Place: Lurgan Baptist 4:8:2002

Reading: Esther 4:1-17

THE CHALLENGE OF GOD'S DESTINY

It was an hour of crisis ! A situation had arisen in which the destiny of the United Kingdom was in the balance. The morning of the 10th May dawned in London with the news of a German offensive. Holland and Belgium had been invaded, and France was soon to be trodden under by the rapidly advancing Nazi boot. At six o'clock that morning a message summoned Churchill to the Buckingham Palace. There the King asked him to mobilise the government against Hitler. By the end of the day Churchill had accepted a position he would hold for the duration of the war, one that would secure him a place of honour in history. His journal records his feelings of that fateful night.

" During these crowded days of the political crisis, my pulse had not quickened at any moment. I took it all as it came. But I cannot conceal from the reader of this truthful account that as I went to bed at about 3 am I was conscious of a profound sense of relief. At last I had the authority to give directions over the whole scene. I felt as if I were walking with Destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial."

It was an hour of crisis ! A situation had arisen in which the destiny of the Jewish nation was in the balance. Ahasuerus or Xerxes ( 486 .... 465 BC ) the King of Persia ( 3:1 ) had consented to sign a decree at the request of Haman ( 3:10 ) the implacable enemy of God's people that on a certain day ( 3:13 ) all Jews throughout his vast empire should be slain. It seemed that certain judgement was about to overwhelm God's people, and that the lamp of Israel would be put out for ever. The atmosphere is one of bewilderment. The capital city is thrown into a state of confusion. Can this really be true ? Can there be no appeal ? Can there be anyone who could change the plan ? Amend it ? Delay

it ? Abolish it ? My .... for the Jews the sky was falling and there was no place to hide. But then, God is always standing somewhere in the shadows, ruling and overruling. For though God's name is nowhere seen in this Book of Esther, God's hand is nowhere missing.

In the wondrous providence of God a Hebrew orphan girl, had been brought into a unique relationship with the king. Ahasuerus had chosen Esther as his bride. He had set the royal crown on her head and made her Queen. ( 2:17 ) My .... God had so ordained that she should come to the kingdom for such a time, that out of desperate weakness His people might be made strong. That in an hour of impending judgement, there might arise deliverance to the Jewish people. It is such an hour of crisis today. Satan, " the Haman," of the people of God knows that his time is short. From within and without he is making a last desperate bid to overwhelm the church. Islam, Spiritism, Romanism, are still making rapid advances.

Moreover, " during the last generation alone, 750 millions went into eternity who had never heard one word about Christ and His salvation." ( L. Steiner )

The situation is desperate. Time is running out. World events are moving fast. The nations are lining up for the last great conflagration. Only revival, a last great sweep of the Spirit of God can meet the need. My .... this is indeed the hour of crisis and " who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this ?"

Esther's life made a difference for as we weave our way into the story I notice there was:

(1) A CALL SHE HAD TO ANSWER

In response to Esther's inquiry Mordecai answered the messenger who she sent like this. ( 4:8 ) Here then was a call, a summons she had to answer. It was:

(a) A CALL TO INTERVENE:

" Go in unto the king." ( 4:8 ) You see, she was to use her unique relationship with the king for the deliverance of her people. She was asked to recognise that the sphere of influence into which she had been brought was to be used for the good of others and the glory of God ! " Esther, be active, be decisive, go in unto the king." (a) For far too long now, Christians have been indecisive and inactive in a worsening world situation, and in a deteriorating church situation. Like Esther, many of God's people today are oblivious of the breaches in our defences that leave us wide open to the enemy. Often we look upon the Mordecais of our day who foresee the perils and dangers as pessimists.

( 4:1 ) What we need is to be awakened to the perils of the hour and to the possibilities of revival ! My .... this is a call from God to intervene, to get involved, to do something for God before He calls you home ! (a)

(b) A CALL TO INTERCEDE:

Look at ( 4:8 ) You see, a breach had been made in the defence's of God's people, and the enemy was about to rush in for the kill. But there was one who had the ear of the king, who could therefore stand in the gap, reverse the decree, and turn the tide of calamity that would engulf both her and her people. This then, was a call to intercede, it was call to prayer ! My .... is there not a similar call coming from Heaven today ? " If my people .... pray .... " ( 2 Chron 7:14 ) For poverty stricken as the church is today in many things she is most stricken here in the place of prayer. L. Ravenhill in his book,

" Why Revival Tarries," makes the following pertinent observations. He writes, " We have many organisers but few agonizers, many players and payers few prayers, many singers few clingers, lots of pastors few wrestlers, many fears few tears, much fashion, little passion, many interferers, few intercessors, many writers but few fighters, failing here we fail everywhere." Yet surely the Word of God, the need of the church, the plight of the world, the shortness of the time, would unitedly urge us " to go into the King."

( 4:8 ) The question is, are we ?

Or does God have to say to us today, " I sought for a man among them, that should make up the fence, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." ( Ezek 22:30 ) My .... we have time to run after everything and anything that appeals to the flesh, but when it comes to the place of prayer how weak we really are ! Every Spring and Summer since 1976 Hans Mullikin a 39 year old Baptist lay preacher from Marshall, Texas has been crawling on his knees toward the White House in Washington. On the 22nd November 1978 he ended his two and half year crawl only to be told that President Carter was too busy to see him. To the obvious question, " Why ?"

Mr. Mullikin replied, " I just wanted to show the USA that we need to get on our knee's and repent." My .... if our churches are to be effective for God then we need an army of intercessors who are prepared to get on their knee's and repent and seek God. For today, God is looking for a man, a woman. Will you be that one ? For

" who knoweth whether thou .... as this ?" ( 4:14 ) (1)

(2) A CHALLENGE SHE HAD TO FACE

For Mordecai was in fact urging this young Queen to take her life in her hands by going into the presence of the king uninvited for did you notice ( 4:11 ) This made the Royal Palace little better than a Royal Prison. Again, history tells us that this king was an impulsive ruler renown for his cruelty, ruthlessness and sensuality ! My .... can you see the tremendous challenge that Esther had to face ? You see, here was a challenge to:

(a) SACRIFICE HER LOT:

It was about five years now since she had become Queen. ( 2:7 3:16 ) And she was Queen of one of the greatest empires the world has ever known. Can you not imagine that her every want and wish would be met ? She would be rich beyond her wildest dreams, but now she's being challenged to sacrifice her lot, in order to save her people ! ( 8:6 ) C.T. Studd was an extremely wealthy young man. In the 1880s he inherited £29,000.

A tidy sum in those days ! He started to give it all away to different Christian works around the world. He was left with £3400-00. Just before his wedding he presented his bride with this amount. She, not to be outdone, said, " Charlie, what did the Lord tell the rich young ruler to do ?" " Sell all." " Well, then we shall start clear with the Lord at our wedding." C.T.Studd took that remaining £3400-00 and gave it away to the Salvation Army. When they had given all their money away, C.T.Studd packed up his little wife and they went to Africa as missionaries for the rest of their days to reach the lost for Christ ! My .... what are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of the Saviour ? Have we got to the place where we can say, " Lord, any time, any place, at any cost ?" (a)

(b) SACRIFICE HER LIFE:

For going into the presence of the king uninvited meant death. ( 4:11 ) Do you see what Mordecai was doing ? He was urging Esther to take her life in her hands by going into the king's presence.

He was asking her to cast aside all thought of self-preservation, and to be willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of her people. A desperate situation demanded desperate measures ! My .... is the situation not desperate today ? But where are those who are willing to sacrifice themselves that they may go " up into the gaps .... to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord ?"

( Ezek 13:5 ) Where are those who will put their lives in danger that they may " turn back the battle at the

gate ?" Do you recall what Jim Elliot wrote in his diary in 1949 ? He said this, " He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." He wrote again, " I seek not a long life but a full life, like you Lord Jesus." On Sunday January 8, 1956, the men for whom Jim Elliot prayed for six years killed him and his four companions. There was (1) (2)

(3) A CHOICE SHE HAD TO MAKE

Is Esther making excuses in ( 4:11 ) or is she merely explaining the situation ? Certainly she must have realised that she was the only one who could save the Jews. You see, in the face of the sacrifice she was being called to make, Esther hesitated. She was counting the cost. But Mordecai sets forth the issues at stake with unmistakable frankness. Do you see what he says ?

( 4:13-14 ) The choice was stark and clear.

(a) SELFISHNESS MEANT JUDGEMENT:

Do you follow the lines of Mordecai's reasoning ?

First, if you do nothing, sooner or later they will find out that you are a Jew and you, too will be destroyed. Second, the Jewish race will survive, for God's promise to His people is greater than your willingness to be involved. ( Gen 12:1-3 ) if He has to, God will simply use someone else. Third, this turn of events could explain why you were elevated to such a high position .

My .... Mordecai's power-packed rhetoric is reminiscent of one of the fiery speeches of Winston Churchill. " Let us brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ' This was their finest hour.' You see, Esther has the same opportunity, the British people had during World War 2. If she chooses to stand this could be her finest hour. For while

selfishness meant judgement.

(b) SELFLESSNESS MEANT ENRICHMENT:

For in not sparing herself Esther becomes a means of blessing to others. ( 8:15 Mk 8:35 ) The Choice she had to Make ! I wonder have you ever thought about the choice that's facing the church of Jesus Christ today ? Do you know what it is ? Revival or Judgement ! For at the close of the NT revelation its the Lord of the Lampstands, the Christ of the Candlesticks who confronts us with this choice. There He brings a personal message to seven local churches. Five of them are charged by Him with sins of departure and commanded to repent. The Risen Lord showed these five churches that there could be no reviving without repentance, and if they were unwilling for this, the alternative was judgement. Do you recall what He said to the church that left its first love, Ephesus ?

" Repent .... or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." ( Rev 2:5 ) The Risen Lord says, if we do not repent there will be removal. My .... this is not the Second Coming, but the Lord's coming in judgement to this church. If there is no love, there will be no light, the reason for the church's existence has vanished and Christ will say, " Turn out the lights, the party's over."

Do you recall what the Lord said to the church that was lukewarm, Laodicea ? " Be zealous therefore and repent." Whats the alternative ? " I will spue thee or I am about to spue thee out of my mouth."

( Rev 3:19-20 ) My .... I wonder what it will be for us ?

Revival or Judgement ! Well, what did Esther do ?

(4) A COURAGE SHE HAD TO SHOW

And she did show it for she said, " so will I go in unto the king .... " ( 4:16 ) Think now of:

(a) THE RESOLVE THAT MARKED HER:

Have you noticed how Esther's entire outlook has shifted in the space of this chapter ? From fear to faith.

From reluctance to resolve. From concern for personal safety to the concern for the safety of her people. Oh, she came to this solemn resolve to lay herself on the altar of sacrifice, to stand in the gap in the hour of crisis, to go into the king. She faced the challenge, counted the cost, reversed the decree and turned a day of distress into a day of deliverance ! Do you recall the resolve of Martin Luther ? He took a stand against the most formidable power of his time .... the Roman Catholic Church. In 1517 Luther called for a debate by nailing his Ninety-Five Theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg. This debate along with his lectures and books, put him on a collision with the Roman church.

In April of 1521 the governing council of the Germanic states convened in the city of Worms to confront Luther about his beliefs. When asked if he would repudiate his inflammatory statements about the Pope and the Church, he faced his accusers with stalwart resolve and proclaimed,

" I cannot and I will not recant anything. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me."

Like Luther, like Esther, are you standing up for your faith, even when you have to stand alone ? (a)

(b) THE REALISATION THAT MOVED HER:

The realisation that she had come to the kingdom for such a time as this. In a world of more than five billion people, its easy to feel lost among the statistics. But my .... you are not a number, you are unique. ( Ps 139:13 )

There is no one quite like you in all the world. Even though you may feel insignificant from time to time, your life matters. Are you thinking, " what difference can I make ?" Listen, one ordinary person can make a big difference.

In 1776, One vote gave America the English language, instead of German ....

In 1845, One vote brought Texas into the Union ....

In 1923, One vote gave Adolph Hitler control of the Nazi party ....

My .... the Bible is not a book that simply chronicles sweeping crusades or mass movements. It is the story of individuals .... people like us. Ordinary people who decided to do something, to make a contribution, to stand up and be counted. God, is still looking for a few good men .... women. " For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." ( 2 Chron 16:9 ) The question is, in this hour of crisis, will you heed the call ? Will you face the challenge ? Will you make the choice ? Will you show the courage ? So that a day of distress may be turned into a day of deliverance and a day of upheaval into a day of revival ! Edward Everett Hale wrote these words,

I am only one

But still I am one

I cannot do everything

But still I can do something

And because I cannot do everything

I will not refuse to do the something I can do

My .... in His matchless grace, God has brought us to the kingdom for such a time as this. The Saviour calls us to follow His steps, for when the breaches were wide, and the wrath of God ready to sweep us to hell, the Son of God stood in the gap, and interposed his precious body and blood to save us from a lost eternity. Christ stood in the gap for us. Will you stand you there for others ?

" Shall we .... dare we disappoint Him ?

Brethren, let us rise !

He who died for us is watching

From the skies

Watching till His royal banner

Floateth far and wide

Till He seeth of His travail

Satisfied "