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What are the odds that an outnumbered tribe of people could survive a genocide sanctioned by the government’s most powerful forces? What chance would a lone woman have of saving her entire people? In this message, Pastor Mike Novotny show they're great odds when you remember God.
The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
Gods Odds
Week 2 - The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny
Well, good morning, everyone. Welcome back to week number two, of a really interesting sermon series on a really interesting part of the Bible, the Book of Esther. Jump into week number two, and our text for today, I made a thread last Sunday. If you were here in church, that I would call some of you at 217 in the morning and ask you for a specific answer. Bible passage Romans eight verse 28, quick show of hands. How many of you are ready for this pop quiz? I'm about to give you How many of you are terrified that I'm about to call on you? Yes. Alright, I'll give you a pass this time but if you know it we learned this little phrase. It's really the summary of the book of Esther that even if we don't feel it, even if we can't see it, even if it's not evidence, We Believe can stay with me in all things. God works for the good. Yeah, that's kind of the hope and prayer. We have for the sermon series that you believe when this book is done in all things. Not just the easy things, the convenient things, the things you planned in all things. God is working for your good.
So, way back in 1953. a 24-year old guy, an Atlanta native stood at the altar. Look the love of his life in her eyes and vowed to love her deeply until death would do them part. Just a year later in the mid 1950s. This same young man received a call into the Ministry and began a really promising career, as a pastor in the city of Montgomery, Alabama. Just the year after that, he received his Doctorate and just a few months after that, he and his wife were blessed with their very first baby. A little girl that they named Yolanda. Marriage was good, fatherhood was good, Ministry was good. People were interested in salivating over this young man's potential to be a pastor who can make a huge impact, but just a few weeks after everything had lined up in his life. A black woman refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus.
You probably know the story of who that woman was.
And maybe now, your brain has put together who that new father, husband and Pastor was too. Rosa Parks was the woman who refused to give up her seat and Dr. Martin Luther King jr. Was that father? Husband and pastor. And because Rosa Parks' story happened in his church, his backyard dr. King had a choice to make it seemed to most people that few people were better, positioned to do something about the Injustice of the American South. The doctor King, He's a pastor who believes that God loved the world, a God who did not discriminate. That he was a pastor who believed in the cause of justice as the Old Testament prophets and New Testament. Apostles said he was a man who had the kind of mind who could dream about a better America and God had given him lips that could speak and stir. The heart of American conscience is dr. King was in the right spot. God had put him in that place for a purpose. And yet he knew. And everyone knew that if he would step into that calling and do what is right? It would be a great risk.
The racists of the American South did not just bark. They bit.
In fact, I sometimes bombed, And Dr. King and his wife had a baby girl sitting in a crib at home. God had thrown him a slow pitch to do. What was right, what the Bible would call righteousness. But he knew deep in his heart that if he was doing right, What come with a risk?
That's true, though, isn't it? Sometimes when God gives you the chance to do something good and write something biblical and obedience, something beautiful that lasts for eternity, it's not always comfortable. And it's not always. Both sometimes it makes your palms sweat and here's why I want you to write this down. If you're taking notes for watching at home, too, because sometimes doing right, Is risky.
Sometimes doing what is right in the eyes of God will cost you your comforts. It will make you sweat. Just a little bit. You'll hesitate wondering if you should do it. Sometimes doing right is risky.
If you know, a police officer or a politician. You realize this is true, don't you?
I recently met a couple who heard their story last Friday, who came from central Africa, war-torn Civil War rebellious in fighting groups, just carnage, mayhem, injustice. It made me realize how beautiful it is to have good police officers and a fairly stable government. But if you are a cop or if you know a cop, you realize that being a cop can be risky. You sometimes wear a bulletproof vest for a reason. confronting Injustice about arresting people who are breaking a law comes with a risk. In fact, you know what else comes with a risk is reporting the officers next to you who are not standing up for the cause of Justice. Being a good police officer doing what's right, serving and protecting can be risky.
I don't know about you, but I would rather be a pastor than a politician these days. Even the best of them will get more hate mail in a week, then I'll probably get in my entire life. Like to stand up for the values of democracy. What's good and right? And not just what's convenient here. And now, and the next election that is no small thing to do.
To break ranks with your party when they're not acting for the cause of righteousness and Justice, or just trying to win an election by any means possible. If you're a Democrat to speak against the Democrats, if you're a republican, say no, no. That's, that's not how we should be acting like that, right? In the political realm is as risky as it is in the realm of police officers, doing, right in so many occupations is risky. And you know who else that's risky for?
I bet before this month is over, God will call you and he'll give you a slow pitch to do something. That's right. But you will know deep in your bones, you'll hesitate to take that step because you'll feel that it's a risk. You'll be nervous about the reaction about the results sometimes. What's obviously right is risky. I'll give you three examples. How about confessions? Or confrontations. Or invitations.
It's risky to make an honest confession.
I see that all the time in church. Christian is struggling with this thing, but this thing is kind of embarrassing. And so when someone asked him, how are you doing, how can I pray for you? They talk about the safe stuff. Right, not the sexual stuff, not the substance stuff at the real stuff at the struggling relationship, not the depression, not the doubts. We just pray for great grandma's cancer, and safe travels as the kids, go back to school. The Bible is pretty clear about this huh? Don't give false testimony. Tell the truth.
But when someone asks you how you're doing and you know, that a really vulnerable transparent confession, might be met with an uncertain reaction. Realize that doing the right thing is risky.
I've been in enough small group Bible studies here at our church, to realize that everyone, even if it feels safe, is hesitant to take that step. If these people really knew me, would they accept me? Well, they love me. If they knew that I had a legal record, if they knew that I struggled with weed or heroin or fentanyl, if they knew that I'm a registered sex offender, the new that in, look at pornography, if they knew that behind this beautiful Suburban home is a family, that's just struggling to stay connected if they knew me.
Will they love me? Tell the truth God says, But doing that, doing what's right is risky.
Was that just confessions? Here's what else is risky? Temptations.
But Jesus was super clear about it. If your brother or sister sins Go and show them just between the two of, you don't talk about people, talk to people. Like if there's someone at church if there's someone at work if there's someone at school but like don't whisper behind their back to you you show them respect and you show them love and you just say it to their face. You don't, you don't vent to your sister, you don't go off on your girlfriend and you go home. Can you believe this guy? You have the courage you have the heart to say something to their face.
And you know what percentage of Christians actually do that.
To 2%. I'm making up that stat and I'm probably being generous because all of us know it right? No, no one wants to be confronted, no one wants to have the hard conversation, we just hope and pray that somehow it gets fixed and we don't have to say anything because we know it is so risky to say hey I love you but hey there that's not what Jesus says. It's not cool with God, when you
A confession will make you sweat, a confrontational make you nervous and if that weren't enough? How about an invitation?
The culture that I was raised in, in 20th, 21st century America. There's two things you do not talk about in mixed company. They are politics and religion, huh? So the Bible's clear. This is really good news. Go and make disciples Jesus said preach the good news to all creation. Don't be ashamed of the Gospel but When the person you work with, doesn't go to church, Or you're dating someone and it's going really well and you don't want to be that you know that awkward down your throats twisting, your arm religious kind of person. You feel it, right? You don't know my take a risk on this relationship, will they take a step back from you? You could invite them to church you. You could offer to pray for them. You could tell them about Jesus but sometimes we can work with someone or go to school with someone or live next door to someone for months or years. Or even more. And have we ever told them just the simplest message? That means so much to us.
Well, the answer is sometimes, no.
Because doing right is risky.
Guess what? I have a hunch that lots of you do because I do it too. That you don't tell anyone about that one, embarrassing sin, he just hope that God will somehow fix it with another prayer. And you don't have like that face-to-face. Come to Jesus Woodshed moment with someone who's sending use, hope that someone else confronts them, or somehow they just magically see it even though they can't see it.
I join your friends and your family members to meet Jesus and know this good news. You just kind of hope that maybe they you know find some Tick Tock video and some evangelists or maybe they just ask you one day. What do you believe about? Jesus Christ, the lord and savior. We just we just hope that somehow in some other way, the situation changes
Because a deal. Sometimes like with Dr. King the person that God is calling to change the situation is do you?
Last week, when we began the study of the Book of Esther, a woman told me that she was crying in church because we said this big idea that God puts people in place for a purpose. And she said everyone around her was crying about how beautiful, right? God puts us, there's no accidents or coincidences God puts us in this place in this time in this spot in history for a purpose. But here's the question, maybe I didn't think about last week. What if that purpose Is figure risk? But if that big idea that you are living here and now is not just for your comfort and blessing.
What if it's for theirs?
What if God has put you here in this situation, to do something difficult? Something dangerous, something where you don't know how it's going to turn out. It might not turn out. Great. Well, based on the decibel level in the room right now. I'm guessing
You get some help with that.
And that's why I'm so glad I brought one of these today. Today we're going to continue our study of the Book of Esther and we're going to come across what I think is probably the most historically famous quote from all 10 chapters of this Old Testament book. And I quote Esther's cousin, 2,500 years ago is going to be God's nudge not a nudge. It's going to be his two hands shove. To try to convince you to take the risk.
It's going to be God's will God's promise that if we're going to pray after this message is done. Our father in Heaven, your will be done. What we're saying is God help me do what you want me to do. Help me to take the risk. Help me not to care about my comfort, my image, my popularity. Help me to care about you and people so much. I will do whatever it is. Whatever it takes. However, risky, it might feel, that's the goal of today's message.
Journey Back In Time 2,500 years. We're around the year 480, BC were on the other side of the planet in ancient Iran. If you know the story of Esther chapter 1 and 2. There was this Ancient King named Xerxes. He just finished the very first season of the Persian Bachelor the not-safe-for-work version. All right, so don't read this ad at work. He's probably slept with dozens if not hundreds of beautiful women, back to back to back to back to back one night stands and at the end of it, he gave the rose to this orphan, a slash model named Esther.
Esther was a Jewish woman. She was a descendant of the family tree of Abraham, but no one knew that because her cousin Mordecai who helped her raise her, because he was an orphan told her to keep that secret quiet. Where we left things off. Last week, things were looking really good Esther Against All Odds. Had become the queen And Mordecai. Her cousin had actually just saved the life of the king. Things are looking great for them and the Jewish people. But then, Then in chapter 32, things take a terrible, terrible turn Because in Esther chapter 3, we meet the villain of all villains. We meet the first Hitler. We meet a man who planned the genocide of Jesus Jewish ancestors.
Have a Bible with you or you want to follow along up on the screen. Here's what happens in Esther chapter 3.
After these events. King. Xerxes honored Haman, son of Hamada, the agagite elevating him and giving him a seat of Honor higher than that of all the other Nobles, all the Royal officials at the Kings gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman. For the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai Esther's cousin would not kneel down or pay him honor.
So Haman becomes what we call, the vice president's, the Prime Minister, the second in command of this mega super power of the ancient world. I was, this is just me. I always picture him, like, Jafar, but with a Hitler mustache. All right? So, this is like, this is Hammy's very powerful. He's very persuasive. He's, you know, worked his way up. We see he's honored more than all the other officials in this. Massive ancient empire, but Mordecai Esther's cousin refuses to me. Down and pay him honor. Now, how many of you are really excited about a sermon tangent that talks about the genealogies of the Old Testament? Yes, thank you. We got to all right, we're good. I'm gonna, I'm gonna count that word where two or three are gathered together and want to hear about a genealogy. Here's the, here's the quick tangent, Mordecai and Haman. Come from families that have had a blood Feud for about 1,000 years. So Mordecai's Jewish. He's an Israelite. Hey man, it says, is an agate which was like a tribe from the ancient amalekites and if you had read the beginning of the Bible, way back in the days of Moses like 1500 BC.
You find out that when Mordecai's ancestors, Moses, and his people were just escaping their slavery in Egypt. It was Haman’s ancestors, the Amalekites that pounced.
The kidnapped they killed, you know, this would be like like kidnapping a holocaust Survivor just when they were freed from Auschwitz. And that was so serious and bad to God. He sent a curse on all the ancient amalekite people. Five hundred years after that in the days of King Saul of Israel. There was another foreign King from the amalekites named a gag. So, agagite see here that in Haman's name and King Saul, these are light and the king agag, the amalekite fought each other, to see one captured egg and the prophet Samuel killed a gag, the ancient ancestor of Haman. And so, for 4,000 years, these two people, the amalekites and the Israelites have been fighting each other, killing each other. These are like just bad blood to gangs going at each other's throats. And so when Haman is exalted to this spot in the Kingdom there's a thousand years of Bad Blood. And when he walks by Mordecai, this stubborn proud Jewish man says
You hate salmon. And Haman hates him back, even more.
In fact, when the word starts to spread that there's this Jewish man at the Kings gate who will not bow, the knee to Haman sees an opportunity He has the position. He has the power here, is his chance, not just to murder Mordecai but to once and for all wipe out all of Mordecai's people to win this 1,000-year fight once and for all Seriously does. Perseids. Then Heyman said to King Xerxes. There's a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their Customs are different from those of all other people. And they do not obey the King's laws. It is not in the King's best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them. And I will give 10,000 talents of silver to the King's administrators for the Royal Treasury. He's wicked. And he's wicked smart.
He Taps into Xerxes fear of a rebellion, there's these people who have different different culture, different custom, they don't assimilate and they don't follow the Kings laws. You never know, King, if he's people grow, what they'll do? And okay, and if you'll just issue this decree to wipe them off the face of the map, I will offer you ten thousand talents of silver. Have you checked your conversion rate on Ancient, talents of silver dollars? Some historians think that this amount was about two-thirds of the annual Royal income. To theirs. Haman, probably planned to butcher all the Jews, take all their stuff, sell it, and put it in the coffers, but you see what he's doing. He's tapping into the King's fear of rebellion, and his love of money. And sadly King Xerxes was very persuadable. He said, yes.
He gives him in his signet ring Haman writes up the decree for the first Holocaust this Final Solution. It basically says, if you see a Jew anywhere in all of the Kingdom you can kill him, plunder him, take his stuff. It's sealed with King Xerxes ring, the Royal couriers on their horses. They race out to all 127 provinces and get this on the eve of the Passover.
The news spreads through every Jewish. Entity that 11 months from now, they had cast the Lots on the 12th month of the year, all of us will be dead.
The king himself and his right-hand man. Had decreed the government's governors. In all the provinces are on this side, the Jews are a small Remnant, who is vastly outnumbered and 11 months from now all of us. Will be dead.
When Mordecai hears the news, he is mortified.
Not only is this giant Death Clock counting down, he has less than a year to live with all of his people. All of God's chosen people will be dead with him. The promises made to Abraham and others about the coming Messiah. The Savior would be cut off and never fulfilled. He covers himself in sackcloth and Ashes he Mourns and Wales at the Kings gate. But his cousin Esther. His fellow Jew. Has no clue.
Apparently she's in the palace and no one knows that she's Jewish, so they don't bother her with this news of a genocide of some small tribe who keeps themselves separate. I picture her sitting on a comfortable couch with a servant feeding her grapes and fluff. Fanning her with a palm frond. She's fine, but Mordecai knows. That Esther is the only chance And so, he IDM, sorry, he indirectly messages her through some servant to the king and the servant runs up with Mordecai's message and pleats. He says, Esther, you have to say something. Your husband is the king. You need to step up. You need to do what's right and rescue God's people.
But Esther knows. That's a bit risky.
Jump Ahead to chapter 4. You see us, there's an answer. When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer. Oops. I'm sorry, I'm one of then. She instructed him to tell Mordecai all the king's officials. And the people of the royal province's, know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner Court without being summoned.
One law that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and Spares their lives. But 30 days have passed since I was called to go to the king.
Pretty fascinating archaeologists. Have actually discovered exactly what Esther was afraid of. I've seen some of the discoveries from ancient Iran from the kingdom of Xerxes and is one massive sculpture. It's called a relief and it shows King Xerxes big curly beard sitting on his Royal Throne. He has this massive scepter in his hand and and right behind his throne like right behind the back of the chair is a line of Schultz soldiers, carrying very, very sharp objects. There's one big old Purge in with like a battle axe in his hand.
Because this was the rule. There were assassins in those days, who'd March up to the king and then they stabbed him before they could stop him. And so, the rule was, you cannot even step into the room of the king without an invitation. Dropping appointments are not allowed. And if you tried, if you, if you stepped in unannounced, one of two things would happen, if the King on his Royal Throne, would extend to you his golden scepter for mercy and spare you. Or Mr. Battle-axe behind the throne would put you on a diet. And you'd end up about this much lighter. And those are the only options.
And you might be thinking, well, Esther, you're his wife. I mean, he picked you. You're the winner of the person faster is going to be fine, but Esther points out to her cousin. It's been 30 days since I've even seen my husband
It's probably proof that she was more of a trophy wife to him than the love of his life. And so one of the many, many women in the Harem that he's sleeping with walks into his presence, what will happen to her? Will it cost her everything?
Esther hesitated because doing what was right was risky. But in that moment, when she sends word back to her cousin Mordecai, I can't. I might die.
This is where the movie soundtrack starts to swell, right? And some of you know that what Mordecai is about to say Is actually so famous. If you looked it up on Pinterest, you can find beautiful swirly pose, you could find on Amazon, a t-shirt with Mordecai's words. There's like, literally Christian songs and albums, and bands, and merge that you can buy with the words of Mordecai. Because when he knew that his cousin who you love, so dearly, he had raised her like his own daughter. When he knew that she was in this risky situation. He still believed that God had put her there to do what was right.
Here's what Mordecai said, “when Esther's words, were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer. Do not think that because you are in the King's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. Here's the quote and who knows? But that you have come to your Royal position for such a time as this?
I don't get God's Playbook Esther, but who knows?
Maybe you are right there. For this.
Maybe God stirred Xerxes' heart to pick you out of all the other women. So that you a Jew would be there on the very day that the king had decreed the destruction of all the Jews. Maybe God didn't put you in the palace just so you could eat the grapes and Be comforted by the fan. Maybe he put you there to take the risk to do something dangerous to step up into a higher calling. Maybe he put you there to do what was right. Even though it was so risky. And a swell of the soundtrack must have gotten Esther's heart.
Because it worked. End of chapter 4, Esther sent this reply to Mordecai. Go gather together, all the Jews who are in Susa and fast for me, do not eat or drink for three days night or day. I my ascendance will fast as you do when this is done. Go to the king even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. So what I went away and carried out, all of Esther's instructions.
I love that line. If I perish my parents are. I don't know what will happen. I don't know if this will have some beautiful ending. I could die if I do this. But I'm going to do this because this is what is good. This is what is right because God wants me to take the risk.
Did the queen lose her head? Come back next week as we continue our study of the Book of Esther. You can understand why that line is famous, right? This, this might be painful but this is my purpose. This might cost me everything, but God has me here for this something.
Because there are no coincidences, I was at a party with the staff of our Christian School and one of our teachers named Jill. She told me that when she was a little girl, her father used to repeat the words of Mordecai to her every single morning. You wake up his daughter rub her on the head, say, “Sweetie, God has you here for such a time as this?
And then at dinner when they gather back together as a family, the father would ask his daughter. So what was your purpose?
And in between the wake-up call and the dinner conversation. Her life wasn't always convenient or easy but God all it has a good reason. A good work for her to do. In France. The same is true for you.
Doing what's right is worth the risk.
I want to write that down so you don't forget it today for filling in notes. In your bulletin write this down that doing right? I can't promise you, it's gonna work out all nice and warm and fuzzy but doing right is worth the risk. If you step up, put on extra deodorant and actually do, the will of God, You will not look back a year from now or an eternity from now and see how, you know what, I wish I really wish. I wouldn't have done what was right?
If you perish, you perish, if they judge you, they judge you. If people react defensively, they react defensively. But doing what is right in the eyes of God, is always worth the risk. So let me ask some of you here today, who for the first time in a long time. Maybe the First Time in Forever are actually going to be honest with her confession.
Have you had enough experience? Trying to fix this thing yourself is trying to break the addiction. Trying to start a new chapter in your spiritual story. Have you learned? That may be just another prayer for the 77th time probably isn't going to work.
Some do, what's right?
Listen, this is Christianity.
The very Foundation of our teaching is that you are apparently so bad that God had to save you.
None of us are going to be shocked when we find out that you're actually a sinner. What I thought you were. Jesus is all time, of course. We sin. Of course, we're tempted by all of the things other people are tempted to use right here in the space right now. Yes. Are there people who looked at porn this morning? Yes. Are there people whose marriages? Well probably not make it through the year. Yes are there. People who thought about self-harm in space? Yes, other people who forget the promises of God and just get worried and anxious are controlling other angry people. People who struggle with abuse incarceration? Yes, yes, yes. And yes, let's just get that on the table. So we can honestly do the right thing and take the risk and confess.
And besides the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if there's one thing that I'm convinced makes for a great church, it's honest people. I don't want to spend the next ten years as a pastor here with people who fake it.
When people are real. And they give you a real chance to pray. The step either side, and actually fight for them for this Faith. That's a beautiful church. It's a messy church and it's a complicated church, but it is the kind of church that Jesus wants us to be. And so for some of you God is shoving you. Yeah, you're going to sweat. Yeah. Party is going to be freaking out but you find that person or those people in your life that you know, and you know that they love you and you tell them “Don't try to fix it.” You'll be as sick as your secrets. You tell them what's happening so they can pray for you. Love you, forgive you. In Jesus' name, take the risk.
And if you need to confront someone,
It's time to take the risk.
It's actually normal Christianity. If you actually read the Bible, rebuke correction. Confrontation, the Bible assumes we have blind spots. And some of you are in the perfect position to take that risk. It's not your job to confront everyone about everything, but there are some people in your life, right? Where you are, probably the best position just like Esther was in the palace to say something.
Think about me.
Is there something that I'm doing as a pastor? That's damaging to this church community.
If some decision I make, if I have some blind spot that I'm not seeing, who better to say something to me than some of you who have been here for a very long time.
Who else is gonna confront me as the First Time guest?
I put a few worshippers by my side. If you've respected me enough to show up here Sunday after Sunday and sit in these chairs, you have earned the right to say something to me so that I can become a better man. A better Christian, and a better Shepherd of this church. You get nervous reading the emails to the pasture. For sure. Is it worth the risk?
Maybe your granddaughter or your son. And you see on social media that they're just, they're just regurgitating the things of the world, living your truth, being your authentic self. Jesus said you shouldn't judge, right? Christians are just supposed to love and never say anything bad about anyone, right? But, but, you know, better. Like, you know, better and you're scared to say something because you love them and they love you back.
But 50 years from now, when they stand before Jesus,
Don't you want them to have a chance to change their mind before it's too late? The force swallows them up and their heart is so hard into the truth. You think some street corner, preachers? Going to give them a pamphlet. No.
Going to you. Say something.
Like, they know that they love you. They know that you love them. You of all people have their relational credibility to say something. And so, if it's your son, your daughter, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your pastor, your neighbor, your teammate. It's time to step up and take the rest.
Or last example. Maybe it's time to finally invite him to church with you.
The Bible says, we should be wise in the way we act towards people who are not Christians. Pounding on people's doors and demanding they repent and come to church, probably not wise, but if you've known someone for a while and love them, Are you at that point where there's not much left to do, besides just ask them?
We've been neighbors for seven years. You've been teammates for Four Seasons. Like the time has come to take the risk, I need people constantly in this community who have no clue what the gospel even is. They have a spotty Church experience that was all about rules and religion and rituals and going through the motions. They'd ever actually heard the good news of a God who sent his son to die on the cross for the Forgiveness of our sins, maybe this year, maybe this month. Maybe this week is the time. When you take the risk and say, hey, I don't know why I haven't brought this up before, but this is a crazy thing. We're talking about in our church, you really got to hear it, invite them into the midst of it, but bring the gospel to them, whatever it is, take the risk, go and make disciples of all Nations. You're the one that got us tapping on the shoulder.
So I don't know where God is shoving, you today? Whether it's a confession, a confrontation or an invitation, sometimes It's you.
Here's my promise to you. If you take the risk, You will get either one or two blessings.
Either turns out great and you get joy. I'm going to pray for you and your struggle, someone who changes their bad attitude to someone who joins you in church. There's joy in that And if it doesn't go well, You get peace. Let me tell you what, there is a peace of mind for people who don't turn a blind eye and become chickens and bail, there is a peace of mind when you've done your part, not brushed it under the rug, but said something. When you've tried and opened your heart, join me in learning about Jesus. You get joy, you get peace. Sometimes you get both. Things are a reminder, why is doing right is worth the risk?
Let me leave you today with two stories and I'll say, Amen. Number one, Jesus.
Do you think right now? Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God. Do you think Jesus Christ is happy that he took the risk?
Like 2,000 years ago, when the father sent him to this earth, he did he knew from day one like like Mordecai, he could see the Death Clock ticking down, he knew how he would die, he knew when he would die, he knew how painful his death would be. And yet Jesus said, father, Your will be done.
Saving you?
Loving you. Giving you a spot in a place where there is no danger or discomfort that was so meaningful to Jesus that he risked everything.
If I perish, I perish, Esther said, Jesus came into this world saying I'm going to perish. And he picked to perish. He chose the path where he would have to bear the cross because he loved you so deeply and he wanted you on this very day, not to live with guilt or shame but the fall asleep knowing that I'm good with God. What happens? My relationship with God is perfect, and I have a hope and a future in heaven, that meant so much to Jesus that he risked everything. And so he came down to earth and then he crawled up on a cross and climbed out of the Tomb on Easter morning, and now, forever, and ever, and ever, and ever. All of God's people are so grateful that our savior, our Jesus Took the risk.
That is our foundation and our hope that no matter how these people react, what they say, and what they do, because Jesus took the risk. We always have God, don't you? Glad Jesus Christ was in a chicken. I am.
And I'm glad that dr. King wasn't either.
Where dr. King a chance to step up and help Rosa Parks. He took a risk and it was risky indeed.
Soon after she went to give up her seat on the bus. A 1956 racist like Haman, bombed Dr. King's house. Thankfully, his daughter was not inside. But he refused to step back.
Aren't you? Glad he didn't?
And when they threw him in that Birmingham Jail, aren't you? Glad instead of cowering, he wrote a letter that stirred, the heart of American Christians. And instead of zipping his lip about his dream, aren't you? Glad that he stood up and said I have a dream where black and white will play together just as God intended.
If you could go back in history and speak to a young doctor King that 20-something man, would you tell him to just sit down showed his mouth and play it safe? Nope.
Because years later in history, And always looking back from eternity. Doing right. Is worth the risk.
Our turn.
Let's pray. Grace is God. Thanks for pushing us today.
There's some situations that feel like a giant mountain to climb. But you promised us that on the other side of that mountain, is something better than right now.
They're people who are hearing my words right now who have been hiding a sin and it's been gnawing at their conscience for way too long, today is their day of Liberation and deliverance.
There are some situations in families. God and maybe even in this church that have festered for too long today. Is it a correction, confrontation and reconciliation? There's some people that we're going to see in the next 24 hours, you've never known they'd never heard. They don't know how glorious and good they are. You are. They've never felt and tasted this. The sweetness of Walking With Jesus but this is going to be their time. When they hear that simple invitation and it might lead to their conversion and eventually their glorification, So God, thanks for pushing us. Thanks for being tough with us. I pray. Now, instead of giving into fear and worry and what ifs? We could be like Esther motivated by Mordecai. If I perish, I perish but I'm going to do what's right? And the father, thank you that when we cower back in fear, there's Grace. Thank you for all the times in our past that we wish we could redo with more Courage. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all of those things, too. God, I pray that this place and we as people could be not just the most loving but also the most bold, the most courageous, the most daring. As we pray, not just with her lips, it with our hearts and with our lives, father, your will be done.
We asked all of these things and all God's people said, amen.