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What are the odds that the scattered descendants of Abraham would survive the day of their annihilation? In this message, Pastor Mike Novotny reminds us that they are great odds when you remember God.
The episodes are the weekly sermons from 922 Ministries (St. Peter and The CORE) of Appleton, Wisconsin.
God's Odds
Week 5 - The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny
Oh, good morning everyone. Welcome back to week number five of six of the summer, sermon series called God's Odds. I gotta be real with you. I'm pretty jacked up today. Alright, it's Sunday. I'm a pastor, that's like a good combination to start with, but today's a special day because I'm looking out at all of you people. And when I think really carefully about it, here's what I realized. That you people have tremendous potential.
Based on what you Christian people believe, some of the things we just sang about that you believe in a God, who is not just some higher power. But He is your father in Heaven. A Jesus, who's not just some good example of turning the other cheek, but your Savior who did so many things on your behalf. A Holy Spirit, who's not like some weird Star Wars vague Force, but like an actual person who produces a changed life in you if you are the kind of people who believe that, you have tremendous potential, and I've seen it.
Last Sunday, after church, a member of our congregation said that she was at work in this. Baffled woman comes up to her and ask this question, okay? How do you do it? How are you so nice to all of these people?
And the member of our church responded, God. And she witnessed about all this love that she had received from God. All the patience that God had shown her, all the kindness that he poured out on her, even when she didn't deserve it and she just wanted to reflect that in some small way. Like she stood out in the crowd of her co-workers because of the connection she had to God.
I thank my friend Paul. He's normally sitting right here in church, he's probably watching at home right now because Paul said I could share this, he just donated his kidney to his sister. Right. Dangerous surgery, not a guaranteed surgery but he did it. That's like when you have a hope of something greater than you, something bigger than you. You can do insanely beautiful things. I think the woman from our church who, what seven days ago, her doctor told her that she had cancer. And her response to her doctor was actually so Christian and so beautiful that the doctor actually thought that this woman didn't hear her. “You have cancer.”
“Okay.”
No ma'am. You're probably in shock. I said, “You have cancer.”
Well, I heard you. I just heard the voice of my Savior first, he says that if I believe in Him, there's nothing, not cancer, not sickness, or death, that can separate me from His presence or His love. When your ears have first been tuned in to the frequency of the voice of Jesus. You hear the news of the world, so, so differently.
I think of you and last Christmas. When a man who was literally fleeing for his life from the Taliban left Kabul, Afghanistan, and somehow ended up in our church, he and his pregnant wife had nothing until you gave them something. Some of you gave your kids toys. So those little boys would have something to play with in this big, new world. Some of you gave your cribs and your kitchen utensils. Some of you donated food, and carpets and furniture, some of us lugged that couch to that narrow apartment door so that they can have a little bit of a more comfortable life as they start. This brand new chapter in a safer place that these are not some like Chicken Soup for the Soul stories I read on the internet. That was…that's you. Well, you know the love of God, you can show the love of God. When you believe in what Jesus has done for, you don't have to live with guilt and shame. You can leave it at the cross. When you actually think God is right here with me and the Holy Spirit can do anything in my heart. You don't give in and you don't roll over. You as God's people, as Christian people, have such tremendous potential.
But did you notice the word I picked?
Potential.
You probably know this if you played sports or if you love sports that sometimes there is a gap between potential and performance, right? Sometimes you're the higher seed, you're the better team, sometimes on paper, you're more talented, you're bigger, you're stronger, you're faster, you're better. But that doesn't necessarily mean in every moment that you show it, sometimes your head isn't in the game. Sometimes you play down to your opponent's, sometimes it's just not your day. Sometimes there's this gap between potential and what actually happens.
And maybe it's just me thinking about me. And maybe just me thinking about how many people claim to follow Jesus in America, and with the reputation of the people of Jesus in America. But I think that falling short of potential happens way, way too often in my life and in yours, Right? We have the potential to love, to forgive, to not worry, to trust in God, to not fear cancer, to sacrifice, anything to stand out in the crowd. That the potential is there. A man that's often not what I see in me.
Like sometimes even we Christian people, forget our joy so fast, don't we? Like a tiny bit of bad news. Little bit of criticism teenager rolls her eyes, a boss makes a demand and it's like all of this stuff we just sang about.
It's totally out of our minds in a second and we're just so focused on the bad thing. And the complicated thing in the painful thing is the joy of the Lord, which we could live with every single day, It's just gone.
And sometimes he even though we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts even though no sand has to be committed. Sometimes we just act so helpless. Well there, I did it again. I guess I'm just an impatient person. Anxious is what I'm always going to be. Looks like roll over, like we're victims. Instead of people literally who have God living in their hearts,
And sometimes we forget how the story ends. Something complicated happens with work. There's an election. There's some breaking story and we panic as if God, who controls all things, is not going to work out all things. For our good, we lose our optimism, hope and curiosity. And we give into panic and fear and grumbling, and worry, we don't have to. But so often it happens. The church of Jesus Christ is the number one seed in the tournament yet sometimes In the first quarter and into the second we don't .We don't play up to it.
So, you tell me if it's halftime. Or if it's the middle of the game and the coach kind of sees a team with tremendous talent and potential falling short in their performance. What does he do? What does she do?
But there's actually a simple answer.
You call timeout. You get the talented people together, the trigger leaders come out. They get the crowd hyped and jacked and then some leaders on the team. Maybe the captain's they step forward like, all right, this is the moment we're going to turn this around. There's like a cheer that somehow restores and changes things. And so if you're anything like me and you have the potential to be a great Christian, but your performance has fallen short. Here's what we're going to do today, or call timeout. I'm going to be both your coach and Lead cheerleader. Thankfully I'm dressed for the occasion and here, we're not going to be the players. What we're going to be the crowd and what I hope happens before you walk out those doors before this live stream ends, for this program. And I hope what happens to you is that no matter what their performance was over the past few days or seasons of life. You live and you leave with such incredible Joy. That God calls you up to a higher standard to the potential. That is yours in the name of Jesus Christ. Are you leaving today? I'm going to teach you the church cheer. Okay. You might want to start stretching. Now there's a 12% chance. It's going to get Rowdy in here before you get your next cup of coffee. All right so stretch out if you need to have your little bit older like me because today we jump back into the Book of Esther. We are going to learn a cheer that the Church of Jesus needs to hear. As three parts. And before you leave, I hope, you know, them in your hearts and leave them in your life. So you remember the Book of Esther? Some of you have been here the past few weeks. If you're brand new, here's a short summary: about 2,500 years ago, 470, 480 BC there were two, Jewish cousins, a beautiful orphan named Esther, her cousin Mordecai and somehow Esther got chosen to be the new Queen of the Persian Empire with King Xerxes.
Problem is that King Xerxes had a right hand man named Haman, who hated Mordecai, Esther's cousin. And in fact, he hated all of the Jewish people. He hated them so much that he passed a law that I called The Purge. The cast lots. And it turned out that on the 12th month of the Jewish year, all of the people throughout Xerxes’ Empire could purge their Jewish neighbors, murder them, plunder them. Take their stuff. The date was on the calendar but Haman actually hated the Jews so much he didn't want to wait. He wanted to murder this Mordecai as soon as he could.
And last week, we learned what our God can do. You work behind the scenes, he flipped the script, he turned the tables, and instead of Mordecai being skewered on haman's death device, that's where Haman ended up. Just as got the last word, it was good news that we were celebrating last week.
But the date was still on the calendar. The Jewish people throughout Xerxes Empire, knew that on the 12th month on a certain day, their neighbors could turn on them, grab weapons and murder them, steal all of their stuff. The threat of death was hanging over their heads and they were so numerous. There was no way for them to defend themselves.
And that's where we pick up the story today. Esther has gone to her husband King Xerxes, and she is pleading to somehow help her Jewish people. And Xerxes because he's the king, he has a problem. You see, Kings back in those days, did not like to take back laws that they had made because it would imply that they were wrong, which was bad for their image. And so he couldn't take back the law of The Purge. So Esther was pleased with him. Well then you have to do something you have to somehow help my people.
We jump back into Esther chapter 8. Let's see how King Xerxes does it? Starting in Esther chapter 8, verse 8 search. He said this Now, write another decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you and seal it with the King Signet ring for no document written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can be revoked. The king's edict, granted the Jews in every city, the right to assemble and protect themselves to destroy, kill and annihilate. The armed men of any nationality or Province who might attack them and their women and children and to plunder the property of their enemies.
The Courier's riding, the Royal horses went out spurred on by the King's Command. The edict was issued in the Citadel of Susa. When Mordecai left the king's presence, he was wearing, Royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the City of Susa held a joyous celebration, For the Jews. It was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor in every province and in every city to which the Edict of the king came. There was joy and gladness among the Jews with feasting and celebrating
Did you catch what happened? King Xerxes can take back the first law, but he could issue another law and the law was all of you. Jews don't have to sit there and take it, you can assemble, and you can defend yourself and your families. You can't just kill anyone you want, but if any quotes armed men attack you and your family, you can attack them back.
And not only that, but did you catch the Nuance of the text? As the Royal Courier brings this new law throughout the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire, the message that the Jews can defend themselves is coming from The King. And it was written by his right-hand man Mordecai, who just so happened to be, a Jew. And as it says here, Mordecai was now, wearing Royal garments, so blue and white. There was a crown on his head and a purple robe of fine linen on his back that the implication is you. Okay, you can still attack your Jewish neighbor. But if you do not only will they fight back.
But the government is on their side.
Another king is on the side of the Jews in his prime minister is on the side of the Jews. So what are you going to do? But the sake of attacking your Jewish neighbor. Tables have turned. Which explains the joy doesn't it? Even if you don't know much about the Bible you couldn't miss that. I counted ten separate times. It says the city held a joyous celebration. It was a time of happiness, and joy, gladness and honor. There was joy and gladness among the Jews with feasting and celebrating all of that in two and a half verses. When you think you're going to die and the King gives you new life.
There's only one rational response. Joy.
So grab a pen and write this down. It's the first part of our church this year. The Church of Jesus Christ. Begins with this word, Joy.
Because that story should sound familiar to Christians in it. Tell me if this isn't your spiritual story. I thought I was going to die. And then the king gave me life.
Right. I was physically still alive but a day was coming. When I could not defend myself, we call that death and I was outnumbered and there was no way for me to change the situation until the king issued a decree and the tables got turned on my eternity. It sounds familiar to Christmas. It's like those of us who know the state of our own Souls think, I should be good.
I was born in sin. And as soon as I could prove it, I did it. I threw Fitz and I threw Fists. My first word in my mom was mine. It is my brother touched my Xbox controller. I socked him in the face and thought I had the right because he started it. Right. And you as we grow older, patience is not our natural instinct. You first is not how you people instinctively think, it's about us, right? That's the definition of sin turning in on myself. What I think, what. I feel. What I want, what I prefer. And worst of all, that instinct made us forget about it. The almighty God. Sometimes our sins are like murder and armed robbery. Sometimes their forgetfulness, like a God gives me breakfast and then lunch, and then dinner, and I forget him. God gives me Safety and Security. He gives me friends and family, music. He gives me life and I just, it doesn't dawn on me, that I don't deserve. It's that and you lump all of that together and you think, I should be dead.
God should have a date on his calendar, my death date where he purges me from his presence now, and forever.
But, ready for the transition? But, but then my King Jesus issued a decree.
Just when we thought we were spiritually dead and gone, our Jesus gave us life.
As we celebrate that about 500 years after Esther lived, Jesus came. And instead of just shaking a finger of judgment at rebellious humans like us instead he was judged for humans like us, he went to a cross and he bled and he died so that all of that's in all of that selfishness would be wiped away. So the Christian people wouldn't have to worry about the day. We take our last breath, and won't have to fear the accident, the disease, the heart problems, the cancer, the transplant. We would know that when our time comes to stand before God, he has washed us, made us whiter than snow. He's not cast us from his presence. Instead, he has had such compassion and such Mercy because of the work of Jesus Christ that we don't have to fear death. And when you, when you get that, Like I was going to hell.
And then I Got Heaven.
I had no right to be in the presence of God and now I have every right to approach the throne of grace with confidence. When you realize that no matter what happens to you financially or physically or relationally, you have these blessings eternally. There is only one rational emotion and it is joy. Okay. Okay, life is hard but I'm a Child of God. Okay, the boss might be done with me but I have a God who's never going to be done with me. I'm struggling with fertility. I can't have children, but I'm still a child of the most loving being in the universe. Open up my banking app. Those numbers are depressing, but I'm numbered among the saved forgiven people of God and that is the opposite of depressing that lines are freaking me out because everything is uncertain, but I know one thing that's certain that I'm loved by Jesus Christ today, and he will never leave me, and he will never ever forsake me the more. What do you think about it? Think about that? And I'll test you this way. Just imagine for a second, if you didn't know Jesus,
What would you do?
What would you think about you? What would you think about death?
All right, and a thought experiment, nothing about Jesus and you know who you are loved by God, you know what's going to happen at the end of the story, you will die. Take your last breath and then see the most beautiful powerful glorious. Thrilling thing in the whole universe man. Think about what is ours through Jesus Christ and the joy will start to follow up in your heart. I actually saw this a couple years ago with a bunch of Jewish dudes. I was blessed to take a trip to Israel, right? When Covid began. And we were right outside the church that were they found these ancient steps that they think Jesus actually walked on as he was going to his trial. And so, we set up the cameras, who's in this beautiful valley, this beautiful day, and we're just about to hit record. And for me to start preaching and teaching on video But I got interrupted.
Apparently we didn't know this. When we planned the trip that the day of our filming was the day that Jewish people celebrate the story of Esther. That's a Jewish holiday called Purim. And you know what Jews doing for him? They go buck wild. They celebrate that. They think “we should be dead”. Our whole people should have been annihilated, but we are here. We exist, Haman couldn't stop us, Hitler couldn't stop us. Our people are alive and breathing and so I'm trying to film this video. But just in the distance behind the producer with the camera is a bunch of dudes who are day drinking to the extreme and they're chanting and they're cheering, they're celebrating and like we couldn't even use the take they were so happy about the fact.
That they were alive. And that - the day drinking is Christianity. We should be dead. We should have a chance with God. But here we are. We are alive because of Jesus Christ. And there's nothing that can touch it and there's nothing I can change it. Prince, think about that King. Jesus on Easter morning. Issued a decree that will change your story now and forever. I pray that thinking about that brings you great joy and are too, I hope it encourages you to fight.
Historians say that on June 25th 474 BC King Xerxes issued, his decree
But nine months after that, the following March in our calendar, there was still the date when The Purge had the potential to happen. So, the king took the side of the Jewish people. And yeah, it didn't mean that they could take a nap and have a party. There was still a fight that had to be fought. So let's jump over to Esther chapter 9. Let's look what happens.
It says on the 13th day of the 12th month, the Jewish month of Adar the edicts commanded by. The King was to be carried out. And this day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them. I love this line. But now the tables were turned and the Jews, got the upper hand over those who hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities and all the provinces of King, Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.
And all the Nobles of the provinces, satraps, the governors. and the King's administrators, help the Jews because fear of Mordecai, had seized them, Mordecai, was prominent in the palace. His reputation spread throughout the provinces and he became more and more powerful. The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them.
Mordecai had power, he had influence, but you, you still see throughout this massive Empire 127 provinces. There was not just one or two but literally tens of thousands of people who attacked God's chosen people. And that meant the Jews had to stand up. They had to assemble together, they had to come up with a plan and they had to fight back.
Fights. Why don't you write down that word to? There's joy in being a Christian, amen. But the number two, there is also a fight. That's a cheerleader. Say to the team, right? Not just go, when but fight. Like the team you're playing against is going to roll over and just let you have the layup, you're gonna have to, you're gonna have to dig, you're gonna have to grind, you're gonna have to fight if you want to Victory In This Moment. And that's so true for Christian people, too. Now, we're not fighting against our fellow human. The Bible says that our fight is not against flesh and blood Like the juice investors, they were not picking up Swords. Instead we're using our words to fight against the lies and untruth.
Essentially, if you had to describe the Christian fight, I think you could say this way that our fight is to make sure that God remains God
Right, there's a world, there are family and friends that we know and love who wanted to find their own truth like Adam and Eve. They want to decide what's right and what's wrong? They don't want to let God be God. And if we're being honest, there's something inside of our own hearts. That likes that too. What I want to do, what feels good at the moment. And so the fight that you and I get to fight the good fight of the Christian faith is to just let God be God to love him more than we love. Anything to trust him more than we trust anything. That's the fight.
So let me ask you a personal question, right now….What? What's your fight?
What specific spiritual skirmish is coming at you these days?
Now, for some of you it's just that fight against self.
When things don't go your way, but it's not according to your plan. What were your spouse isn't giving you what you want? Get moody, you get sullen. Get angry. You raised your voice, you make her cry. Is that your fight?
Some of you were fighting to not get sucked in by the modern world of politics which says, if they're on the other side of the aisle, you don't have to be patient. To be gentle, you can be a mocker, scoffer, a slanderer and accuser. You can laugh at their defeat, you can like, is that your fight? You love the news and you just got sucked into think. I don't have to turn the other cheek. I don't have to love my enemies. Those people are the problem. These are frightened, not bail on Jesus's definition of relationships and sexuality.
Are we live in a world where there are no boundaries anymore? No rules, just don't hurt anyone. Be true to yourself. That's not what Jesus said. Will you agree with him?
Or will you honor your friend's feelings? Your own feelings above God's feelings?
That we somehow think that two thousand years, literally of Christian teaching on this has been all wrong for two Millennia, but now we finally, finally figured it out here in modern America. Is that, is that your fight to believe that God is right? And to believe that God is good
There are men in this room. Who spend more time holding a video game controller. Then holding their Bibles.
There are women in this room who have scrolled through the profiles of the rich more often than they serve the needs of the poor.
And they're teenagers in this room who honestly, think deep in their hearts. The grown-ups need to just sit down and shut up and listen to their teenage wisdom.
And, It is no joke. It is a fight. I don't know your sin or your Temptation or your struggle, but I do know this, it did not show up to arm wrestle you
Like the enemies. And Esther's day, it came to kill you. It came to purge, the love of God from your heart. Which means it's time to fight.
Listen, you don't have to go back to that. You are not some helpless human if you're a Christian. Literally God the almighty, God is your father and he listens to the prayers of his children. The Holy Spirit who can overcome any Temptation isn't far away. Trying to squeeze you into his busy schedule. He lives 24/7 in your heart. So my question for you is if you know the fights, if you know the sin, what is your plan?
Write it. If I got trounced in a volleyball or basketball game, and I was playing that same team again, I would have a plan. And that girl murdered us last time that do dominated in the post, what are we going to change? So the story's different, that's my question. Seriously to you don't just come back Sunday after Sunday and say, you're sorry, I committed the same sins. Fight.
Find a friend. Come up with a plan. Go to war and put sin to death. You'll have to send.
I love how John Piper thoughts.
Back in 2011, John Piper was a pretty well-known very, very talented Pastor realized that he had a fight that he wasn't fighting. And it was against his own ego.
He realized that in so many areas of his life. He wanted people to listen to him and agree with him and respect him and prioritize him. And so, when people didn't his co-workers, his fellow pastors, his wife his children, he always had the same instinctive reaction, he would turn in. Maybe angry. He is moody, he is quiet. He's fighting a battle against his own selfish heart.
So, guess what he did?
He took eight months off of being a pastor to fight. He literally and honestly, this guy is written like 50 books, grew a mega church through his christ-centered preaching. He took eight months out of the heart of his ministry to fight against his own sinful heart. He fasted, he prayed, he wept, he studied and he came up with a plan to be a different man than he was in the past. Now, you can't go to your boss tomorrow and say, Pastor Mike says, I need eight months off of work. All right, I know, that's not realistic, but I do know this sin is an enemy. That needs to be fought with intentionality.
So, if you got a scribble in your bulletin right now, if you have to write it on a Post-It notes and home, have an intention. Have a plan, the Jews assembled so they could fight back and survive. I hope that you and I can do the same. Joy fight.
And that brings us to the last part of our Church's cheer. Check out the end of Esther chapter 9. It says, meanwhile the remainder of the Jews who are in the king's provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder Susan about greed. This happened on the 13th day of the month of Adar and on the 14th. They rested and made it a day of feasting. Enjoy. Okay was a fight, tens of thousands of people rose up against them, but they assembled, they fought back and by the grace of God, they won. So right on the last word of our cheer for today first Joy, then fight finally win.
Because if you're a follower of Jesus, that's the end of your story, too. You win.
I don't say that because I'm a prophet who knows like what's coming up in your life tomorrow, but I have I have believe it or not, read the last page of this book. And you know what happens? You win.
Have you ever read Revelation before? There's like a dragon and crazy beasts? And the little church looks like it's going to die and then Jesus shows up I like to summarize Revelation with these words. It's bad. It gets worse. But don't worry. Jesus wins. And that's what I want to say to you to church. Life might be bad right now and it might get worse. I don't know, but I do know this that in the end Jesus wins. I know he shows up and it doesn't matter who's the president, who runs the government as a matter, how much money you have in your bank account, how many friendships you have, how many followers on social media. Once Jesus shows up, you win in all of the things. God is working for the good of those who love him. And here's what that means for you.
Give me the next time there's something frustrating or backwards or unplanned happens instead of panicking. Instead of thinking, this is going to ruin everything. Instead, if you're a Christian you can say this, “I wonder how God is going to use this one.”
It seems like everything is tanking right now. World's crazy, my family's crazy. Sometimes there's no justice in the streets. Instead of thinking, that that's going to be the end of the story. You can jump to the last page and say but wait, Jesus wins. So I wonder how he's going to get there. I wonder how he's gonna flip this struggle with anxiety. I wonder how he's going to use the death of my father. I wonder how he's going to use these mistakes that I've made. The sin that was committed against me. I'm trying to keep these kids like clothed and safe. Like, I'm barely getting by. I wonder how God is going to use the madness of my family. I wonder how he's going to use the next election. I don't know how, but I do know that he will. The Christian joy is rooted in this final word that in the end, Jesus shows up and he and his people win. So I like to put those three words together. What is the Christian faith? What is the cheer of the church? It's joy, it's fight and it's win. We are alive because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There's our joy, we fight back with intentionality against saying we want to sit here and take it because we know in the end however these battles go, Jesus is going to come back and we will be more than conquerors through him. Who loved us joy, fight, win Joy, Fight, Win.
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