Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:01]
A
Welcome to the live big broadcast with Derek Greer. We believe this teaching from God's Word will empower you to live a full, impactful life in Christ. Let's dig in. Esther, chapter two in verse 20 where we left off last week. Now Esther had not revealed her family and her people. Part of maturing is realizing how many things do not require our comment until the right time. Now, we should never misrepresent ourselves. But also everything about our lives do not need to be posted on Facebook and Instagram. If you want to stand out in a world where everything's about getting more views, do the opposite and maintain a little mystery. Because when the time is right, the people who need to know will know. Scripture says although she was a queen, she was still subject to her uncle. Some say it was her cousin, but I prefer to call him her uncle. And she did not reveal her family, just as Mordecai had charged her. For Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai, as when she was brought up by him. This is important. The voices in your life will affect the choices in your life. And Esther knew her uncle's life up close and personal, but she still maintained respect for him. Do not take advice from people you would not trade places with. Verse 21 in those days, while Mordecai sat within the king's gate, the king's gate was actually a gatehouse. It was a beautiful gatehouse outside of the palace where the rulers, the elders, the officials conducted official business. But it was also there they determined who would have access or audience with the king. And what we see by the positioning of this man, that he was obviously a man of authority to regularly be seated at this particular gate. And also what we see here, and we see this throughout Scripture, it's vital that the righteous in every era have some power. Some people kind of just want the rights to live under a rock, to live hidden in a corner, not to say much and just be quiet and speak when spoken to. But Proverbs 29:2 says, when the righteous are in authority, the people what rejoice. But when the wicked rules, the people what groan. And what the writer of Proverbs is saying there, the righteous can't just sit by and let the other team score all the points. Somebody said the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. So he was sitting in this great hall, which was at the king's gate, and two of the king's eunuchs, Big Fan and Big Man, I don't know Big man and Teresh. They were doorkeepers. They were probably the eunuchs that guarded the king's bedroom. This was a position of very high trust. But these two eunuchs, the Bible says, became what? Furious? Perhaps over time they had taken a liking to Vasti or Vasti. And, you know, they guarded her and they got to know her, and they got angered over the king's treatment the queen. And the Bible said that. And they sought to lay hands on King Asuerus. Now, this is not like laying hands on to heel like Jesus. Did no one touch the king unless the king wanted him to be touched. This was a euphemism for an assassination attempt. And in verse 22 it says the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Esther, what I want you to see here is Mordecai did not consider himself too spiritual to address life and death political issues. Likewise, you will not always hear me talk about political things from this desk, but sometimes it's necessary. I need you to hear what I'm about to say. A good pastor never loses members over politics. We lose them over morals. I'm gonna say that one more time. A good pastor. I didn't say every pastor. A good pastor does not lose his membership over politics. We lose them over morals. So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and then Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name. Now I want to say a few things about Mordecai. Mordecai have felt sorry for himself. Here we have an exiled Jew. He was under a pagan king in a foreign land. Who cares what happens to this king? But if the 369th Regiment in World War II did not take this attitude, neither should we. And when an inquiry was made into the matter. Watch this. It was confirmed. And both of the eunuchs were hanged or hanged on the gallows here. I've already said several times, I believe the king was wrong in what he did to Queen Vashti. But also, as I often say, don't judge people just because they sin differently than you. And certainly don't do it too quickly, because God may not be finished with them just yet. And the matter was written in the book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king. The Persian government documented just about everything. Even today, archaeologists have discovered thousands of clay tablets that are just little tiny administrative orders from the king. Esther 3:1. The plot continues to thicken after these things. King Ahasuerus promoted Haman. Both the king and Haman were ungodly men, but Haman was the worst of ungodly men. But what you see here is that an ungodly man receives a promotion. And what I need you to understand is God is still in control. Yeah. No matter who rises to power, God is still on the throne. If you read your Bible carefully, you'll discover God specializes in using evil actions, evil people, to bring about his larger plan. Joseph's brothers were wrong. Joseph's brothers sinned and they sold him into slavery. But then God used the brother that had been wronged, raised him up to number two to Pharaoh, and then saved his family from famine. Now God did not move on those boys to do the evil deed to Joseph, but God still used the evil deed to save his family. You will never understand God's calculus. His ways are higher than our ways. They are paths finding out. I want to say something. If everything that happened in your life was God's will, why would Jesus tell us or teach us to pray? Thy will be done, O God, on earth as it is in heaven. We wouldn't need to pray that because it would be automatic. But what I want to say to you, even when our prayers go unanswered, God is still able to work all things together for the good, every bad thing for his purpose. Every bad thing that happens is not the will of God. Romans 9, 7. Watch this. Unless you think this is just my opinion, listen to the scriptures. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, a man they worshiped as a God, the man whose heart was extremely hard. It took 10 plagues before he listened to God and let God's people go. But God looked at the Pharaoh and watched what God said. For this purpose, I have raised you up. God allows certain people to rise to power not because he's weak, but because he's wise. He said, I have raised you up that I might show my power in you. Some of the adversaries that rise up in your life are God's opportunity to release his power. And then it goes on. And that my name stories will be told about me because of what I'm about to do may be declared in all the earth. Could it be that some of the bad things that happen in our lives happened so that God could in real time show us his power over him over them. I remember I was in a number of situations that I didn't see any good coming from. The circumstances were unfair. I felt unable to fight back. Certainly I felt like I couldn't win. And things like that kept happening over time. And I was like, lord, it seems like the devil has more power than you. It's okay to be honest with God. It seems like the frailties and darkness of people run things more than you do. And I was grappling in my mind, God, how can you be so powerful? That's how bad and wicked things happen. And God didn't respond with a philosophical argument. He just spoke to my heart and said, derek, Satan can never hurt you more than I can reward you. You see, Satan did what he did to Job, but after Job endured, he got double for his what trouble. Satan cannot hurt you more than God can bless you. His evil will never outweigh God's righteousness and corrective justice. 3 and 1. Ahasuerus then promoted Xerxes, promoted Haman. How does a wicked man get so promoted? And this man Haman, he's about to become number two to the king himself in power, he was the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, now King Agag, and that's what it's referring to, was a descendant of the Amalekites. And the Amalekites were sworn enemies of both God and the children of Israel in the Exodus. So God, how could you be on the throne when wicked men keep getting put in power? But if you read the Scriptures, you'll understand. Don't get upset if your enemies get promoted. Give things time to run their course. Because God often uses our opposition for our elevation. A few chapters later, you'll discover all of this was a setup. Now, the reason why we often face Goliaths in our lives is because God sees a David in us. Jesus was crucified on a Friday because Sunday was on its way. Winston Churchill said it this way. Having an enemy just means at some point you stood up for something or somebody. Having an adversary's par for the course if you're going to live a righteous life. And the king advanced evil Haman in his government and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. Psalms 37, verse 1 through 2 says, I'm going to paraphrase the wicked may prosper for a season, but soon, like the grass, they will be cut down. You got to learn to give it time. Payday doesn't come every Friday, but better believe payday's coming. And all the king's servants who were within the king's gate bowed and paid homage to Haman. For so the king had commanded concerning him. Now hear me. There's nothing wrong with showing respect to our leaders. The Bible says we're to give tribute to whom tribute is Due honor to whom honor is due. But worshiping a leader is another thing. Everybody else was bowing down to the powers that be, but Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. Mordecai saw through Haman, and this is important. And because Mordecai had power too, because Mordecai was also seated at the table at the king's gate, Haman couldn't so quickly just dispose of him. This is why we need more righteous men and women to be seated at the supervisor's gate, the superintendent's gate, the governor's gate. Power only respects power. Then the king's servants who were within the gates or the king's gates said to Mordecai, why do you transgress the king's command? If the laws of our nation conflict with the law of God, we must go with God. Now, it happened when they spoke to him daily, meaning day in and day out. They were trying to talk Mordecai out of what the Lord had written in his heart. We're not to worship anyone but God. Every Jew understood you're not to bow to any power but God's power. And they would regularly, daily try to convince him otherwise. But watch this. And he would not listen to them. What is right is not always popular, and what's popular is not always right. And because Mordecai wouldn't listen, they went and told Haman, meaning Haman didn't notice right off the bat. And they told him to see whether Mordecai's word would stand, for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. Now, this verse hints that, at least informally, the Jews were exempt from prostrating before anyone but God. You know, I want to be like everyone else too. Matter of fact, I'd like to be like every other pastor if God would let me. But if I must choose between God's favor and people's favor, I choose God. So, Mordecai, we have several advances, examples of what you know, in the 60s they were called civil disobedience. But Mordecai took on this government leader, and he was willing to pay the consequences. Today, as a pastor, I get disappointed in my leadership. Because some of the people I preach to day in and day out, week in and week out, their faith is about inch deep. They'll stand up for righteousness until people start unfollowing them. They'll stand up for truth as long as everybody else agrees. You see, we must view our politics in light of the scripture and not the scripture. In Light of our politics. You see, it was not the elephant nor the donkey that died for me. It was the lamb. People say, well, I'm not going to that grace church because I don't know what party that Derrick Greer is. Somebody said party of God, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's true. I do not let politicians preach behind this pulpit. Unless they're preaching God's word. It's a sacred desk. And because I'm not aligned with any party and people can't tell exactly what I am, some days I sound this way and other days I sound that way. But my assignment is not to align with any political party, but to align with the word of God. And wherever the word of God lands, that's where I'm standing. I will reprove a Democrat as quickly as a Republican. I'm not going to answer to either. When I go to glory, I'm going to answer to God. So if your past a little bit different. I know what I'm supposed to do based on my skin. The color of my skin is one thing, but I know it was red blood that was shed to redeem my heart. And to him I give my heart. Wherever that lands me, I happen to land. We lose our spiritual authority and our credibility when we become more partisan than righteous. Verse 5. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay homage, Haman was filled with wrath. Yes, sometimes we make people mad, but Haman was the type of man who could only consider himself a success if everybody else considered him a success. We should be able to have a difference of opinion without hating one another. People are now choosing their churches based on the party, their party alignment, not based on the word of God, but based on party alignment. Oh, how I weep and mourn over what's happening in the church. My prayer is, you're standing or seated next to a Republican who's seated next to a Democrat who's seated next to an Independent. You hear what I'm saying? And we're all calling on that name and influencing our parties for the righteousness and the glory of God. He said, bishop, I don't know what to do with that. Well, it is what it is. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they told him of the people of Mordecai. Again, it seems that the Persians winked at the fact that the Jews only kneeled before their God. And because of a personal offense and a personal agenda, Haman wanted to change this. So instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews all of them but God. All the Jews who were there throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes, Asuerus, the people of Mordecai. Now I want you to notice something here. Haman was not anti religion. Most Persians were Zoroastrians as well as the King. Xerxes was a Zoroastrian. He was not anti religion, he was anti Jew. Most people today are not anti God. But we do have a lot of people who are anti. Anything that's truly Christian you can hate on Christians if you want to. Just remember the beast in the book of Revelations coming out of the waters will not be anti God. In fact, he will call himself God. He will be Antichrist. Maybe you missed that. You cannot truly love God without loving God's people. You cannot truly love Jesus without loving his church. And we have to be careful about criticizing Christ's bride, the one he died to redeem. Sometimes we feel good and we feel that we're different than others because we can look down on the church. But without the church there wouldn't be hospitals today that came out of the church. Without the church, there wouldn't be colleges and universities that came out of the the church. Without the church. It wouldn't be the civil rights movement that came out of the church. We take for granted our concept of freedom and love that came out of the church. There's a self righteousness I hear even in believers picking on the church. Not pointing at all the flaws everywhere else, but zeroing in on all the faults of the church. The church has faults, the church has issues. We need to call them out, but we need to be fair. I hear of people, I hear of people. The church is so judgmental, they say, but you just judge the church. So we shouldn't judge anybody except the righteous? No. The Bible teaches and Jesus teaches we're not to judge unfairly, but we must judge. Some things are wrong. In fact, I would say that I'm approaching 40, right? I'm approaching 40. Of all the years of my life, this generation is the most judgmental generation I have ever seen. They will cancel you in a second. One misspoken word, I'm out of here and I'm done. All of this tolerance, but so full of judgment and that spirit that's in the world we ought not bring into the church. Verse 8. I'm going to try to move quickly. Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, there's a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of the kingdom. Watch this. Their laws, the Way they conduct themselves are different. You see, I'm not afraid of being different. I'm afraid of being the same. No person has ever made a difference being just like everybody else. He said their laws, the way they conduct themselves, the way they move in this life are different from other people's. And that ought to be our testimony that they're just a little bit different, that they conduct themselves just a little bit differently and they do not keep the king's laws. Now, other kings before Exerx, Caesar Osuerus may have accepted the fact that the Jews were a little bit different. But it seems that Xerxes didn't get the memo and Haman's given him advice. Therefore, King, it's not fitting for the king to let them remain. Haman had a hidden agenda. I get so frustrated. I get so frustrated watching the news. It's so manipulative. It's propaganda. No, it's propaganda and it insults my intelligence. I'll switch from CNN to Fox msn. And by the way, I watch Fox too. Don't tell me what I can't do. How am I going to be fair if I only tune into one perspective? How am I gonna really know what's happening when I'm in the echo chamber just hearing things I only always, only agree with? Have enough courage to be fair. Listen to both sides and you'll discover that there's wisdom in both. Pay attention. So he said, listen, King, it's not fitting for them to remain. And no enemy is worse than bad advice. He says, if it pleases the king. I sometimes I bring my car certain places and I switch different channels and I have habits like, you know, I read the Post, which is more liberal leaning. But then in the radio I listen to Fox and then I'll do something else, you know, and I try to get the full orb. And then I'll read something that's supposed to be, you know, right down the center. But then I'll take my car to shop and they always change the station. Okay, I gotta finish. It's 11:59, but there's so much hate, we can't even hear the other's perspective. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed. Every Jew in Persia was to be killed. Haman was a precursor to World War II and a precursor to what some people still want to do today. In every era, every generation has people like this in its wings. And then Haman said, I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work to bring it into the king's treasury. What's happening here is basically, it's a bribe. It's a huge amount of money, but a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise. And the next verse says, the king took off a signet ring, gave it to Haman, and he said to Haman, do what seems best to you. Verse four and verse one, and we're going to wrap up with one. When Mordecai learned all that had happened, it was all over the news channels that day. He tore his clothes and he put on sackcloth, cloth and ashes. Once an order like this was decreed from the king, and it was written down in the annals and the law of the Medes and Persians, it could not be reversed. And what I want to say to you today is that there are people listening to my voice who are in a situation just like Mordecai. The die has been cast, it seems. It has been written. It looks like the situation is impossible to reverse. But in my life, and you're going to discover in your life that you keep walking with God. When we think it's impossible, God smiles and say, I still have a plan. Before you were born, I saw this and I figured it out. I have a solution. If you trust me. It might be a surprise to you, it might be new to you. But before you were born, I had an answer. The Bible says that before the the worlds were framed, Christ had been crucified. The cross wasn't just a response to Adam and Eve. God knew what they would do, and he already had a solution. God knew what would happen to you. He knew the situation you would be in this year, this time, this day, and before you were born. He had a solution. And faith is how we tap into it. And Mordecai went out into the midst of the city and he cried out. He didn't go hide. He cried out with a loud and a bitter cry. It was real. He didn't try to feign faith. He was hurting and it was real. This was serious. This was not a movie. And tradition tells us that people flocked to him at the gate. And they say that there's a Targum that says. And I think they were right in this one. You can't always believe the Targums, but this was right that he read Deuteronomy 44 and verse 30, he said this. Listen to what he said. This is words from Moses when you are in distress in the context because you've done wrong and now you're dealing with consequences. And all these things come upon you in the latter days. If you just. When you turn to the Lord your God, if you just obey his voice, two things. In the middle of your discipline, in the middle of your chastisement and correction, if you just turn your heart toward the Lord your God and obey his voice, then it says, for the Lord your God is what? Merciful. Remember that about God. Of all of God's great attributes, his justice, his goodness, his fairness, his holiness, his righteousness. Of all of God's great attributes, none could help us apart from his mercy. There were two men that went to prayer to pray. Jesus told us this story. Stay with me. There was a publican, means the worst type of sinner and a Pharisee. The Pharisee had a revelation of the righteousness and holiness of God. It was a right revelation of God. And he went to God talking about all the things he did right. But then the publican couldn't even go into the temple. He beat his breast. He said, lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner. And then Jesus said, which one of them do you think left righteous? And the answer was the publican. You see, you can have all of your revelation of social justice, all your revelation of right and wrong. We want right to be in our courts. Police officers ought to treat us right. We ought to be able to get a loan. I know what I'm talking about. When it comes to getting major loans and folks looking at you and saying, no, not you. But I also know that I want to be like God. Yes, he's just. Yes, he's righteous, but he's also merciful. In church, we ought not burn down the house because of the errors and the mistakes of some matter of fact as you point the finger at others. I've watched light skinned, dark skinned, I've watched African, African American, I've watched male, female. We're all sinners in need of a savior. We're all bent towards selfishness apart from God. And there go I. For the grace of God, we have to be willing to show mercy to one another, to be like God. He said, for the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not forsake you, nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore to them. God promised them that even when they suffered for what they deserved, if they would just turn their hearts, they would just obey his word. In crisis, no matter how well deserved the verdict is, God will never leave them nor forsake them. Someone aptly said, it said. If God judged Sodom and Gomorrah for its sin or their sin, God owes us. Or better, if God doesn't judge America for its sin, he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology. Abraham went before God, he said, will not the judge of all the earth do right? And he said, for the sake of 50, sake of 20. Then he got down to 10. The reason he judged Sodom and Gomorrah was not just their wickedness, but the lack of righteous. But if my people who were called by my name would humble themselves and pray, cry out for our president, cry out for our troops, cry out for our nation, cry out for our cities, cry out for our families, dear God, have mercy on us. God, we're not looking for justice. We cry out for mercy for the Lord your God is a merciful God. The Pharisee had a right judgment about God being righteous. But he left something very important out. His mercy. And in all your understanding who God is, if you leave out his mercy, you leave out the most pertinent peace. For the Lord your God is what? Merciful. Do you pray to a merciful God? Or is he only merciful to you, not the opposing team? For the Lord your God is mercy. He will not forsake you, nor destroy you. Now pay attention. And I'm done. It takes a few more chapters before God revealed how he would save Esther and her people. I don't know what chapter you are in in your recovery story. I don't know how many more pages need to be turned before you can see your way out. I just know that if God said it, he will do it. If we believe it, he can, we can receive it. I just know that no matter what you're facing, God already has a plan. If you trust him and just keep moving with him, no matter how unfair, how unjust, God will keep you. Every time I think it's too late, God has to remind me that we're not on the same clock. We don't share the same limitations. And right now, some unfair things that are happening in your life. Situations seem to be enthroned and in positions of power. And they got leverage. Don't give up. You're only in the fourth chapter. It doesn't get better until a couple chapters later. And for this reason, we have to hang on even in difficult times. Because God is merciful and faithful and he will see you through if you trust Him. Did you get anything out of all that today? Thank you for joining us. Until next time, Remember, you have what it takes in Christ to live big we also invite you to partner with Derek Greer Ministries in bringing the life changing and impactful teachings of God's Word to the world. Get started by visiting Derekre.com by clicking the link in the description.