:14:50.166 --> 00:14:53.166 Let's look at verse five. 00:14:54.133 --> 00:15:06.232 Since Mordecai won't come in, Esther called for half one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was, what was his source of grief, and why. 00:15:06.232 --> 00:15:22.432 It was half went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate, and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 00:15:23.666 --> 00:15:42.299 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and command her to go to the king, to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. 00:15:43.033 --> 00:15:47.399 So Esther sends out an attendant to find from Mordecai, what is the problem? 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:49.865 Why are you weeping? 00:15:49.865 --> 00:15:55.600 And again we see this hint, this theme of separation. 00:15:56.633 --> 00:15:59.432 How come Esther doesn't know about this? 00:15:59.432 --> 00:16:03.432 This has gone out to all the provinces of the world. 00:16:03.432 --> 00:16:07.399 And yet she in the king's palace, doesn't know about it. 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:10.033 There's this insolation. 00:16:10.033 --> 00:16:13.432 She's trapped in this world where she's not even aware of all the madness. 00:16:13.432 --> 00:16:19.600 As it said, the whole city thrown into confusion, isolated from all that. 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:23.265 Now Mordecai makes it clear to her. 00:16:23.265 --> 00:16:37.633 And I love what Mordecai does here, because even though Mordecai is in his obvious grief, his public display of grief, there's something about grief here that's really important, and that we see grief controlled. 00:16:37.633 --> 00:16:44.533 That's a second aspect, the second display of grief we're going to see in this passage grief control. 00:16:44.533 --> 00:16:49.432 Even though he's grieving and overwhelmed with grief, he's not out of control. 00:16:49.700 --> 00:16:55.033 I love for first Thessalonians 413 it says, we do not weep as those without hope. 00:16:56.765 --> 00:17:03.033 That context in first Thessalonians four is in particular referring to will I see my loved one again after I die? 00:17:03.033 --> 00:17:03.332 No. 00:17:03.332 --> 00:17:06.432 If I am in Christ, if they are in Christ, I don't weep. 00:17:06.432 --> 00:17:08.799 As those without hope, I know I'll see them again. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:11.599 Yes, it's hard now, but I know I see them again. 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:15.700 That's not the same as someone who has no hope of seeing their loved one again. 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:20.400 There is a control of grief here. 00:17:20.532 --> 00:17:24.766 Yes, I'm grieving, but I'm also engaged. 00:17:24.766 --> 00:17:29.232 He's so engaged that when he comes to see him, he's ready. 00:17:29.232 --> 00:17:30.566 He's ready with the facts. 00:17:30.566 --> 00:17:35.599 He has the reports of what has happened, the exact amount he even has, the written degree has it all ready. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:38.599 He is ready to set Esther up to succeed. 00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:49.500 I think an important lesson here for us in seeing that is in the midst of your grief, especially if you need to engage in a hard conversation with a loved one. 00:17:49.500 --> 00:17:57.465 Maybe it's a spouse and be ready with facts, ideas. 00:17:57.465 --> 00:18:00.465 Be ready with possible options. 00:18:01.032 --> 00:18:06.633 Be ready to engage on the issue instead of attacking the person. 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:09.400 You know what I'm talking about right? 00:18:09.400 --> 00:18:10.532 You've probably seen this. 00:18:10.532 --> 00:18:12.032 Maybe you've done it, not you. 00:18:12.032 --> 00:18:24.965 Maybe people in other churches have done this where when someone offends you in order to get a reaction for them, you got to make it sound way worse than it even was, and let me attack the person and everything about him. 00:18:24.965 --> 00:18:28.299 So maybe they'll respond to this little thing. 00:18:28.299 --> 00:18:35.000 Now, what often happens is you do the opposite, it pushes them away, and they don't want to have anything to do with you. 00:18:35.032 --> 00:18:42.865 And I've told the story before of when, in anger backed out of the driveway, hastily not paying attention back into Julie's car. 00:18:42.865 --> 00:18:46.732 And it was the car that her dad bought her for her 16th birthday. 00:18:46.732 --> 00:18:50.333 It was a had been prior to that, a nice car. 00:18:51.432 --> 00:18:58.633 And in that moment, she didn't come out and go, why do you hate me and my dad and all cars in general and just lambast me? 00:18:58.633 --> 00:18:59.799 And you've got an anger problem. 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:00.532 No one can trust you. 00:19:00.532 --> 00:19:06.700 You're going to corrupt our family and bankrupt us. And no, no, no, she didn't go to that extreme. 00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:11.900 Instead we said, and this is a real helpful phrase, attack the issue, not the person. 00:19:11.900 --> 00:19:14.900 This is the issue on the table here. 00:19:15.165 --> 00:19:17.865 Anger wrecked car. 00:19:17.865 --> 00:19:19.665 This is the issue. 00:19:19.665 --> 00:19:21.000 Now let's talk about the issue. 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:23.299 I'm not going to attack you as a person. 00:19:23.299 --> 00:19:30.200 Of course there's parts of my character that need to be dealt with in that moment, but let's talk about these issues. 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:33.700 How am I going to wrestle with this issue of uncontrolled anger? 00:19:33.700 --> 00:19:35.266 Who am I going to go talk to for mentoring? 00:19:35.266 --> 00:19:37.865 What scriptures am I going to memorize and dwell on? 00:19:37.865 --> 00:19:41.066 How are we going to put a plan together now to deal with the car? 00:19:41.066 --> 00:19:42.333 Yes, it's going to cost us money. 00:19:42.333 --> 00:19:43.833 Yes, but it's just a car. 00:19:43.833 --> 00:19:47.266 Yes, it's going to take time, but how are we going to approach it together? Now? 00:19:47.266 --> 00:19:48.400 Here's the beauty of doing this. 00:19:50.066 --> 00:19:53.599 If you can take that approach in the heat of the moment. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:58.665 Something that could tear you apart can actually make you stronger. 00:20:00.465 --> 00:20:12.299 Instead of it separating and dividing us now focus together on an issue and solving it together and trusting Christ through it together ends up making you stronger. 00:20:13.865 --> 00:20:18.432 Of course, it doesn't always go that way, but that's our hope. 00:20:19.432 --> 00:20:21.833 Let's attack the issue, not the person. 00:20:21.833 --> 00:20:24.465 Mordecai, in the midst of his grief, was controlled. 00:20:24.465 --> 00:20:25.299 He was ready. 00:20:25.299 --> 00:20:26.266 He was prepared. 00:20:26.266 --> 00:20:28.732 Let's address this issue. 00:20:28.732 --> 00:20:32.099 How can we solve it together now? 00:20:32.099 --> 00:20:34.532 How does Esther respond to that? 00:20:34.532 --> 00:20:37.865 Look at verse nine here and see how she responds. 00:20:37.865 --> 00:20:46.133 Verse ten Esther spoke to have that king commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, all the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces? 00:20:46.133 --> 00:21:04.633 No, that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, so that he may live. 00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:11.400 But as for me, I have not been called to come into the king these 30 days. 00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:16.232 Great idea! Mordecai, you want me to go into the King? 00:21:16.232 --> 00:21:20.532 Here are the challenges with that plan, and I appreciate. 00:21:20.532 --> 00:21:22.566 Here I'm reading between the lines. 00:21:22.566 --> 00:21:23.766 We can't always know tone. 00:21:23.766 --> 00:21:25.532 I don't see a rebelliousness in this. 00:21:25.532 --> 00:21:26.833 Like, no way. I'm never doing that. 00:21:26.833 --> 00:21:27.566 But it's more of just. 00:21:27.566 --> 00:21:29.266 Hey, look, great idea. 00:21:29.266 --> 00:21:30.299 But there are some challenges. 00:21:30.299 --> 00:21:32.400 There's no guarantees that he'll let me in. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:33.432 I'll probably be killed. 00:21:33.432 --> 00:21:35.266 And by the way, he hadn't called on me in 30 days. 00:21:35.266 --> 00:21:36.865 There's already some separation. 00:21:36.865 --> 00:21:38.833 Here's that theme of separation again. 00:21:38.833 --> 00:21:40.465 Maybe he's mad at me already. 00:21:40.465 --> 00:21:42.799 Should I enter in in that kind of situation? 00:21:44.865 --> 00:21:53.532 I appreciate her presenting the facts of the situation and responding in a way that says we've got a few challenges. 00:21:55.000 --> 00:22:01.032 Now what Mordecai is going to do here, though, and we all need this at times. 00:22:01.333 --> 00:22:08.766 He's going to call her to take a step of faith with some hard truth in a challenging moment. 00:22:08.766 --> 00:22:11.066 There are times where we get stuck in our way of thinking. 00:22:11.066 --> 00:22:12.232 We can't see outside of that. 00:22:12.232 --> 00:22:13.566 We've all had that happen. 00:22:13.566 --> 00:22:15.232 I can only see this narrow view. 00:22:15.232 --> 00:22:19.365 I need someone else to step in and say, here's a bigger picture. 00:22:19.365 --> 00:22:23.032 I remember we were doing beach evangelism once in college. 00:22:23.032 --> 00:22:31.900 We would go at spring break down to the beach in Florida, and we would spend that week during college spring break evangelizing college students who were there. 00:22:31.900 --> 00:22:34.299 Not they didn't come there to hear that, by the way. 00:22:34.299 --> 00:22:37.133 They weren't there for a nice gospel conversation. 00:22:37.133 --> 00:22:39.500 They were there to party hard all week long. 00:22:40.932 --> 00:22:49.333 But what was interesting, I was shocked by how open people were to talking about the gospel, especially later in the week. 00:22:49.333 --> 00:22:56.732 We thought this would be the greatest party week ever, but we see the emptiness. 00:22:56.932 --> 00:22:59.633 We're kind of getting bored now. 00:22:59.633 --> 00:23:03.865 Maybe some relationships have been strained and broken. 00:23:04.032 --> 00:23:06.299 Sure, I'll talk to you. 00:23:06.299 --> 00:23:07.900 And I was talking to this guy one time. 00:23:07.900 --> 00:23:13.932 He was standing right outside his hotel, and I could tell he had some faith backgrounds just based on our conversation. 00:23:13.932 --> 00:23:14.599 Yeah, I know that. 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:17.665 Yeah, yeah, yeah, but he's engaged in conversation. 00:23:17.665 --> 00:23:18.833 He said, look, man, we're just here. 00:23:18.833 --> 00:23:19.400 You're having fun. 00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:22.200 The Bible doesn't say you can't drink. 00:23:22.200 --> 00:23:23.500 And I said, you're right, it doesn't. 00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:25.599 But however, it does say not to be drunk. 00:23:26.766 --> 00:23:28.932 No, it doesn't say that. 00:23:28.932 --> 00:23:30.732 Oh yes it does. 00:23:30.732 --> 00:23:31.799 No it doesn't. 00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:33.500 Oh yes it does. 00:23:33.500 --> 00:23:35.200 Show me. 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:35.700 Okay. 00:23:35.700 --> 00:23:37.365 I had a New Testament in my back pocket. 00:23:37.365 --> 00:23:38.400 Pulled it out. 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:40.633 Ephesians 518. 00:23:40.633 --> 00:23:43.633 Do not be drunk with wine. 00:23:44.232 --> 00:23:45.232 And he said, no big deal. 00:23:45.232 --> 00:23:46.066 I've been drinking whiskey. 00:23:46.066 --> 00:23:47.133 I'm good to go. 00:23:47.133 --> 00:23:49.865 All right. 00:23:49.865 --> 00:23:50.799 no, he didn't say that. 00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:51.400 Actually, no. 00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:53.965 He didn't. Here's what he did. 00:23:53.965 --> 00:23:55.500 He had that Bible in his hand. 00:23:55.500 --> 00:24:06.500 He had his finger on Ephesians 518, and all he could say was, it says that it really says that. 00:24:07.333 --> 00:24:10.333 It says that. 00:24:10.365 --> 00:24:14.465 He was confronted with the truth of God's word. 00:24:15.732 --> 00:24:18.165 And it changed everything for him in an instant. 00:24:18.165 --> 00:24:20.266 Now I've got to deal with that truth. 00:24:20.266 --> 00:24:22.665 I thought I was living one way and it was good to go. 00:24:23.766 --> 00:24:28.633 And now I'm seeing truth. 00:24:29.066 --> 00:24:35.200 How do we adjust to truth in the midst of whatever challenge lays before us? 00:24:36.099 --> 00:24:41.133 Mordecai is going to respond to Esther and her proclamations. Her challenges. 00:24:41.133 --> 00:24:43.032 Hey, here's some things to consider. 00:24:43.032 --> 00:24:50.432 Here's what Mordecai says, and he's going to give her three important things to consider three push facts three challenges. 00:24:50.432 --> 00:24:51.633 Look at this next set of verses. 00:24:51.633 --> 00:24:53.732 Look at verse 12. 00:24:53.732 --> 00:24:57.799 And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. 00:24:57.799 --> 00:25:09.099 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:15.432 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place. 00:25:15.432 --> 00:25:19.500 But you and your father's house will perish. 00:25:20.665 --> 00:25:28.165 And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? 00:25:29.365 --> 00:25:31.432 Mordecai is going to do three things here. 00:25:31.432 --> 00:25:35.532 First, he's going to give Esther a hard truth. 00:25:35.532 --> 00:25:38.232 He's going to start by giving her a hard truth. 00:25:38.232 --> 00:25:45.299 Okay, Esther, the reality is, you think you may escape through this, but you won't. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:51.200 And we need to pause here and just recognize the reality of that for us. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:55.232 Who are Christians, who know Christ, who follow him, who proclaim him. 00:25:55.232 --> 00:26:09.266 And we already talked in chapter one about how there are times to be quiet about your faith, and there are times to be speak up, but don't be deceived if you know him, that will be found out. 00:26:09.266 --> 00:26:14.700 If you're somewhere where you're worried that if someone finds out that I'm a Christian, it's all going to fall apart. 00:26:14.700 --> 00:26:18.400 But if you know Christ, there will be times where you are called to stand firm. 00:26:20.266 --> 00:26:23.766 That's just one truth, one reality of our faith. 00:26:23.799 --> 00:26:26.799 It may look like what Esther faced. 00:26:27.032 --> 00:26:28.599 It may be in your workplace. 00:26:28.599 --> 00:26:29.833 It may be with a family member. 00:26:29.833 --> 00:26:32.833 It may be with a fellow student. 00:26:33.732 --> 00:26:38.500 I don't know, but we've got to be ready for that. 00:26:39.133 --> 00:26:43.032 There's a famous quote from a German pastor who faced this. 00:26:43.032 --> 00:26:44.799 His last name was near Mueller. 00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:46.500 You may have encountered it. 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:47.599 I'm going to read from it here. 00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:48.633 It's going to be on screen. 00:26:48.633 --> 00:26:52.599 It says in Germany they came first for the communists. 00:26:52.766 --> 00:26:56.700 And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. 00:26:56.700 --> 00:27:02.133 Then they came for the Jews and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. 00:27:02.133 --> 00:27:06.500 Then they came for the trade unionist, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. 00:27:06.500 --> 00:27:10.099 Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was Protestant. 00:27:11.900 --> 00:27:19.865 Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up. 00:27:22.732 --> 00:27:27.566 For such a time as this we are called at times to stand up. 00:27:27.566 --> 00:27:29.400 We don't know exactly when that will be. 00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:31.465 We don't know exactly what that will look like. 00:27:31.465 --> 00:27:36.599 And honestly, there's a lot of times I pray, Lord, I hope I am able to stand up under persecution. 00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:52.365 I hope you give me the strength to do that because I know my character at times I can be weak and I'm praying for me and the church that whatever you face, you'd be able to stand up, bear up in a Christ centered, God honoring, loving way. 00:27:52.732 --> 00:27:54.099 So that's the first thing he sister. 00:27:54.099 --> 00:27:58.000 He gives her the hard truth, gives her a real hard truth. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:00.700 But then notice what else he said to her. 00:28:00.700 --> 00:28:02.665 He said, don't think you will escape. 00:28:02.665 --> 00:28:05.665 But also he affirms God's sovereignty. 00:28:06.732 --> 00:28:08.432 Deliverance will rise. 00:28:08.432 --> 00:28:12.165 He shows steadfast faith in God's providence. 00:28:12.432 --> 00:28:17.532 Look, even if you don't step up, God will provide. 00:28:17.532 --> 00:28:19.500 And I love that he highlights that dynamic. 00:28:19.500 --> 00:28:22.000 By the way, God is sovereign. 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.232 He is in control. 00:28:23.232 --> 00:28:24.000 He's providence. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:27.000 And yet we are called to act. 00:28:27.400 --> 00:28:31.066 He calls us to respond to a great challenge, and yet he's in control. 00:28:31.066 --> 00:28:34.633 And yet we're called to act, and yet he can still work it all out. 00:28:34.633 --> 00:28:37.633 And yet he calls us to be a part of that. 00:28:37.833 --> 00:28:39.833 Both are true. 00:28:39.833 --> 00:28:48.000 And I love how Mordecai, in the midst of challenging her, affirms that God can still work this out, but. 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:49.500 Here's what he says last hour to her. 00:28:49.500 --> 00:28:50.500 Lastly to her. 00:28:50.500 --> 00:28:55.333 Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for this time. 00:28:55.333 --> 00:28:56.799 This is your hour, Esther. 00:28:56.799 --> 00:28:59.799 This is the very reason you are here. 00:29:00.532 --> 00:29:02.232 And so he gives her three challenges. 00:29:02.232 --> 00:29:04.432 In fact, one commentator I read said it this way. 00:29:04.432 --> 00:29:07.432 He calls her to an unavoidable duty. 00:29:09.066 --> 00:29:10.665 This is unavoidable, Esther. 00:29:10.665 --> 00:29:12.365 You need to be ready to step into this. 00:29:12.365 --> 00:29:15.833 This is the moment God has prepared you for. 00:29:15.833 --> 00:29:16.965 In fact, that phrase. 00:29:16.965 --> 00:29:17.965 Who knows? 00:29:17.965 --> 00:29:23.500 Also, we read it in Ephesians and Joel two, who knows? 00:29:23.500 --> 00:29:26.232 Who knows? 00:29:26.232 --> 00:29:30.865 Be ready to stand firm in the moment he calls her in this moment. 00:29:30.865 --> 00:29:33.032 Now, how is Esther going to respond to that? 00:29:33.032 --> 00:29:34.266 He's given her the challenge. 00:29:34.266 --> 00:29:35.599 How is she going to respond? 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:37.465 Is she going to step up to it? 00:29:37.465 --> 00:29:38.833 Let's read. Look at verse 15. 00:29:40.365 --> 00:29:49.932 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, go gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold fast on my behalf. 00:29:49.932 --> 00:29:54.032 Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. 00:29:54.032 --> 00:29:57.432 I and my young women will also fast as you do. 00:29:57.432 --> 00:30:03.965 Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish. 00:30:04.900 --> 00:30:09.365 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. 00:30:09.732 --> 00:30:20.000 Okay, one thing I've not pointed out about the Book of Esther yet, that we're going to dive into quickly here, and you've seen it on the screen every week, is the theme of Esther is a great reversal. 00:30:20.566 --> 00:30:23.000 The whole story is about one great reversal. 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:29.133 You think everything's going one direction and then it gets up ended, which for us ties into the gospel. 00:30:30.200 --> 00:30:33.099 This is this is where the disciples encountered. 00:30:33.099 --> 00:30:34.665 It's all over when Jesus dies. 00:30:34.665 --> 00:30:35.299 It's all done. 00:30:35.299 --> 00:30:44.299 We thought he was going to be Messiah and set up a new kingdom, but in an instant, it's all reversed and he does rise again. 00:30:44.299 --> 00:30:45.766 And there is victory. 00:30:45.766 --> 00:30:48.400 When we thought it was all over. 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:51.932 There actually are four many reversals in this story. 00:30:51.932 --> 00:31:07.665 You see the theme of reversal over and over again in the book of Esther, and there are four hints of that we already saw one where earlier in verse eight, Mordecai had commanded her to go in up to this point he said, hide your faith. 00:31:07.665 --> 00:31:10.165 Now he is saying, go in. 00:31:10.165 --> 00:31:11.965 That's the first reversal you get. 00:31:11.965 --> 00:31:14.432 If you're Esther, you got to be thinking, what is going on here? 00:31:14.432 --> 00:31:16.000 This is going against everything you've said. 00:31:17.232 --> 00:31:20.232 But secondly, notice the second one here. 00:31:20.299 --> 00:31:23.200 She prepares differently. 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:26.566 In fact, the comparison to Vashti is very interesting. 00:31:26.566 --> 00:31:37.032 Vashti is called by the king to go in and she says, no, Esther is not called by the king, and she's going to go in as a complete contrast. 00:31:37.032 --> 00:31:40.766 Vashti, who she was, Esther is the opposite of that. 00:31:40.766 --> 00:31:49.333 But then the third reversal we see here is in verse 16, where she calls others to hold fast on her behalf. 00:31:49.633 --> 00:31:51.432 She is preparing. 00:31:51.432 --> 00:31:53.932 And the third reversal is how she prepares to go into the King. 00:31:53.932 --> 00:31:59.232 She's preparing to go into the King in the exact opposite manner that she did before. 00:31:59.633 --> 00:32:01.032 How did she prepare to go into the king? 00:32:01.032 --> 00:32:02.865 The first time? 00:32:02.865 --> 00:32:19.232 She spent a year of beauty treatments, a year preparing to be at the pinnacle of beauty, a year of oils and treatments and conditioning. 00:32:19.232 --> 00:32:26.833 And now fast lament, weep before she prepared her skin. 00:32:26.833 --> 00:32:32.599 Now she prepares her soul before she came to be at the pinnacle of beauty. 00:32:32.599 --> 00:32:35.400 Now she's coming in at the pinnacle of weakness. 00:32:35.400 --> 00:32:39.333 Have you ever gone three days without drinking anything? 00:32:39.732 --> 00:32:41.833 I mean, what's the longest you've gone without drinking something? 00:32:41.833 --> 00:32:48.000 I remember I was sick once, couldn't take anything in, and it was about a day and a half before I drank any water. 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:52.232 And when I took that first sip of water, I mean, it tasted like a sugar cube. 00:32:52.232 --> 00:32:53.665 And it was so good. 00:32:53.665 --> 00:32:54.833 It was so sweet. 00:32:54.833 --> 00:32:58.032 It like, sent electricity shooting through my body. 00:32:58.032 --> 00:33:01.032 I was so weak. 00:33:01.032 --> 00:33:03.400 You would think you'd want to go into the king in your strength. 00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:05.400 That's how she went before. 00:33:05.400 --> 00:33:08.266 Now she goes in weakness. 00:33:08.266 --> 00:33:10.432 But then the fourth reversal. 00:33:10.432 --> 00:33:11.465 Look at verse 17. 00:33:11.465 --> 00:33:15.400 Mordecai went away and did everything Esther had commanded him. 00:33:15.400 --> 00:33:22.865 Mordecai had been commanding Esther and now she commands him another reversal. 00:33:22.865 --> 00:33:25.865 The story is upended over and over again. 00:33:26.900 --> 00:33:29.900 Grief observed, grief controlled. 00:33:30.532 --> 00:33:35.165 How does all of this lead to Esther's defining moment? 00:33:35.432 --> 00:33:38.432 What we see here is grief steps up. 00:33:39.665 --> 00:33:41.165 In this moment. 00:33:41.165 --> 00:33:42.432 Grief steps up. 00:33:42.432 --> 00:33:44.032 I'm overwhelmed by grief. 00:33:44.032 --> 00:33:48.333 But I know this is the moment God has called me to step up. 00:33:51.566 --> 00:34:03.732 And when I think about this story of Esther stepping up and the challenges she faced in her defining moment, in fact, her defining line if I perish, not perish, I'm laying it all on the line. 00:34:04.766 --> 00:34:06.299 I no longer care what happens. 00:34:06.299 --> 00:34:08.199 I don't care who knows if I'm Jewish or not. 00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:10.465 I don't care who knows about my faith. 00:34:10.465 --> 00:34:11.800 I'm willing to do what it takes. 00:34:11.800 --> 00:34:14.065 Her response is almost immediate. 00:34:14.065 --> 00:34:17.065 Okay, here we go. 00:34:17.065 --> 00:34:26.400 When I think about what that means for us, when you think about the story of Esther, Mordecai needed to appeal to the king and he couldn't go into the king on his own. 00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:37.233 He needed someone else to go to the king, and Esther is willing to lay down her life on behalf of her people. 00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:45.132 Now for us, we too are in the situation where we need to appeal to the King, to the Heavenly Father, and we can't go there on our own. 00:34:45.132 --> 00:34:47.000 There is separation. 00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:48.666 We need someone to go for us. 00:34:50.266 --> 00:34:53.266 And Jesus did that. 00:34:53.532 --> 00:34:54.666 Jesus did that. 00:34:54.666 --> 00:34:57.565 The big contrast, though, is that Esther didn't know. 00:34:57.565 --> 00:34:59.865 Will I perish or not? Jesus knew. 00:34:59.865 --> 00:35:02.865 I am laying down my life. 00:35:03.400 --> 00:35:05.300 I am going to sacrifice. 00:35:05.300 --> 00:35:14.400 I'm going to my death on their behalf, on our behalf, on your behalf. 00:35:14.432 --> 00:35:18.233 And the beautiful part of that story is that he didn't stay dead, man. 00:35:18.233 --> 00:35:27.132 He rose again, and he opened the way for us to have direct access to the father because of him laying down his life. 00:35:27.900 --> 00:35:34.032 I think when we read the book of Esther, we see that pattern of sacrifice on our behalf. 00:35:34.032 --> 00:35:34.500 Let's pray.