Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. In life's defining moments, Trust God. for the impossible. Trust God. for the impossible.
You say that's pretty obvious, John. Yes, it is obvious. But they're asking. Is that something? We always do.
Do you believe that God can do the impossible? Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Being obedient to God and showing courage in the face of great risk or opposition isn't easy. But it's in these defining moments of life when our faith is tested and our character is revealed. Today, on the verdict, we're learning how to respond with faith and courage in life's defining moments as we continue our study in the book of Esther.
Let's join Pastor John Monroe for today's lesson. Right at the center of the book of Esther is this young Jewish woman who is queen. The king doesn't realize Esther is Jewish. Her relative Mordecai has discovered a plot to annihilate the whole Jewish nation. headed by Haman, the king's top adviser.
What's Esther to do? Mordecai has challenged her. that she has been put in her position for such a time as this. Here is the defining moment of Esther's life. Although God has never mentioned the Debug of Esther, and his hand is invisible, he certainly is in control.
Today we have a very inspiring study. As we think of Esther's response, make sure you listen to the broadcast as I present five important lessons on life's defining moments. I want to suggest to you five lessons. Five important lessons. From This chapter And some of these lessons overlap in other parts.
Of Esther. First of all, In life's defining moments, Take a stand. For God. Are you strong and courageous? Do you take a stand for God and your family?
Do you take a stand for God in your relationships? Do you take a stand? For God at school, at work, in our society. God is calling us to take a stand. We have millions of professing Christians in the United States.
And yet one wouldn't know that when one Look at what is happening in our society. Why?
So many of us appeared to be ashamed of the gospel. But there comes a time, a defining time, for all of us. When you just take a stand. For God. Esther took a stand.
For God. Secondly, In life's defining moments, Pray to God. for guidance. and wisdom. You say that's pretty obvious, John.
Yes, it is obvious. But they ask you? Is that something? We always do. In these situations of life, They get down on their knees and pray to God.
for guidance. And wisdom. Before Esther took the action, which she did, she fasted for three days and nights. She was waiting on God. She was sensitive to God's timing.
And when she acts, she doesn't do in a rush, she acts with a calmness, with a patience, being deliberate. She doesn't appear to be in a hurry. She doesn't panic. Jesus says we're to be as shrewd as serpents and innocent As doves. Esther knew the importance.
of right timing and the right approach. When she heard of the edict to annihilate her people, she didn't just rush before the king in a kind of. Hysterical burst of tears and throw herself down and say, Help me. No, she doesn't do that. She prayed.
She fasted. She looked to God. for wisdom. Why did she arrange a second banquet for the following day? She didn't know how things were going to turn out, but we do.
She doesn't know, but we know from scripture that between banquet one. And two. God arranges for this king Ahasuerus. to have a bit of insomnia. And the king As we'll see next week, during his insomnia, he wasn't counting sheep or camels.
He had the chronicles, the history of his people, read to him. And he then learned As we read in the opening chapters of chapter six, he then learned about Mordecai. In the final moments Wait. On God. And the fining moments Get down on your knees and ask God for guidance.
Ask God for wisdom. Don't panic. God is in control. Pray to God. For the wisdom to do the right thing at the right time with the right attitude.
How often? We hurt ourselves and others by acting in a premature way, by rushing in. You know, the flesh is always in a hurry. Think of Esau and Jacob. Esau is a picture of the flesh.
He's so much in a hurry that if he doesn't get a plate of soup, He's gonna die. He would rather sell his birthright for a plate of soup. He just can't wait. That's a flash, isn't it? Always in a hurry.
I don't know what you're facing. in your life But here is a wonderful Principle of scripture. Pray to God. for guidance. and wisdom.
Lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways, acknowledge him. Proverbs 3 says, And he will direct your path. And Esther. Is directed by the Lord.
You wouldn't advise, and I wouldn't advise her course of action. But she had been in the presence. Yeah. Here is a third one. In life's defining moments, Trust God.
for the impossible. Trust God. for the impossible. Do you believe that God can do the impossible? One of the things I marveled as I was preparing for this morning's message.
Was I suppose I've always I've always believed that um there was a God. I was brought up to believe it. I never really doubted it. I've had spiritual doubts, but I don't think I've ever doubted the existence of God. And when you think of that, think of the power of God.
God is so powerful. that with all of the brilliance of Global science, scientists really still can't tell us. How many stars there are, how many galaxies there are. They're trying to work out the size of the universe, and they're saying the more we look into space with all of the uh Huddle telescope and and so on, the more we marvel What is every there?
Now, people can believe and say, well, it just happened, there was a big bang somehow, and all of this just came into place. But we say no. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the Bible says, And he made the stars also. It's almost as if well, by the way, I I I happen to make these stars.
Psalmist tells us, He speaks and it's done. He commands and it stands fast. God said, Let there be light, and there was light. You think of the phenomenon of light. This is the God Who is with us?
This is the God who is for us. This is the God who is on our side. This is Paul's great argument in Romans 8, and saying, Look, God has done the difficult thing. He's Saved your soul, he's forgiven your sins. If God has done that, Why don't you trust?
The situation to him. that health concern That family problem That wakes you up at 2:30 in the morning. Worrying. That ministry situation. That business concern These things that come into our life, and you wonder and you're afraid what are you going to do?
Remember this. God. can do the impossible. In a split second, God. God's will can be done.
The heart of the king is in the Hands of the Lord. Greater than your boss, greater than the President, greater than Congress. Greater than any other power in the whole universe, God. can do. The impossible.
And he does.
Now Esther didn't know how things would turn out. We do because we've read the story. But she trusted in the providence of God. She trusted in a God who could do the impossible. She knew this.
the the God she worshipped, the God she'd been taught by Taught about by Mordecai and others. The God that she had read about in the ancient Hebrew scriptures. This God was far, far greater than the king. after all, should have known the story of the Exodus. When another superpower, the Pharaoh himself, A great King of Egypt was coming after little Israel as they were about to cross the Red Sea, and God just opened the Red Sea and they go through, and as Pharaoh and his armies come into the Red Sea, they Sea goes over and they're all drowned.
She would have had heard that story. Of course it was. It was celebrated in Passover. Should have heard of the young teenage boy. He wasn't as battle-hardened as y as his brothers going to battle.
And taking five stones And using one, all he needed was one and to put in his sling. And the great Goliath, this huge giant, came tumbling down, and God gave the victory. And David knew it wasn't his sling that killed Ogliath. It was the fact that he had come in the name of the Lord of hosts. Yes, God was greater than King Ahasuerus.
God was greater than Haman the prime minister. God was greater than the irrevocable edict of the Medes and the Persians. It wasn't really for her to figure out how God would work, but to trust God and to move with God and to act with God and God at the right time, in the right way, and in a miraculous way would demonstrate, as He's done over and over again, that He is God and there's none like Him. And that you and I are not God. But we are to trust this God who can do.
The impossible. Do you believe that? Isn't that why we pray? The psalmist says, As for God, His way is perfect. Your way is not perfect, my way is not.
imperfect. You and I are capable of Of making some horrendous mistakes and foolish decisions in life in all kinds of ways.
So what are we to do? What to pray, what to seek. God's wisdom. And but to trust God For The Impossible. No wonder.
Paul says in Romans 8, if God is for us, Who can be against us? I was talking to some British soccer players on Friday. We're talking about British soccer. And they were asking me if I play soccer. When people haven't seen you playing, you can sound pretty good.
And I was telling them how good I was as a boy. I mean And uh I thought it was pretty good. And some of them had played for professional clubs In uh in Scotland and uh in England. These are professional soccer players. And I remembered, and I've told the story before, some of you have heard it.
When I was at school, at elementary school, Uh my life revolved around the soccer ball. And there was another boy That was just a little bit better than I was, I thought. Not much, but a bit better. And his name was Alan Campbell. And when we as boys would come together Before school started in the break, we would just do size.
We would use any ball, a tennis ball, a a football, anything that was there that we could kick. And we would make sides. And it became pretty obvious. That if Alan Campbell was on your side. You almost certainly won.
Later he was going to be a professional footballer. He was going to play for Scotland. We didn't know that at the time. But you know that kind of person. If they're on your team, It makes all of the difference.
Paul is saying God is on our team. Or we're on God's team. And that when God is with us, and God is for us. Everything. It's perfect.
And he is with us. Here's the fourth lesson. In life's defining moments, Humble yourself before God. In the kingdom of God, the way up is the way down. That's what Jesus taught, wasn't it?
1 Peter 5, God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you. 1 Peter 5.
Now think of the quiet humility of Esther. as opposed to the sinful and wicked Pride of Hayman. Hayman is all about Haman, his career. Didn't you, as we read it, didn't you see that? His riches, his family, his future, his plans, his promotion.
Pride is one of the greatest sins. And it's C. S. Lewis says it's the universal sin. Pride comes in so many forms, not one of us here can say that we are not proud.
There's all kinds of pride, false humility, and arrogance, and all kinds of ways it manifests itself. But it's makes us regard The goodness of God. and the grace of God as rightfully belonging to us. Do you think God owns you? Or is you something?
Have you taken for granted the grace of God? Have you taken for granted the goodness of God over the years? That goodness of God, that kindness of God, Paul's going to say in Romans 2, that should lead us to repentance. That should lead to humility. That the more God blesses us, the more humble we are.
But Haman, from a human perspective, is blessed. He gets riches, he gets promotion, he's right next to the king, and instead of producing humility, he becomes proud and arrogant. And pride, our pride, robs God of his. Glory. And he has so much.
And Mordecai has so little and yet he resents. Modecai. Do you find yourself Resentful of others? Their possessions. their achievements their friends, their attitudes.
You find the sense of bitterness in you. Pride. as we learn from Haman, also leads to revenge. Human Erects gallows to hang Mordecai. I mean, he's already got the edict to annihilate everything, every one of the Jews.
That's not enough for him. He wants to make an example of Mordecai. He wants to step on him. He wants to humiliate him as much as he can. All because of his pride.
All because of ego. And the Bible says that God hates Pride yes, hate, sir. Any pride in your life? Do you find yourself resentful? And this Of others?
R revengeful? easily irritated by others. Do you find yourself always talking about yourself? Your achievements. your family, your friends, your life, rather than listening to others.
These are all evidences of pride, aren't they? Are you easily offended, easily upset?
Someone hasn't consulted you, someone hasn't done what you expected, and you get really irritated by that. You find yourself always comparing or contrasting yourself with others. Evidences of pride. Esther is an example. Of a woman who was very blessed.
but seems to have marked have seems to have been characterized By humility. You know. that the way up is the way Done. Jesus himself says in Mark 10, verse 45: For even the Son of Man didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Here's the last one.
In life's defining moments. Obey God. and he'll give you confidence. and courage. In life's defining moments, obey God.
And he will give you confidence and courage. Did you notice at the end of chapter four, Esther is commanding Mordecai. She has resolved to do the right thing, to go before the king and to leave the consequences to God, as we'll see next week. See, when you walk humbly with God. When you obey God, and trust God and resolve In his power.
to do the right thing at the right time. God will give you A holy boldness. A holy calm. A godly confidence, not a self-confidence, but a confidence in God. Those of us who follow Jesus, Isn't it true?
As you look back over your life, The greatest times in your life. Have not been the times when you got some promotion. When you got some huge bonus. Uh when you moved into your new house or got your new car, No, the greatest times in our life for those of us who follow Christ. is to realize that God graciously is using us.
and that we have humbly obeyed Christ. And we've stepped out in faith. When you've taught that Sunday school class, when you've witnessed to your neighbor, when you've taken a stand for God, when God has opened the door and you've gone through that, and you look back and you say, that was the. Greatest time in my life. To be used by God.
And that produced a calmness. A peace. Because you knew that gods was with you. A calm. From knowing that you are walking in a path which pleases God.
Think of the contrast. Think of times in our life when we've stepped aside from God's will. When we've gone our own way, when we've rushed in, that perhaps we had an opportunity and we just rushed in because in our flesh we liked it. And we said yes too quickly, or we said no too quickly, or we acted too hastily. And as we look back, we realize that we'd acted in the flesh.
Rather, than waiting on God. Rather than trusting God. And rather than saying, God, I don't know what to do. Guide me. And give me strength.
Fill me with your spirit. as we go forward. What am I saying? I'm saying in the defining Moments of life. Take a stand for God.
Don't be ashamed. Speak out for God. Pray to God for guidance and wisdom. Trust God to do the impossible. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.
Obey God. Do what is right. Live your life in accordance with this book. Seek first his kingdom. And then be still.
And you will be amazed to see the Lord at work. in incredible ways. As God in His own way and His own timing, whether in an instance or whether over a longer period. He will work out his purposes because it is true. That for those of us who love God, All things work together for good.
And that God is with us. And God is for us. And God graciously will use you to bless others in these defining moments. as we see so wonderfully illustrated. in the life.
of Esther. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well What's your verdict? Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you must make a difficult decision? or live with an uneasy compromise. Do what Astor is doing. Take a stand for God, He will help you.
Trust God for the impossible and leave the consequences to Him. I realize that takes faith. But think of the greatness of the power of God. From the seeming tragedy of the cross, God demonstrates His power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Trust this God.
in life's defining moments. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
