Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around, you might miss it.
To help, we've broken down Pastor Mark's latest sermon, "Jesus Has a Better Kingdom," the second sermon in our Esther series, into a handful of social-media-sized bites. You can watch and share the clips at the bottom of the post and share the full sermon with this shortened link: //jesus.to/QeilWg
Satan always says yes because he doesn’t love you like a father loves his children. God loves us enough to say no. #betterkingdom
God doesn’t give us a standard of beauty. He gives us a spouse, and our spouse is our standard of beauty. #betterkingdom
Submission does not include submitting to things that are degrading and/or humiliating or endangering. #betterkingdom
Ladies, sometimes the godliest thing is to say no. Sometimes, a woman has to prayerfully, carefully just say no. #betterkingdom
Men, if you have to keep pulling out the “Obey me” verses, maybe she just doesn’t respect you because you’re not respectable. #betterkingdom
Satan is not only a deceiver, he also helps us to deceive ourselves. What do you need to repent of? #betterkingdom
When we’re wrong, we should repent. Good leadership is demonstrating repentance. #betterkingdom
When fallen, faulty, flawed sinners sit on a throne, you never get a glorious kingdom. #betterkingdom
Xerxes sat on his throne, feeding sin, and our King Jesus got off his throne to forgive sin. #betterkingdom
Xerxes appealed to our depraved nature, King Jesus comes to give us a new nature. #betterkingdom
King Xerxes’ words are no longer read and obeyed, but King Jesus’ words will forever be read and obeyed. #betterkingdom
Xerxes gave people what they want, King Jesus gives people what they need. #betterkingdom
Xerxes paraded his wife degradingly, King Jesus, at the end of time, parades his wife spotless, pure, gloriously. #betterkingdom
Xerxes no longer sits on a throne but Jesus sits high & exalted, risen from death, ascended into glory, forever on his throne #betterkingdom
Xerxes died and his people died, King Jesus rose and his people will rise to be with him forever. #betterkingdom
Xerxes’ kingdom has come to an end, but King Jesus’ kingdom never comes to an end. #betterkingdom
Satan always says yes because he doesn’t love you like a father loves his children. And the way a father loves his children, he says no. He says no when they’re going to do something that is going to harm them or others. God loves us enough to say no.
Ladies, if your husband is asking you to disobey the Lord, he’s not the highest authority. This is the good news of Christianity. Above the king is the King of kings. Above your husband is the Lord of lords.
The Bible does say respect, obey, honor your husband. Submit to him. The Bible also tells the husbands to love their wives, to honor the Lord, to obey the Scriptures, to be under the authority of the elders in the church, and to be under the authority of the government.
When we’re wrong, we should repent. It doesn’t matter if you’re more powerful, you should repent. It doesn’t matter if you’re the boss, you should repent to the employees. It doesn’t matter if you’re the husband, you should repent to the wife. It doesn’t matter if you’re the parent, you should repent to the kids. It doesn’t matter if you’re the pastor, you should repent to the congregation. If you’re in charge, it doesn’t mean you’re right, and good leadership is demonstrating humility. Good leadership is demonstrating repentance.
Jesus is high and exalted, and he’s ruling, seated on a throne, and he does something that Xerxes never did. He got off his throne, and he came down to this confused, fallen, flawed, failed world, and he came not to take, but to give. He came not to enslave us, but to free us.
Satan will always tell you 'yes'
In Esther 1, we read about a party hosted by King Xerxes that defines "debauchery." Xerxes and his over-consumption are representative of the world: food, drink, sex are things most of us want, but not always what are good in every context. But Satan always gives people what they want; God gives people what they need. God loves us enough to sometimes tell us "no."
Vashti made a noble, courageous, brave, moral decision
After a months-long drunken feast, King Xerxes commands his wife, Queen Vashti, to come parade in front of him and his men. But the queen refused to come. Did she do the right thing? Yes, says Pastor Mark, she did a good thing by standing up and saying "no" to the man no one dared refuse.
Ladies, dump the boyfriend who wants to objectify you
Submission does not include submitting to things that are degrading, humiliating, and/or endangering. Leaders have derivative authority from God, not innate authority, so if a husband is asking his wife to disobey God (by asking her to dress skimpily, i.e. immodestly) then he should not be obeyed. A wife's highest authority is God.
Good leadership is demonstrating repentance
Here's something that Xerxes never does: repent. When we are wrong, we should repent, regardless of our status. Instead of building cases to defend your sinful actions, strive after Jesus, the humble king.
