Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe.
Some of you who sit here tonight feel that God is a bit absent. Perhaps you feel that God is distant, He's remote. In a sense, although you might not say it because it doesn't sound very spiritual, you think God hasn't come through for you. Can I remind you? That God never goes back on his promises.
He's promised I will never leave you nor forsake you. Welcome to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. The Story of Esther is a fascinating real-life drama that took place in ancient Persia. But what can we take away from the life of this young queen and the thrilling events we've seen unfold? Today, on the verdict, we're considering three important lessons that we can apply to our own lives as we approach the end of our study.
Here's Pastor John Monroe and his message titled, absent, but always present. The book of Esther has ten chapters and the last is only three verses. And it is to that chapter we come today. As I've said before, I love the drama. The brilliant reversals, the twists and turns, and sheer excitement of this story.
Esther, this beautiful young woman, is placed in the very center of the Persian Empire in a palace. of the king. And God uses her in a remarkable way to save the Jewish nation. As we come to the end of our series on Esther, I want to think of three lessons. We will begin today And then conclude next time.
God is a God. Who sometimes seems absent, but he's always present, always at work. even in the darkest of times. We come to the conclusion. Of this unusual and I think strangely fascinating little book.
of Esther. If you have your Bible there, turn with me to the last chapter. Esther chapter ten. Two unknown Jews Esther and Mordecai Living in Persia around 480 BC, become second only to King Ahasuerus in power and prestige throughout. the great kingdom of Persia.
Early in the story, Their death seems certain. At the end of the story, They're at the pinnacle. of Persian Life. Esther chapter 10, only three verses in the concluding chapter. Let me read it with you.
King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. And all the acts of his power and might and the full account of the high honour of Mordecai to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank To King Ahasuerus, isn't that remarkable? Second in rank. the most powerful man in the world.
And he was great among the Jews and popular. with the multitude of his brothers. For he sought the welfare of his people, the Jews, and spoke peace. to all His people. In this chapter, chapter 10, King Ahasiaris places a tax on the people, but Mordecai is growing in prominence.
The king imposes a burden on the people, but Mordecai is a blessing to his people as he seeks their welfare and their good, as we just said. Read. As we've seen, as we've studied this book of Esther over the past few weeks, God's name is never mentioned, and this is a bit of a puzzle to us, isn't it? And many questions come up as we read this book. Were Esther and Mordecai always godly?
Were they really walking in the will of God throughout the book? And why did Esther allow herself to become queen to a pagan king? Why do we not read of them praying and studying the law of God? Often in scripture, there is a divine commentary on the actions of the individuals that steers us and guides us in interpreting the book. We don't have that in Esther.
And so we're left. In Esther, with some ambiguities, some questions, some enigmas.
Some of you have asked me these questions, and I can. Uh give an opinion. Uh but Some questions remain unanswered. What we can say, and what I want to emphasize this evening, is that God is clearly at work in Esther. And uh this closing message on Esther, I want to kind of look back and to summarize and to recap three important lessons from the story of Esther, lessons we've seen before, but I want to emphasize them.
To learn them because these are central not only to the story of Esther but central to your life. And mine. And I'm sure God Through his spirit, will help you to. apply these to your life. Can't we say in the book of Esther, but also in our own life, that life isn't always what it seems, that what is apparent is not always obvious.
And here is the first lesson. When God seems absent, He is always present. and always cares for his people. Want you to get that?
Sometimes it seems in our life that God is absent. He's not at work, he's abandoned us, he's forgotten us. But Esther reminds us. that God is always present. And God always.
always cares for his people. And as we read the story of Esther, God seems absent because his name is not even mentioned. He's not mentioned in the book. There's no mention of people reading their Bible, reading the law of God, or even praying. Or offering a sacrifice to God.
God seems absent. And there is no voice directly or indirectly, it appears, to Esser or Mordecai in these strange circumstances that they find themselves. No prophet, no priest arises to declare the will of God over and over again. In the Old Testament, we read that the prophet comes from the very presence of God and says, Thus says the Lord. We don't hear that message.
In Esther. In the sense I like that. Because isn't that sometimes true to your life? Have you ever been in a circumstance where you really wanted to hear from God? You really wanted God's voice to tell you.
Be wonderful if it was the answer was written in the sky. But God seems silent. But although God's name Is not mentioned in the book, his hand is everywhere. Uh we've uh called the series God's Invisible Hand. In the story, God may seem to be absent.
But he's always present. Even when the Jewish people are unfaithful to the covenant, God still cares for them, God still protects them. God's hand may be hidden. But these people are never forgotten.
Some of the Psalms of David and the other psalmist deal with the same problem. Psalm 44: Where are you, God? We've done all of this, and you've seemed to have abandoned us. And I'm sure The Jews, when they heard that edict, From the king, must have thought. that God had forgotten them.
Here they are facing seeming certain death and annihilation. The king giving an edict, which, according to the Medes and the Persians, cannot be repealed. Death seems certain. There seems no way out. But not only.
Does the Jewish nation survive? They're victorious. Over. Persia. And Satan's satanic plot, as he used Haman, this evil man, his plot to annihilate the Jewish nation is directly opposed to the great Abrahamic covenant.
God is always faithful to his promises. God made certain promises to Abraham and to his seed. We call that the Abrahamic promises. covenant and God Never goes back on his word. God will not forget his ancient people.
He always watches over and cares for his chosen people, even in the fiercest and most evil of opposition. And we've seen throughout human history I won't rehearse it, you know it. Time after time, even in recent years, even up to the present day, the hatred of Satan against God's ancient people. of Israel. But the God who cares for his ancient people.
certainly cares for those who are redeemed. By the precious blood of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that good to know?
Some of you as you sit here tonight feel that God is a bit absent. Perhaps you feel that God is distant, he's remote. In a sense, although you might not say it because it doesn't sound very spiritual, you think God hasn't come through for you. You're you're really disappointed. With God.
He doesn't seem Take care. Can I remind you? That God never goes back on his promises. He's promised, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
So we can confidently say, says the Bible, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do for me? We're sometimes saying, God will take care of you. Through every day, but all the way, he will take care of you. The Bible says, cast your cares on the Lord.
because he cares. For you. And sometimes as we serve the Lord, Sometimes as we seek To evangelize and win souls for Christ. And the opposition seems very fierce, and as we sow the seed, we sometimes wonder, where is God in this? And there are discouragements and disappointments, and sometimes people who say they believe then fall away.
And it's very easy to get disappointed and discouraged, isn't it, as we serve the Lord. But here is the promise. From the Lord Himself, behold, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age. Yes, God's hand may be invisible to you tonight. But I want to remind you that you're not forgotten.
He may seem absent, he may seem behind the scenes, but he's always with you, and he always, always cares for you, even. When you're unfaithful. Even when I'm unfaithful, God is a work.
So that's our first lesson, an important lesson. A difficult one. get into, as it were. But it is true that when God seems absent, in your life. He's always present.
He always cares for his people. Here's the second lesson. When life seems chaotic, God is always in control. When life seems chaotic. God is always in control.
God is never in a crisis. God never has emergencies. There is never a situation that arises that God doesn't know about. Isaiah tells us he knows the end from the beginning. He knows the end of the story before it's begun.
He's a God who is eternal, who's over time and space. And certainly life was chaotic and life was very, very confused for the Jews. Chapter three, verse fifteen: when Haman's edict was passed to destroy. To kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children. It says the city of Susa was in confusion.
Can you imagine if a law was passed today? Saying that all followers of Jesus Christ were to be killed. Can you imagine our panic? Can you imagine our Confusion. And so they fasted and wept and wailed and put on sackcloth and ashes.
The whole situation was chaotic. It was confused. An edict was against them. That they were going to be annihilated. Every single one of them was going to be wiped off the face.
of the earth. But isn't it good to know in the midst of chaos and confusion. In our world, God is in control. And God does something remarkable. God raises up a young queen.
Chapter 4, verse 14, for such a time as this. And she's prepared to go before the king. She's prepared to intercede for her people, even although it was contrary to the law. And she says, If I perish, I perish. Here is a step of faith and courage as this young woman with dignity and calm does something remarkable, goes before the king.
to plead the case for her people. Because in the middle of the chaos, God is always. in control. And we're not surprised, are we, that the king hears her request. And while the edict couldn't be repealed against the Jewish nation, in effect it was neutralized by the second edict given at the request of Esther.
And the result was, as we saw last week and the week before, that the Jewish nation could then defend themselves against the Persians who sought to kill them. Life seemed to be chaotic. Life seemed to be hitting a brick wall. But God. was in control.
And so when your life and mine It's chaotic and confused. Remember that God is always in control. I'm sure all of us here tonight could recount an experience Of seeming chaos and confusion in our life. When our world is turned upside down, when When the normal routine of life is upset, When something happens. And we are spun into a confusing, seemingly chaotic situation.
And God may seem to be invisible, but he is always invincible. He's not a God only who rules, he overrules. John Calvin put it well, God's hand is at the helm. Imagine being in a boat in a storm and there's no captain. There's no one at the helm.
Imagine how that would feel if you're in the board and there's no captain. Or in a car out of control without a driver, God, says Calvin, and he's right. His hand. is on the helm. And at the moment you might be in the storm of your life.
and events and circumstances and situations and relationships around you may be in total confusion and chaos, and everything seems black and everything seems hopeless. Remember this, God's hand is at the helm. He's the captain. of our ship. Jesus is the captain of our salvation.
And Paul says God works all things after the counsel of His will. I realize that circumstances against you may seem absolutely impossible. And yet they're an opportunity, aren't they? to trust. God.
Some person may be in your life, like a Haman, who may seem so powerful that there's nothing you can do. That humanly speaking, the odds are against you. Remember this: that God. is in control. Proverbs 21, verse 1: The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord.
He turns it wherever he wishes. Do you believe that? Do you believe that? Your employer? A relationship, a circumstance, an opponent.
Someone who is very mean to you, someone who is very evil against you. That God can turn that person's heart whatever. He wishes. See, God rules and overrules the affairs of men and nations. What's difficult for us?
I think particularly for men, but I think for all of us, but particularly for men. It's tough to acknowledge, isn't it? That you're not in control. They say that men like the remote control in their house more than women. Is that true the men here?
We'd like to hold the Remote control. We prefer to drive rather than be driven. I certainly prefer to drive. We like to be in control, don't we? We like to be in control of our lives.
We like to plan it. Not necessarily in a self-indulgent, selfish way, but we like to think that we can order events and we plan. And we make plans, and that is good. We are to plan, we are to think of the future. And often our intentions are for the best.
But will you acknowledge tonight that you're not in control? You're not in control of your work situation. You're not in control of your relationships. You're not in control of your finances. You're not in control of your family.
Everything. Yes, everything. From the largest to the small, everything is under the sovereign hand of God. Your life. Seems chaotic, your life seems confused.
Remember this: God is always. in control. That's the second lesson. The first lesson: when God seems absent, He's always present, always cares for His people. Second, when life seems chaotic, God is always in control.
Third, When the gallows seemed to face us, God is always working for our good. Is that good to know? That God, all of the time, yes, all of the time. Is always working for our good. Here in the story of Esther, Uh the Jews are facing seemingly certain death.
Haman is at the pinnacle of career. He's the Prime Minister. Remember, he's at the private banquet with King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther. And then the second banquet is. Is planned for the following day, and it he's thinking it doesn't get any better than this.
He goes home and he's bragging to his wife and his family how wonderful it is. Life couldn't be better. There's only one problem in his life, and that's that. Juve. Modecai.
But this wicked man, this agogite, Haman, He's at the crest of the wave. It seems as we look at Persia that the wicked are flourishing. And then Haman. This wicked, evil man who hates the Jews, he's at the very top of his career. And he is so filled with anger against Mordecai.
That following the advice of his wife and his friends, he constructs the gallows of 75 feet. And he plans the next day to get the king's permission to hang that terrible Jew on it. That will be the end of Mordecai. Mordecai is facing the gallows, and the whole Jewish nation will shortly follow. Mordecai to its Dead.
Seems black, doesn't it? Good God's invisible hand is at work. It's a work for Mordecai's good and for the good of the Jewish nation. And the invisible hand of the king of God keeps the king awake. Little bit of insomnia for King Ahasuerus.
God doesn't allow him. Uh to sleep. 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. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry.
Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to The Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website. Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte.
We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well What's your verdict? Are you like me and sometimes wonder why God does not reveal himself and Make it clear what he's doing in our lives. These times when we're in the dark, when God seems silent, are very difficult for us. But the book of Esther is reminding us that God never abandons his people. He's with us even through the valley of the shadow of death.
Therefore, We fear no evil. Make sure you tune in next time as we conclude the study of the book of Esther. Thanks, John. And for today's program, we're including another special Q ⁇ A segment where we get to hear from John on various topics. John, I know you have to be very disciplined in your study of Scripture and its communication from the pulpit at Calvary Church in Charlotte, as well as on the verdict.
In many ways, this seems like a tough time to be a preacher of the gospel. Do you ever get discouraged? Not to any significant extent. In the goodness of God, I don't have a depressive personality, although, often being a preacher of grace, and the shepherd of souls is tough going. It seems to me that Christians to day are becoming less and less discerning and more and more gullible.
They seem to want high, fun, constant excitement. This of course breeds immaturity and shallowness. Paul describes the Corinthians as spiritual babies. they weren't able to handle the solid meat of the word. I'm thankful that at Calvary Church we have a congregation which has a high regard for Scripture.
Like Paul, I seek to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, and my main preaching is to go through a book of the Bible in a consecutive way. At the moment at Calvary on Sunday mornings, I'm preaching through the Gospel of Matthew. My conviction Is that the Holy Scriptures are inspired by God. He knows what we need to hear, rather than me choosing to speak on some trendy pop culture subject or to give my thoughts on political or social issues. I want to preach Christ.
and him crucified. The message of the gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe. It was said of John Wesley that he went to a particular city in England and offered them Christ. That's what I want to do. I want to offer people the Lord Jesus Christ.
So, On the verdict. As we study various scriptures, I hope each day that our listeners are growing in Christ. understanding who he is, How to have a personal relationship with Him, and what it means to follow our Lord Jesus. All of Scripture points to Him. Preaching Christ is the privilege of my life.
And in these difficult days, I would encourage all of us to keep looking up to Christ, keep praying. Keep obeying his word. Because, as we're learning from the book of Esther, God will never forsake us. He's always at work in our lives for His glory and And for our good. John, thank you.
What an encouragement If you have a question or topic that you'd like John to consider for future broadcasts, be sure to email us at the verdict at calvarychurch.com to submit your question. That's all our time for today. I'm Michelle Davies, and you're listening to the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Today's program was produced and distributed by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Uh
