Defining Challenges of Destiny
The Book of Esther – Now is the Time
· Last week we were in Isaiah 6 looking at the revelation that the Messianic Prophet, Isaiah, received from God.
· We spoke of four key spiritual moments that define our destiny. In summary:
- The Revelation (Authority)
- The Confrontation (Invitation)
- The Purification (Cleansing)
- The Calling (Others)
· These are all transformational seasons that we are called to walk through.
· Indeed, they are seasons of great challenge when we know that we are maturing.
- We can almost feel it because we are approaching life differently.
· Today we are resuming our two-part mini-series on reaching, attaining and sustaining destiny.
· Today, “Defining Challenges of Destiny” is from a trust perspective.
· The story of Esther has three great elements to make a great novel:
- A beautiful young orphan girl from obscurity to prominence
- The hiding of a secret that could lead to her demise
- An ambitious villain with a passion to destroy the innocent
· The book of Esther has been challenged by some.
- One of the main points creating dispute has been that God’s name (nor Yahweh) is mentioned in the book
· There are two mains thoughts why this could be the case, the primary reason being:
- The result of the unknown authors perspective on the Jewish people
- The author might have viewed the Jewish people who remained in Persia as cut-off by God.
- Maybe the name of God being omitted could signify the Jewish being outside of His direct blessing.
· The events in the book of Esther span about a decade during the reign of Xerxes, or by his Hebrew name, Ahasuerus.
- Xerxes has succeeded his father, Darius I, as ruler of the Persian people.
- Esther is probably either the wife or the mother of the king who let Nehemiah go back to Jerusalem to rebuild after the Babylonian captivity.
· In the first few chapters of the book of Esther the famous story begins to unfold:
- King Xerxes is having some marriage trouble with Vashti.
- He threw a party for all of his officials, but then his beautiful wife threw off his groove.
- She refused to come and demonstrate her beauty in front of all the guys at the party.
· So, since she disobeyed the king, she did not get to be queen any more.
- A scandal was abounding:
- Throughout the kingdom women were dishonoring their husbands. What would the king do now?
· King Xerxes needed a queen, so he held the most elaborate beauty pageant imaginable.
- This is where Esther comes into focus.
· Esther, whose real name was Hadassah, was a Jewish orphan girl who was raised by her cousin, Mordecai, in the Persian city of Shushan (See Esther 2:5-7).
· When King X starts rounding up all the “beautiful young virgins” for his beauty pageant, Esther is taken.
- She is subjected to one whole year of beauty treatment before the pageant.
· Long story short, she wins the pageant (with over 400 women in the pageant) and becomes the new “Miss Persia.”
· She even managed to keep it a secret that she was Jewish.
- But, just when we think everyone will live happily ever after, King Xerxes promotes a man named Haman and made him second in command.
· Very soon following his promotion, Haman has an encounter with Mordecai.
o This is where we jump in with our text:
Esther 3:2-6
· Five practical challenges to destiny are highlighted in the account of Esther.
· Our natural tendency when challenges and trials arise is to make decisions based upon what we see and feel.
· For us to attain and sustain destiny:
Defining Destiny Challenge #1: Trust by Faith
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
· Continue to walk faithfully with God even more so when it appears that things are slipping into neutral (or even out of control).
o Cling to God when decisions are being made that affect you that you don’t see as right before the Lord.
o Remember from last week:
Luke 6:35
“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; you’re your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”
· Haman is very arrogant because when Mordecai refuses to bow to him, Haman decides that he would have to kill not just Mordecai, but all of the people of Mordecai, the Jews.
Habakkuk 2:4
"Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.”
· We are to celebrate when the world comes against us because the world first came against Him.
John 15:18
"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”
· There will always be challenges in our lives; there will always be people that come against us.
o Things will never go quite as we planned.
Esther 4:1-3
· Until now, Esther probably did not understand why she was married to a pagan king.
o However, she learns about all that is happening against her people.
· Esther’s response continues in Chapter 4.
Esther 4:10-14
· Esther is not seeing clearly.
o She is not yet quite ready to give up the safety of her “bubble.”
· Esther has apparently grown quite fond of her safety
- She considers that she will die if she goes to the King.
- He could kill her, so she says, “sorry, I don’t think I can go.”
1 Corinthians 16:9
For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
· Life can be, and often is, very challenging to our core values.
- So, Mordecai send backs a sterner message.
Defining Destiny Challenge #2: Trust through Crisis
· On one hand, don’t think you’ll be safe if you don’t speak up.
· On the other hand, God will move even if you don’t lead.
· Although, consider something:
- Maybe the Lord himself has placed you here for such a time as this.
- EX: When Jonah ran from God, the Lord kept after him until he obeyed, even though Jonah didn’t obey from his heart.
· As Dr. AW Tozer has said, “God moves undisturbed and unhindered toward the fulfillment of those purposes which he predermined in Christ Jesus before the world began…”
- God always accomplishes his purpose through His people.
· Being willing to embrace risk, or at least minimize risk, is a crucial ingredient in the pursuit of God.
· Edmund Burke said, “All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing…”
Esther 4:15-17
· In the face of a crisis, Esther finds her purpose.
· God often takes us through incredible tests and trials not only to build character into us, but also to define purpose through us.
- God has led Esther into a place of influence and infiltration.
· In the face of the impending destruction of her people she suddenly has a purpose.
· Suddenly the years of wondering what God was doing in her life make clear sense.
- Suddenly she has her cause worth living for.
- A cause worth dying for.
· She finally knew that she was truly placed there by God “for such a time as this.”
· EX: Where has the Lord placed you “for such a time as this”? Where is He asking you to venture out and take a risk?
- There is only one you.
- There is only one you walking around with your background, giftings, passion, etc.
- God takes all you are, the good and the bad.
· Scotty Vaughn says, “He transforms our mess into our message.”
- He uses it to touch other people for such a time.
Matthew 5:14
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
· We have the very words of life at our disposal
- Esther’s actions would determine the long-term destiny of her nation. Generations to come were subject to this moment.
- EX: In a similar manner, the future generations of Christianity are hanging in the balance awaiting the response to the question being posed before us.
· There is an abundance of documented evidence highlighting the urgency that is being presented to our nation.
- Research on our upcoming generation states that these young people are defining what Christianity is to them.
- The new sentiment among many young people is “God is still important to me; I just believe some different things from you.”
- 63% don’t believe Jesus is the Son of the one true God
- 58% believe that all faiths lead to salvation
- 68% don’t believe that the Holy Spirit is real
WHY?
- They are going to be the ones that want to marry our children.
- The ones that are going to be the policy makers as we get older.
- The ones that will be the leaders among business as our grandchildren are seeking to move into their own spheres of influence.
· This is our watch. This is our opportunity. This is our destiny!
- We are to do all that we can to seek, save, rescue, and see the redemption of God invade their lives.
· EX. GOD OF JUSTICE PROJECT
Next week, 100+ adults and young people from MSC will be embarking upon the God of Justice – Summer 2008 Missions project.
· There are three parts to this project – Camp, Project, Expo
- A community blessing at Springs of Life Church
- A community concert – Brenton Brown on Friday, July 18th
- A missions celebration - Saturday & Sunday, July 19-20
· Esther was not only in the “right place at the right time,” she responded with a rallying cry: “Fast for me. God is going to move. If I perish, I perish.”
- We need to be infiltrating and permeating our culture.
- We need light to be brought into the darkness.
- We need the glory of God to be invited into every avenue of our lives.
- Pray as you drive to work.
- Pray as we you walk around work.
- Lay hands on your apartment wall and ask for God’s healing and blessing to be poured out.
· Every time the Lord permits a Haman he promotes an Esther.
- There are lots of Haman’s being permitted.
- It’s time for the Esther’s and Isaiah’s to be released and sent out.
Esther 5:1-8
· The mysterious Queen Esther is not allowing the “cat out of the bag,” yet.
- Esther understood timing. God was working and she was following.
Defining Destiny Challenge #3: Trust His Timing
- The Lord works on his schedule.
Esther 5:9-14
· Esther requests another meeting.
o Haman leaves thinking all is going well.
o His little scheming plan is coming together.
· Haman’s issue of control and need for adoration is the beginning of his undoing.
· Haman’s anger and indignation is responding to his wife’s “great idea.”
o He likes the idea and passes out hammers and nails for the gallows structure to be made.
· That very night, however, the King couldn’t sleep (maybe because of all the noise from the hammering).
· Either way, he wanted to read because he couldn’t “nod off.”
o He thinks, “I’ve not a great idea. I’ll read some of the Persian chronicles. That should get me right back to sleep.”
Esther 6:1-3
· All of a sudden the King is awake as he reads about the assassination attempt on his life.
o He learns of the way that Mordecai foiled the plot.
o He learns that nothing has been given back to Mordecai.
Defining Destiny Challenge #4: Trust His Heart
· Trust God’s heart.
· God rewards the lives of the faithful. He rewards the things done in secret.
o This might not be your perfect timing – but He WILL NOT FORGET!
Isaiah 49:15
“…I will not forget you.”
· While the nation sleeps, apart from Haman and the King, the Lord is leading a series of providential events.
· God doesn’t exist in random coincidences, but rather He leads and directs out of His providence.
· Remember, Haman cannot wait to stamp his time card at the palace.
o His gallows strategy has been running around the clock.
o He runs right up to the King with his plan in mind.
Esther 6:4-11
· The King listens and thinks Haman has a great idea.
· But, unbelievable…
o This is not the day Haman had hoped for.
Esther 6:12-7:10
· Things are already bad for Haman, but about to get worse.
· The evil will fall into their own trap.
Defining Destiny Challenge #5: Trust in His Victory
· God delights in performing the impossible.
· Esther’s courage brought about the salvation of the nation of Israel.
o She walked boldly into her purpose, and God gave her victory.
1 Corinthians 1:27
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
· Remember what was happening…
- Haman
- Mordechai
- The Gallows
- The Jews are in danger
· God’s justice is carried out; God is not mocked.
· God delights in turning around the impossibilities.
In Summary:
Trust by Faith
Trust through Crisis
Trust His Timing
Trust His Heart
Trust in His Victory
This sermon was produced at Mountain Springs Church in Colorado Springs, with Pastor Daniel Rolfe. www.mountainsprings.org
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