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My great-grandparents told me
stories of a mighty dragon

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that descended
on the Holy Temple.

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The people
had rebelled against God.

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"I will declare my
judgments against them,

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"for all their evil
in forsaking me.

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"They have made offerings
to other gods and worshiped

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the work of their own hands."

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In his anger,
God turned his people over

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to the fearsome enemy,
King Nebuchadnezzar,

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the dragon of
Babylon through whom

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the fury of God burned
against my people.

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"Nebuchadnezzar the king
of Babylon has devoured me,

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"he has crushed me, he has
made me an empty vessel,

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he has swallowed me
up like a dragon."

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The tears of my people
flowed like a river,

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but they could not quench
the fires

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that consumed our land.

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Into the wilderness we were
led, defeated and destroyed.

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The God we'd forsaken,
we thought he'd forsaken us.

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But even in our darkest moment,

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God would not leave
or forsake his people.

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Once more,
he made us a promise.

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"I will not look on you
in anger, for I am merciful,

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"I will not be angry forever.

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"Only acknowledge your guilt,

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"that you rebelled against
the Lord your God...

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"I will take you,

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"one from a city
and two from a family,

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and I will bring
you to Zion."

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For 70 years, the people
of God lived in Babylon.

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Over time, Babylon began to
wither and a great lion rose

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from the east: Cyrus,
the king of Persia.

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His armies consumed the world.

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He set his gaze on the remains
of the great dragon's lair,

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Babylon.

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There, Cyrus led a cunning
attack and the kingdom fell.

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Cyrus was a great and good king

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and did not believe
in keeping men as slaves.

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During the first
year of his reign,

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he issued a decree
that freed the Jews.

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God stirred the hearts of his
most devoted people to journey

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back to Jerusalem
and rebuild his temple.

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"And let each survivor,
in whatever place he sojourns,

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"be assisted by the men of his
place with silver and gold,

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"with goods and with beasts,
besides freewill offerings

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for the house of God that
is in Jerusalem."

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Cyrus went the way of all men.

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"Behold, three more kings
shall arise in Persia,

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"and a fourth shall be far
richer than all of them.

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"And when he has become
strong through his riches,

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he shall stir up all against
the kingdom of Greece."

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Behold Ahasuerus,

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Xerxes the Great.

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Under Xerxes, the empire
prospered and so did the Jews

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who did not return to Jerusalem.

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Among these Jews was a family
of the Tribe of Benjamin.

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They gathered all they could
scrape together and headed out

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from Babylon for the richest
city the world had ever known,

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the Persian capital of Susa.

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During the journey, both
the mother and father died,

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leaving a baby girl to Mordecai.

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Little did my cousin know that
I would grow to be a woman

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the world would never forget.

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[music]

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Salvation requires celebration.

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Salvation requires celebration.

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Now, what we've seen in
the story line of Esther

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is salvation.

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Salvation for a man named
Mordecai who was sentenced

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to die, and he
experienced salvation.

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He was saved spiritually,
he was saved physically.

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In addition, we saw
the salvation of God's people.

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They were under a death sentence
that was reversed

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and their enemy, Haman himself,
died that they might live.

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And what we see today in our
last sermon in the great book

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of Esther is that salvation
requires celebration.

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If you've got your Bibles,

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go with me to
Esther 9:20 through 10:3,

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and the first thing we're
going to look at is that Purim

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is a party.

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I don't know if you have
any Jewish family, friends,

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neighbors, coworkers, but
they will have various feasts,

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festivals, holidays that they
celebrate throughout the course

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of the year,
one of which is Purim.

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If you've ever wondered,
"When did that begin

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and what is that all about?"

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We find it right here
at the end of Esther.

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As God's people
experience salvation,

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they respond with celebration,
and that's the great holiday,

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the Jewish feast
and festival of Purim.

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And let me say this, as
we're gonna read in a moment,

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we're gonna read a huge text of
Scripture, 12 verses altogether,

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and it's a summary statement
for the entire book,

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and it also gives us
the history of this holiday.

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And some of the commentators
will say that the book ends

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in a way that is, quote,
"anti-climactic,"

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and it's not that at all.

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Not only is God's Word perfect
insofar as the content

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is concerned, it's also perfect
in the way it is organized

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and delivered.

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And the big idea is this,
at the end of the book,

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a summary is given of God's
salvation so that there

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might be celebration.

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So it is with you and I.

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We need to make note of
the history of God's people.

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We are part of the great
line of God's people,

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whether it's in Babylon, or it's
in Persia, or it's in Egypt,

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or it's in Nineveh.

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Wherever God should
bring salvation,

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we are a part of
that family history,

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and their salvation
is our salvation,

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and their celebration
is our celebration.

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Similarly, church history is our
story of God's people at work

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and God at work to,
and through, and for,

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and sometimes in
spite of his people.

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And this is so important
because we live in a day

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that is incredibly
individualistic.

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People don't know their
family of origins,

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they don't know their history,
they don't know their community.

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But in the Scriptures, we see
the history of God's people

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of which we are a part.

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We see how God brought salvation
to them and that gives hope to

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us that the God who showed up in
their day and has showed up in

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other days would show up today,
for our children and our

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children's children, that he
will be there for them as well.

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And so as we're reading
this, this is God's way

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of communicating that you and I
have this great opportunity

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to recollect how he has acted
in the past, that being God,

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to celebrate that in the present
as an act of faith

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and hope for the future.

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And let me submit this to you
practically: as we're reading

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this, I want you to think about
the particular ways that God

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has brought salvation
into your life,

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that he has saved you from
some terrible, horrible fate.

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Maybe it was sickness, maybe
it was eternal condemnation

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and death, maybe it was from
sin that plagued you,

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or from ancestry that
has haunted you.

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And I want you to know that
unless you record that,

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unless you capture that,
you won't remember that

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and others won't
remember that either.

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How wonderful would it be if you
had the history of your family,

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the first converts
where salvation began.

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You could learn about how God
worked in your family line

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00:09:01,333 --> 00:09:04,667
and you could share that
with generations to come.

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This is why Christians
practice journaling,

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this is why we have feasts,
and festivals, and holidays,

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to celebrate, to remember,
to make note of.

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It's why people do
this nationally,

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trying to celebrate momentous
occasions for them collectively.

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That's why we have Thanksgiving,
it's why we have Veteran's Day,

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it's why we have
the Fourth of July

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where we're made to belong to
something bigger than ourselves

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and to celebrate any time
redemption,

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salvation comes.

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We do this is
as well as the church,

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where at Christmas we
celebrate the coming of Jesus,

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at Easter we celebrate
the resurrection of Jesus.

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These kinds of celebrations are
momentous occasions for us

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to remember the past as we
lean into the future.

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And that's exactly what is
happening here with this summary

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of salvation and then this
recording of celebration,

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and we're gonna read
it all together.

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If you're brand-new,
this will catch you up on

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the last sermon in Esther.

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If you've been here awhile,
here's a bit of review.

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Chapter 9, verse 20.

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Here we learn that
Purim is a party.

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"And Mordecai," right,
the leader who was saved.

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He was saved.

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He was saved spiritually by God.

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He was saved
physically from death.

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"Recorded these things and sent
letters to all the Jews who were

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in all the provinces
of King Ahasuerus,"

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King Xerxes,

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"both near and far, obliging
them to keep the fourteenth day

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"of the month Adar and also
the fifteenth day of the same,

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year by year."

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So, this is the beginning
of the feast of Purim.

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It's basically around
March, as a general rule.

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"As the days on which the Jews
got relief from their enemies."

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Salvation is going to
result in celebration.

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"And as the month that had been
turned for them from sorrow

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into gladness and from
mourning into a holiday."

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So this is a holiday.

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I need you to know that
holidays are holy days,

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that's what it means.

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And we often times celebrate
apart from God or celebrate

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in defiance of God.

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We eat too much,
we drink too much.

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But we can also celebrate with
God, we can celebrate God.

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You learn a lot about a person
by observing what they celebrate

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and by observing what
they don't celebrate.

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A couple that celebrates their
anniversary in a big way

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is saying something.

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00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:32,042
A person who is celebrating
the day of their salvation

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00:11:32,042 --> 00:11:36,375
in a big way
is saying something.

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Those who get more excited when
their football team wins than

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when the resurrection of Jesus
is proclaimed are, similarly,

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saying something.

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What do you celebrate?

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00:11:48,042 --> 00:11:49,792
What do you get excited about?

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00:11:49,792 --> 00:11:51,458
What do you cook food for?

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00:11:51,458 --> 00:11:53,167
What do you invite people to?

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00:11:53,167 --> 00:11:55,542
What gets you really
excited to celebrate?

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That's a holiday.

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"That they should make them
days of feasting and gladness,

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00:12:01,667 --> 00:12:04,292
"days for sending gifts of food
to one another

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00:12:04,292 --> 00:12:06,000
"and gifts to the poor.

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00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,500
"So the Jews accepted what
they had started to do,

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"and what Mordecai
had written to them.

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"For Haman the Agagite,
the son of Hammedatha,

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"the enemy of all the Jews,
had plotted against the Jews

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to destroy them."

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00:12:16,458 --> 00:12:20,375
So, their enemy is
destroyed and they live.

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00:12:20,375 --> 00:12:22,333
"And had cast Pur
(that is, lots)."

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00:12:22,333 --> 00:12:24,292
I'll explain that in a moment.

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That's why they call
that holiday Purim.

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00:12:27,250 --> 00:12:29,375
"To crush and to destroy them.

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00:12:29,375 --> 00:12:31,167
"But when it came
before the king,

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"he gave orders in writing
that his evil plan that he had

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devised against the Jews
should turn on his own head."

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A great reversal.

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Haman was going
to kill Mordecai,

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and then Mordecai lived and
Haman was hung on his own cross,

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as it were, in his yard.

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00:12:45,667 --> 00:12:47,833
God's people were
going to be destroyed,

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and they were saved and
God's enemies were destroyed.

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00:12:51,583 --> 00:12:53,542
"And that he and his sons

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should be hanged
on the gallows,"

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speaking of Haman.

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"Therefore they called these
days Purim, after the term Pur.

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"Therefore, because of all that
was written in this letter,

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"and of what they had
faced in this matter,

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00:13:04,167 --> 00:13:05,875
"and of what had
happened to them,

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00:13:05,875 --> 00:13:07,875
the Jews firmly obligated
themselves and their offspring."

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00:13:07,875 --> 00:13:10,583
It's about the kids,
it's about the grandkids.

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It's not just enough that
you would know Jesus;

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your kids need to know Jesus,
your grandkids need to know

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00:13:15,792 --> 00:13:19,167
Jesus, your great-grandkids
need to know Jesus.

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It's not just enough for you to
celebrate God's grace in your

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life; you need to capture
that grace in written form,

242
00:13:25,958 --> 00:13:29,458
telling the story so that your
children, your grandchildren,

243
00:13:29,458 --> 00:13:32,458
your great-grandchildren will
know who the God of the Bible

244
00:13:32,458 --> 00:13:35,458
is, and when he showed
up, and what he's done.

245
00:13:35,458 --> 00:13:37,792
That's why I tell my
kids all the time,

246
00:13:37,792 --> 00:13:40,167
"Dad was not a Christian
when he was your age.

247
00:13:40,167 --> 00:13:42,958
"I was living in sin,
I was living apart from God.

248
00:13:42,958 --> 00:13:45,583
"I lived foolishly and
recklessly, and I was in danger,

249
00:13:45,583 --> 00:13:48,583
"and Jesus showed up and saved
me at the age of 19

250
00:13:48,583 --> 00:13:50,667
as a college freshman."

251
00:13:50,667 --> 00:13:53,875
I want them to know
the story of my salvation,

252
00:13:53,875 --> 00:13:57,083
of their mom's salvation,
of their family's salvation

253
00:13:57,083 --> 00:14:00,542
historically, and how God has
worked in our midst now

254
00:14:00,542 --> 00:14:03,000
for some generations.

255
00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,375
It's important.

256
00:14:05,375 --> 00:14:07,750
You're not just an individual.

257
00:14:07,750 --> 00:14:10,167
You're part of a community,
you're part of a family,

258
00:14:10,167 --> 00:14:12,667
you're part of a history,
you're part of a legacy,

259
00:14:12,667 --> 00:14:15,875
and God's grace to you,
and God's grace through you,

260
00:14:15,875 --> 00:14:19,458
and God's grace in spite of you
is part of your testimony

261
00:14:19,458 --> 00:14:22,292
to help others come to
know, love, appreciate,

262
00:14:22,292 --> 00:14:25,167
and trust that that same God
will be there for them

263
00:14:25,167 --> 00:14:27,167
and that same grace
is available to them.

264
00:14:27,167 --> 00:14:28,667
Amen?

265
00:14:28,667 --> 00:14:30,667
This is important stuff.

266
00:14:31,167 --> 00:14:34,667
This is important stuff.

267
00:14:34,667 --> 00:14:37,667
You need to record God's
grace in your life.

268
00:14:37,667 --> 00:14:41,167
Write it down
and celebrate it.

269
00:14:41,167 --> 00:14:44,792
"For your offspring
and all who joined them,

270
00:14:44,792 --> 00:14:47,375
"that without fail they would
keep these two days according to

271
00:14:47,375 --> 00:14:49,875
what was written and at
the time appointed every year."

272
00:14:49,875 --> 00:14:52,000
It's going to be
an annual festival.

273
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,083
"And these days should be
remembered and kept

274
00:14:54,083 --> 00:14:55,875
throughout every generation."

275
00:14:55,875 --> 00:15:00,583
It's now been going, friends,
for over 2,000 years.

276
00:15:00,583 --> 00:15:03,333
"In every clan,
province, and city."

277
00:15:03,333 --> 00:15:07,167
See, there's diversity across
the globe for God's people,

278
00:15:07,167 --> 00:15:10,750
but there is unity
around celebration.

279
00:15:10,750 --> 00:15:14,167
It's why now for thousands
of years across every nation,

280
00:15:14,167 --> 00:15:17,500
culture, language, tribe,
race, group, and culture,

281
00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:20,750
subculture of God's people,
the Christian church,

282
00:15:20,750 --> 00:15:23,792
we celebrate
Communion and baptism.

283
00:15:23,792 --> 00:15:25,750
A lot of things are different,

284
00:15:25,750 --> 00:15:28,583
but a few things
are always the same,

285
00:15:28,583 --> 00:15:33,042
that salvation requires
celebration and that leads

286
00:15:33,042 --> 00:15:39,292
to holy, godly tradition, doing
the same thing that God's people

287
00:15:39,292 --> 00:15:42,667
have always done, because God
is the same yesterday,

288
00:15:42,667 --> 00:15:45,042
today, and forever.

289
00:15:45,042 --> 00:15:47,500
"That these days of Purim should
never fall into disuse

290
00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:50,292
"among the Jews, nor should
the commemoration of these days

291
00:15:50,292 --> 00:15:52,167
"cease among their descendants.

292
00:15:52,167 --> 00:15:54,167
"Then Queen Esther,
the daughter of Abihail,

293
00:15:54,167 --> 00:15:56,333
and Mordecai the Jew,"
her adoptive father,

294
00:15:56,333 --> 00:15:58,375
"gave full written authority,

295
00:15:58,375 --> 00:16:00,292
"confirming this second letter
about Purim.

296
00:16:00,292 --> 00:16:02,167
"Letters were sent
to all the Jews,

297
00:16:02,167 --> 00:16:04,875
to the 127 provinces of
the kingdom of Ahasuerus,"

298
00:16:04,875 --> 00:16:07,792
that's the Persian Empire,
"in words of peace and truth,

299
00:16:07,792 --> 00:16:11,375
"that these days of Purim should
be observed at their appointed

300
00:16:11,375 --> 00:16:14,500
"seasons, as Mordecai the Jew
and Queen Esther obligated them,

301
00:16:14,500 --> 00:16:18,875
"and as they had obligated
themselves and their offspring,

302
00:16:18,875 --> 00:16:21,667
"with regard to their
fasts and their lamenting.

303
00:16:21,667 --> 00:16:25,083
"The command of Queen Esther
confirmed these practices

304
00:16:25,083 --> 00:16:28,292
of Purim, and it was
recorded in writing."

305
00:16:28,292 --> 00:16:30,542
Now, let me explain
some of this to you.

306
00:16:30,542 --> 00:16:33,333
First of all, it's called
Purim, we just learned here why.

307
00:16:33,333 --> 00:16:37,167
Haman was a pagan man,
Haman was a godless man,

308
00:16:37,167 --> 00:16:40,792
Haman was an evil man,
and Haman was a spiritual man.

309
00:16:40,792 --> 00:16:43,583
See, we live in a day when
people would say that

310
00:16:43,583 --> 00:16:45,792
being spiritual is
in and of itself good.

311
00:16:45,792 --> 00:16:47,292
That's not true.

312
00:16:47,292 --> 00:16:49,500
The Bible teaches
there is one God,

313
00:16:49,500 --> 00:16:52,375
and other religions that have
other gods actually have demons

314
00:16:52,375 --> 00:16:55,500
that are pretending
to be gods and goddesses.

315
00:16:55,500 --> 00:16:58,167
And so, if you
will worship them,

316
00:16:58,167 --> 00:17:01,375
they will answer your prayers
and show up in powerful ways,

317
00:17:01,375 --> 00:17:05,458
but supernatural power is not
indicative of the presence of

318
00:17:05,458 --> 00:17:07,542
the God of the Bible.

319
00:17:07,542 --> 00:17:10,000
"There are counterfeit
signs, wonders, and miracles,"

320
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,042
the Bible says,
that "Satan masquerades

321
00:17:12,042 --> 00:17:14,667
as a angel of light,"
the Bible declares.

322
00:17:14,667 --> 00:17:17,667
That Satan is a great deceiver
and his intent is to lead

323
00:17:17,667 --> 00:17:19,167
the whole world astray.

324
00:17:19,167 --> 00:17:21,875
All of that is
biblical language.

325
00:17:21,875 --> 00:17:24,083
If you are here
and you are just spiritual,

326
00:17:24,083 --> 00:17:28,000
you are in grave danger
because in the spirit realm,

327
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,250
there is not only
God, there is Satan;

328
00:17:30,250 --> 00:17:33,792
there is not only angels,
there are demons.

329
00:17:33,792 --> 00:17:36,667
And he, this man Haman,
was a very powerful man.

330
00:17:36,667 --> 00:17:40,000
His prayers were
answered by demon gods.

331
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,583
He became very affluent, very
successful, very preeminent,

332
00:17:43,583 --> 00:17:48,167
and very powerful, and he wanted
to decide whether or not he

333
00:17:48,167 --> 00:17:50,500
should exterminate God's people,

334
00:17:50,500 --> 00:17:53,458
the Old Testament
covenantal Jews.

335
00:17:53,458 --> 00:17:57,167
And what he did is he cast
lots, they called it Pur,

336
00:17:57,167 --> 00:18:00,292
and the casting of
lots was divination.

337
00:18:00,292 --> 00:18:02,792
This is witchcraft,
this is sorcery.

338
00:18:02,792 --> 00:18:05,875
This is like consulting
a medium, or astrology,

339
00:18:05,875 --> 00:18:10,833
or using a Ouija board, or going
to some spiritual leader that is

340
00:18:10,833 --> 00:18:14,542
not Christian, trying to hear
from the spirit realm what it is

341
00:18:14,542 --> 00:18:17,375
you are to do in
the physical world.

342
00:18:17,375 --> 00:18:19,000
And their assumption
and presumption was

343
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,542
if we roll the dice,

344
00:18:20,542 --> 00:18:23,583
then the spirit realm will
decide the answer in the roll

345
00:18:23,583 --> 00:18:26,792
of the die, and then we will
obey according to the decree

346
00:18:26,792 --> 00:18:29,667
given us by the demons.

347
00:18:29,667 --> 00:18:34,083
And the decree was given to
assassinate, to eliminate,

348
00:18:34,083 --> 00:18:37,667
all of God's people.

349
00:18:37,667 --> 00:18:40,333
And now God's people
called the holiday “Purim”

350
00:18:40,333 --> 00:18:42,667
because it is a great reversal.

351
00:18:42,667 --> 00:18:45,292
Proverbs says very clearly
that we roll the dice,

352
00:18:45,292 --> 00:18:50,250
but God determines
exactly how the dice fall,

353
00:18:50,250 --> 00:18:52,667
that over it all is
the God of the Bible.

354
00:18:52,667 --> 00:18:57,292
And the point here is
that God is over Satan,

355
00:18:57,292 --> 00:19:02,083
and that God and angels
are over Satan and demons,

356
00:19:02,083 --> 00:19:05,667
and Satan and demons can empower
even powerful people to do

357
00:19:05,667 --> 00:19:08,500
horrible things, but in
the end it is the sovereignty

358
00:19:08,500 --> 00:19:11,333
and providence of God that rules
over all and can bring

359
00:19:11,333 --> 00:19:14,500
all to pass just as he decrees.

360
00:19:14,500 --> 00:19:20,000
And so they, in a bit of
celebration, call it Purim.

361
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:24,458
Yes, Haman rolled the dice, but
our God, he controls the dice.

362
00:19:24,458 --> 00:19:27,833
Yes, Satan made a decision
to destroy us as a people,

363
00:19:27,833 --> 00:19:30,500
but our God is more
powerful than Satan,

364
00:19:30,500 --> 00:19:33,750
and he has protected us, he has
delivered us, he has saved us,

365
00:19:33,750 --> 00:19:36,500
and that salvation
requires celebration.

366
00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:38,792
So, they title
the holiday “Purim.”

367
00:19:38,792 --> 00:19:41,167
It's usually around March,
and like many holidays,

368
00:19:41,167 --> 00:19:43,875
they eat together.

369
00:19:43,875 --> 00:19:45,500
This is all foretaste,

370
00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:47,542
foreshadowing
of the kingdom of God

371
00:19:47,542 --> 00:19:50,292
where we sit down with
the Lord Jesus Christ.

372
00:19:50,292 --> 00:19:54,167
In addition, they give gifts
to one another as we do in

373
00:19:54,167 --> 00:19:58,083
the holiday season, and they are
generous toward the poor,

374
00:19:58,083 --> 00:20:00,667
particularly those
who are believing poor;

375
00:20:00,667 --> 00:20:04,542
those who are God's people and
struggling; the single mothers;

376
00:20:04,542 --> 00:20:07,583
the widows; the orphans; those
who have been injured at work;

377
00:20:07,583 --> 00:20:10,875
those who are negatively
affected, not by their own sin,

378
00:20:10,875 --> 00:20:13,583
or folly, or bad investment,
or sense of entitlement,

379
00:20:13,583 --> 00:20:16,167
but because of circumstance
that is, perhaps,

380
00:20:16,167 --> 00:20:19,375
beyond their control; people who
have been injured on the job;

381
00:20:19,375 --> 00:20:21,750
people who are
unemployed, underemployed;

382
00:20:21,750 --> 00:20:24,000
the single mom who is working
hard but struggling

383
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:25,458
to make ends meet.

384
00:20:25,458 --> 00:20:26,958
Great generosity.

385
00:20:26,958 --> 00:20:29,167
I want you to see,
particularly in this season,

386
00:20:29,167 --> 00:20:31,667
this is not politically
motivated or required

387
00:20:31,667 --> 00:20:33,292
in the Scriptures.

388
00:20:33,292 --> 00:20:36,875
This is God's people loving,
this is God's people caring,

389
00:20:36,875 --> 00:20:40,083
this is people who love God and
have received the love of God

390
00:20:40,083 --> 00:20:43,875
demonstrating that with
generosity toward others.

391
00:20:43,875 --> 00:20:46,000
Which means don't overlook
the opportunities

392
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:47,375
in your Community Group,

393
00:20:47,375 --> 00:20:50,167
don't overlook the opportunities
in your church service,

394
00:20:50,167 --> 00:20:53,167
don't overlook the opportunities
in your local Mars Hill,

395
00:20:53,167 --> 00:20:56,500
don't overlook the opportunities
across Mars Hill

396
00:20:56,500 --> 00:21:00,083
to do good for the people of
God as a sense of generosity,

397
00:21:00,083 --> 00:21:01,833
and love, and affection.

398
00:21:01,833 --> 00:21:04,083
"Because God so loved
the world, he gave,"

399
00:21:04,083 --> 00:21:07,292
and our God is a giver, so we
give as a demonstration

400
00:21:07,292 --> 00:21:08,750
of his affection.

401
00:21:08,750 --> 00:21:10,167
There's a lot
going on here

402
00:21:10,167 --> 00:21:14,292
and it's all motivated
theologically.

403
00:21:14,292 --> 00:21:18,792
And what this is to be for us is
a sense of ritual, not routine.

404
00:21:18,792 --> 00:21:20,750
Let me explain
the difference between the two.

405
00:21:20,750 --> 00:21:24,292
I grew up, as many of you
know, marginal Jack Catholic.

406
00:21:24,292 --> 00:21:26,375
I did not know Jesus.

407
00:21:26,375 --> 00:21:29,167
It is not the church's
fault, I was not interested.

408
00:21:29,167 --> 00:21:33,667
Some Catholics love Jesus,
I wasn't one of them.

409
00:21:33,667 --> 00:21:36,833
But as a kid, I can
remember going to church.

410
00:21:36,833 --> 00:21:39,000
We called it mass.

411
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:43,167
It was routine, not ritual.

412
00:21:43,167 --> 00:21:46,667
It was something I had to do,
not something I wanted to do.

413
00:21:46,667 --> 00:21:50,083
It's something I tried to
avoid, and if I couldn't,

414
00:21:50,083 --> 00:21:52,958
then I would try to endure.

415
00:21:52,958 --> 00:21:56,000
Communion meant nothing.

416
00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:02,375
A bad cracker,
bad wine,

417
00:22:02,375 --> 00:22:05,083
it meant nothing.

418
00:22:05,083 --> 00:22:09,667
People would sing,
it meant nothing.

419
00:22:09,667 --> 00:22:16,000
And then I met Jesus, and all of
a sudden, routine became ritual.

420
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,000
Oh, Communion's about Jesus,
broken body, shed blood.

421
00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,000
That's meaningful.

422
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,500
Oh, going to church, that's
to be with God's people,

423
00:22:23,500 --> 00:22:25,000
and to hear from God's Word,

424
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,000
and God inhabits
the praises of his people,

425
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,000
and when I'm with
the people of God,

426
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:30,583
I sense the presence of God.

427
00:22:30,583 --> 00:22:34,250
It's meaningful.

428
00:22:34,250 --> 00:22:35,667
Oh, they're singing.

429
00:22:35,667 --> 00:22:39,250
I love Jesus, the Holy Spirit
lives in me, I want to sing too!

430
00:22:39,250 --> 00:22:41,167
It's meaningful.

431
00:22:41,167 --> 00:22:44,792
The Word of God is opened,
now my ear has been opened.

432
00:22:44,792 --> 00:22:49,250
This is not the dronings
of a man who is boring me,

433
00:22:49,250 --> 00:22:53,583
this is a herald of life
from a man who is serving me.

434
00:22:53,583 --> 00:22:56,500
The difference between routine
and ritual is oftentimes

435
00:22:56,500 --> 00:23:01,500
not what happens out there,
but what happens in here.

436
00:23:03,792 --> 00:23:06,375
Ritual is where we
do things repeatedly,

437
00:23:06,375 --> 00:23:09,292
but they have
meaning all the time.

438
00:23:09,292 --> 00:23:16,167
Every time I hug and kiss my
kids, it's ritual, not routine.

439
00:23:16,167 --> 00:23:21,292
Every time I hold my wife's
hand, it's ritual, not routine.

440
00:23:21,292 --> 00:23:24,750
I promise you this, Mars Hill:
every time I get up to teach

441
00:23:24,750 --> 00:23:27,583
the Bible, it's ritual,
not routine.

442
00:23:27,583 --> 00:23:32,458
I'm really glad to be here
and it means something

443
00:23:32,458 --> 00:23:36,583
to gather together.

444
00:23:36,583 --> 00:23:39,542
And what God is instituting
here is a ritual.

445
00:23:39,542 --> 00:23:42,583
I want you to do this,
and do this as a family,

446
00:23:42,583 --> 00:23:46,000
and do it for generations,
and do it together.

447
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,292
But the big idea is that
you've experienced salvation,

448
00:23:49,292 --> 00:23:52,083
so now have celebration.

449
00:23:52,083 --> 00:23:54,042
That's the big idea.

450
00:23:54,042 --> 00:23:59,583
And what's sad is over time,
the ritual has become a routine.

451
00:23:59,583 --> 00:24:02,583
And today, Purim is
still celebrated,

452
00:24:02,583 --> 00:24:05,000
but it's an interesting,
curious holiday.

453
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,792
You can ask your
Jewish friends about it.

454
00:24:07,792 --> 00:24:09,875
It's kind of like Halloween.

455
00:24:09,875 --> 00:24:13,750
They get dressed up, they go to
the synagogue or temple

456
00:24:13,750 --> 00:24:16,292
and the entire story
of Esther is read.

457
00:24:16,292 --> 00:24:18,042
And as Haman's
name is mentioned,

458
00:24:18,042 --> 00:24:20,083
they jeer and make
all kinds of noise,

459
00:24:20,083 --> 00:24:22,167
and it's very interactive,
and pretty loud,

460
00:24:22,167 --> 00:24:25,000
and very different than usually
how the services go at

461
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,042
the Jewish synagogue or temple.

462
00:24:27,042 --> 00:24:29,000
So, it's kind of like Halloween.

463
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,083
It's kind of like Mardi Gras.

464
00:24:31,083 --> 00:24:33,583
Like, people drink too
much, wear too little,

465
00:24:33,583 --> 00:24:36,875
and it's not awesome.

466
00:24:36,875 --> 00:24:39,458
It looks more like the parties
that Ahasuerus threw earlier

467
00:24:39,458 --> 00:24:42,583
in the book, where people
are drinking too much,

468
00:24:42,583 --> 00:24:44,750
and bad decisions
are being made,

469
00:24:44,750 --> 00:24:46,833
and it's getting out of control.

470
00:24:46,833 --> 00:24:49,167
And it's kind of like
the Fourth of July,

471
00:24:49,167 --> 00:24:51,333
where they celebrate their
deliverance and their liberation

472
00:24:51,333 --> 00:24:55,667
politically, and sometimes
what's overlooked is what this

473
00:24:55,667 --> 00:24:58,833
all means spiritually.

474
00:24:58,833 --> 00:25:04,750
Should God's people
celebrate Purim?

475
00:25:04,750 --> 00:25:06,542
It's not a sin to.

476
00:25:06,542 --> 00:25:10,000
If you want to, you're
welcome to, but if you do,

477
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,583
just remember it's
all about Jesus.

478
00:25:13,583 --> 00:25:17,000
And if it's not about Jesus,
then it becomes routine,

479
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,167
not ritual.

480
00:25:19,167 --> 00:25:24,750
You have the outward forms
but not the inward joys.

481
00:25:24,750 --> 00:25:27,458
What's curious as well is
the Bible never gives us

482
00:25:27,458 --> 00:25:30,583
a decree from God
for the feast of Purim.

483
00:25:30,583 --> 00:25:33,292
If you look at the feasts,
and festivals, and holidays,

484
00:25:33,292 --> 00:25:35,750
and holy days of
the Old Testament,

485
00:25:35,750 --> 00:25:37,167
first of all,

486
00:25:37,167 --> 00:25:40,250
they're all fulfilled in Christ,
so as long as we celebrate Jesus

487
00:25:40,250 --> 00:25:42,667
we're meeting the obligations
of all of the holidays,

488
00:25:42,667 --> 00:25:44,500
that salvation
requires celebration

489
00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:49,292
and all small salvations
lead to the big Savior.

490
00:25:49,292 --> 00:25:52,292
But in addition, what I find
interesting is that the other

491
00:25:52,292 --> 00:25:54,750
holidays and holy days
that God's people

492
00:25:54,750 --> 00:25:56,292
in the Old Testament celebrate,

493
00:25:56,292 --> 00:25:57,958
they're all mandated,
generally speaking,

494
00:25:57,958 --> 00:26:00,750
by God in the first five
books of the Old Testament,

495
00:26:00,750 --> 00:26:02,458
called the Pentateuch,
which "penta" is five.

496
00:26:02,458 --> 00:26:05,792
So it's the book in five parts,
it's the five books of Moses.

497
00:26:05,792 --> 00:26:08,875
Well, many, many, many,
many, many years later,

498
00:26:08,875 --> 00:26:11,000
the feast of Purim
is added as well,

499
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,583
but it's not through
a divine decree from the Lord.

500
00:26:13,583 --> 00:26:15,583
What this was, this was
the spontaneous celebration

501
00:26:15,583 --> 00:26:17,500
of God's people.

502
00:26:17,500 --> 00:26:20,167
And at this point in
the history of the Scriptures,

503
00:26:20,167 --> 00:26:23,000
they’d already been celebrating
Purim year after year

504
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,083
for awhile, and this gives
us the history and explains

505
00:26:26,083 --> 00:26:28,542
what Esther and Mordecai
did to encourage this

506
00:26:28,542 --> 00:26:30,167
as a national holiday.

507
00:26:30,167 --> 00:26:32,167
Here's the big idea:

508
00:26:32,167 --> 00:26:35,792
if you love God and you're
excited about something,

509
00:26:35,792 --> 00:26:39,667
you could throw a party
whenever you want, okay?

510
00:26:39,667 --> 00:26:42,000
I don't know if you
knew that, okay?

511
00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,167
You could throw a party
whenever you want.

512
00:26:44,167 --> 00:26:47,167
You could cook food,
you could have music,

513
00:26:47,167 --> 00:26:51,167
you could call people,
you could throw a party.

514
00:26:51,167 --> 00:26:54,583
And what tends to happen is we
throw parties in a way that they

515
00:26:54,583 --> 00:26:57,833
dishonor the Lord, and so much
of the story line of Esther

516
00:26:57,833 --> 00:26:59,875
has been a series of
banquets, and feasts,

517
00:26:59,875 --> 00:27:02,750
and parties that
dishonor the Lord.

518
00:27:02,750 --> 00:27:05,667
Men are drunk, women are abused,
things are out of control,

519
00:27:05,667 --> 00:27:08,250
and evil decisions are made.

520
00:27:08,250 --> 00:27:10,167
Here, it's a great reversal.

521
00:27:10,167 --> 00:27:12,292
It shows us how to
redeem feasting.

522
00:27:12,292 --> 00:27:14,333
It shows us how to
redeem holidays.

523
00:27:14,333 --> 00:27:17,583
It shows us how to redeem food
so that we're not gluttons,

524
00:27:17,583 --> 00:27:20,250
but worshipers; drink, so
that we're not drunkards,

525
00:27:20,250 --> 00:27:25,667
but worshipers; to celebrate,
not in defiance of God,

526
00:27:25,667 --> 00:27:29,292
but in the presence of God; to
live "coram deo" in the face of

527
00:27:29,292 --> 00:27:33,375
God; and to invite God and his
people to meet together

528
00:27:33,375 --> 00:27:38,083
and to celebrate his salvation.

529
00:27:38,083 --> 00:27:40,167
Let me submit this to you,
Mars Hill:

530
00:27:40,167 --> 00:27:44,333
most Christians are better at
mourning than celebrating,

531
00:27:44,333 --> 00:27:46,292
especially in the Reformed
tradition of which

532
00:27:46,292 --> 00:27:47,667
we are a part.

533
00:27:47,667 --> 00:27:49,500
It's find your sin,
find your sin,

534
00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:51,083
find your idols,
find your idols,

535
00:27:51,083 --> 00:27:53,292
you're horrible,
you're wicked, you're a sinner.

536
00:27:53,292 --> 00:27:57,542
All true, but doesn't really
lead to much of a party, amen?

537
00:27:57,542 --> 00:28:00,833
God became a man, lived
without sin, died for your sin,

538
00:28:00,833 --> 00:28:03,583
rose as your Savior, puts
the Holy Spirit in you,

539
00:28:03,583 --> 00:28:05,667
gives you a new nature.

540
00:28:05,667 --> 00:28:08,500
This earth is as close to
hell as you'll ever get.

541
00:28:08,500 --> 00:28:10,333
It only is going to get better.

542
00:28:10,333 --> 00:28:12,167
Jesus has gone before you.

543
00:28:12,167 --> 00:28:14,667
He's the King of kings,
he's the Lord of lords.

544
00:28:14,667 --> 00:28:18,083
He loves you, he knows you,
he seeks you, he serves you,

545
00:28:18,083 --> 00:28:21,667
he's prepared a place for you,
he's going to set a table

546
00:28:21,667 --> 00:28:26,042
for you, he's going to rejoice
over you with singing.

547
00:28:26,042 --> 00:28:29,667
Well, that's
a party right there.

548
00:28:29,667 --> 00:28:32,833
And so what happens is we
tend to focus on our sin,

549
00:28:32,833 --> 00:28:36,583
sometimes more than our Savior.

550
00:28:36,583 --> 00:28:43,500
Sin doesn't lead to celebration,
sin leads to damnation.

551
00:28:43,500 --> 00:28:46,958
Salvation leads to celebration.

552
00:28:46,958 --> 00:28:49,333
So, as Christians,
we acknowledge our sin,

553
00:28:49,333 --> 00:28:52,583
but then we get to our Savior
and then we realize, "Ah!

554
00:28:52,583 --> 00:28:56,167
Now we have something
to celebrate: Jesus."

555
00:28:56,167 --> 00:28:57,833
Jesus.

556
00:28:57,833 --> 00:29:02,083
And that's the big idea I
want to impress upon you.

557
00:29:02,083 --> 00:29:05,667
You could throw a party
whenever you want.

558
00:29:05,667 --> 00:29:09,875
Call people, cook
food, have fun.

559
00:29:09,875 --> 00:29:13,167
Redeem celebration
to the glory of God.

560
00:29:13,167 --> 00:29:16,542
Redeem celebration
to the glory of God.

561
00:29:16,542 --> 00:29:19,833
And this can be informal,
and this can be spontaneous,

562
00:29:19,833 --> 00:29:22,083
and that's what
we see with Purim.

563
00:29:22,083 --> 00:29:24,375
There was no decree,
a prophet did not speak,

564
00:29:24,375 --> 00:29:27,333
the Bible did not declare,
a committee did not vote.

565
00:29:27,333 --> 00:29:30,292
God's people just
decided, "We're alive,

566
00:29:30,292 --> 00:29:32,875
time to celebrate."

567
00:29:32,875 --> 00:29:35,542
I love, as well, that at
our Redemption Nights,

568
00:29:35,542 --> 00:29:38,292
and our Redemption Groups
tend to deal with deep sin

569
00:29:38,292 --> 00:29:41,042
and suffering in people's lives,
that they always end with

570
00:29:41,042 --> 00:29:43,292
a celebration.

571
00:29:43,292 --> 00:29:48,292
All of this is deeply
theological, deeply theological.

572
00:29:48,292 --> 00:29:51,167
And sometimes, miserable
religious people--

573
00:29:51,167 --> 00:29:53,833
and I put those two words
together intentionally.

574
00:29:53,833 --> 00:29:58,500
Miserable religious people
will become sort of critical.

575
00:29:58,500 --> 00:29:59,958
"Why are these people happy?

576
00:29:59,958 --> 00:30:01,458
"Why are they
raising their hands?

577
00:30:01,458 --> 00:30:02,833
"Why are they celebrating?

578
00:30:02,833 --> 00:30:04,250
"Why are they joyful?

579
00:30:04,250 --> 00:30:06,250
Do they not know how
wicked they are?"

580
00:30:06,250 --> 00:30:07,667
That's why they're celebrating.

581
00:30:07,667 --> 00:30:10,583
They know how wicked they are
and how great their God is,

582
00:30:10,583 --> 00:30:12,667
and that they're loved
in spite of themselves,

583
00:30:12,667 --> 00:30:16,958
and it's all of grace which
should lead to celebration

584
00:30:16,958 --> 00:30:20,042
because of
the glory of salvation.

585
00:30:20,042 --> 00:30:22,542
Some of you need
to learn to sing,

586
00:30:22,542 --> 00:30:24,583
some of you need
to learn to shout,

587
00:30:24,583 --> 00:30:26,667
some of you need to
raise your hands,

588
00:30:26,667 --> 00:30:28,500
some of you need
to throw parties,

589
00:30:28,500 --> 00:30:31,833
some of you need to rejoice
with those who are rejoicing.

590
00:30:31,833 --> 00:30:35,167
And as we do, it becomes
easier to remember who God is,

591
00:30:35,167 --> 00:30:39,333
and when God has showed up,
and how God has worked.

592
00:30:39,333 --> 00:30:42,292
It's a lot easier than looking
at your kids and turning

593
00:30:42,292 --> 00:30:45,875
the history of God's grace
into a bunch of horrible facts

594
00:30:45,875 --> 00:30:50,667
to be memorized
but never enjoyed.

595
00:30:50,667 --> 00:30:56,750
It tells us about Purim, and
then it transitions to tell us

596
00:30:56,750 --> 00:30:59,875
that even though things
are wonderful, and amazing,

597
00:30:59,875 --> 00:31:03,375
and have changed,
here's the big idea:

598
00:31:03,375 --> 00:31:06,083
this ain't heaven.

599
00:31:06,083 --> 00:31:08,542
Read with me,
chapter 10, verses 1-3.

600
00:31:08,542 --> 00:31:11,583
“King Ahasuerus,”
who's still the king.

601
00:31:11,583 --> 00:31:14,167
Xerxes, good king, bad king?

602
00:31:14,167 --> 00:31:15,667
Bad king.

603
00:31:15,667 --> 00:31:20,333
Drunk, pervert, bad king.

604
00:31:20,333 --> 00:31:23,375
Bad king, still king.

605
00:31:23,375 --> 00:31:25,667
They're not celebrating, "Yay!
New king!"

606
00:31:25,667 --> 00:31:28,667
Nope, same old king.

607
00:31:28,667 --> 00:31:31,500
"Did he get saved?
Did he fall down on his face?

608
00:31:31,500 --> 00:31:35,000
"What must I do to be saved?
Did he cry out to the Lord?

609
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,583
Did he repent?"

610
00:31:36,583 --> 00:31:40,583
No, still drunken, pervert,

611
00:31:40,583 --> 00:31:44,083
Persian king.

612
00:31:45,167 --> 00:31:47,667
You could be excited,
you could throw a party,

613
00:31:47,667 --> 00:31:51,000
you could worship God even if
you're not super excited about

614
00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,500
the political
leadership over you.

615
00:31:53,500 --> 00:31:59,250
Just so you know, just
something to think about.

616
00:31:59,250 --> 00:32:04,958
"King Ahasuerus imposed a tax."

617
00:32:04,958 --> 00:32:08,667
Okay, they throw a party
during a tax increase.

618
00:32:08,667 --> 00:32:14,292
Okay, this is timely.

619
00:32:14,292 --> 00:32:17,000
This is timely.

620
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:21,292
We don't tend to throw
tax increase parties.

621
00:32:21,292 --> 00:32:24,375
I don't.

622
00:32:24,375 --> 00:32:26,500
Why are they celebrating?

623
00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:30,833
Well, because they have another
King and they're part of

624
00:32:30,833 --> 00:32:34,333
a better kingdom.

625
00:32:34,333 --> 00:32:38,792
Now, the king, he gave Haman
the decree, the legal right,

626
00:32:38,792 --> 00:32:41,792
to kill them all
and plunder their goods,

627
00:32:41,792 --> 00:32:45,792
and they didn't die,
so he taxes them.

628
00:32:45,792 --> 00:32:47,375
Do you get that?

629
00:32:47,375 --> 00:32:49,583
"Oh, you're alive.
Taxes are going up."

630
00:32:49,583 --> 00:32:52,167
Okay, this is just government.

631
00:32:52,167 --> 00:32:54,292
They kill you or tax you.

632
00:32:54,292 --> 00:32:56,500
You've got two options,
that's how it works.

633
00:32:56,500 --> 00:33:00,875
If you don't die, then you're
going to pay in a different way,

634
00:33:00,875 --> 00:33:02,333
and that's how it works.

635
00:33:02,333 --> 00:33:06,833
Now, here's what I find
curious: they're still where?

636
00:33:06,833 --> 00:33:09,542
Persia, not Jerusalem.

637
00:33:09,542 --> 00:33:12,667
They're still under
the king, not a new King;

638
00:33:12,667 --> 00:33:15,042
he's still a pagan,
not converted;

639
00:33:15,042 --> 00:33:19,333
and their taxes have not
gone down, they've gone up.

640
00:33:19,333 --> 00:33:20,958
And what do they do?

641
00:33:20,958 --> 00:33:24,083
Celebrate.

642
00:33:24,083 --> 00:33:28,292
If this is your home, it's
going to be hard to celebrate.

643
00:33:28,292 --> 00:33:34,958
If this is not your home,
you'll be able to celebrate.

644
00:33:34,958 --> 00:33:36,750
It keeps going:

645
00:33:36,750 --> 00:33:39,375
"And all the acts of
his power and might,

646
00:33:39,375 --> 00:33:41,958
"and the full account of
the high honor of Mordecai,

647
00:33:41,958 --> 00:33:45,167
"to which the king advanced him,
are they not written in the Book

648
00:33:45,167 --> 00:33:47,750
of the Chronicles of the kings
of Media and Persia?"

649
00:33:47,750 --> 00:33:51,042
He says, "Well, we
do have Mordecai,

650
00:33:51,042 --> 00:33:53,667
"and he's the second most
powerful man in

651
00:33:53,667 --> 00:33:57,000
"the most powerful nation
on the earth, and he loves us,

652
00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,292
"and he cares for us,
and he serves us.

653
00:33:59,292 --> 00:34:02,667
"So it's not all bad, there's
a bit of hope in the midst

654
00:34:02,667 --> 00:34:05,667
of what, otherwise,
would be hopeless."

655
00:34:05,667 --> 00:34:08,583
It says, "You know, isn't it all
written in this particular book,

656
00:34:08,583 --> 00:34:11,542
the Book of the Chronicles of
the kings of Media and Persia?"

657
00:34:11,542 --> 00:34:14,292
Some of you say, "Man, I
was looking in my Bible,

658
00:34:14,292 --> 00:34:17,500
"I didn't see that Book of
the kings of Media and Persia.

659
00:34:17,500 --> 00:34:19,000
I can't find it in there."

660
00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,375
It's because it's not
a book that's in your Bible.

661
00:34:21,375 --> 00:34:23,583
You say, "Why is it
mentioned in the Bible?"

662
00:34:23,583 --> 00:34:25,583
Here's why: sometimes the Bible
will mention books

663
00:34:25,583 --> 00:34:27,083
that are not in the Bible.

664
00:34:27,083 --> 00:34:28,583
They're not divinely
inspired, perfect, inerrant,

665
00:34:28,583 --> 00:34:30,000
sacred Scripture.

666
00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:32,167
I think in Joshua it
mentions a book called

667
00:34:32,167 --> 00:34:33,583
the book of Jasher.

668
00:34:33,583 --> 00:34:35,333
You're like,
"I don't know a Jasher.

669
00:34:35,333 --> 00:34:38,333
"I don't know, was he in one of
those Steven Spielberg movies,

670
00:34:38,333 --> 00:34:39,750
"'Star Wars'?

671
00:34:39,750 --> 00:34:42,750
I don't know who Jasher is.
I don't know where he's at."

672
00:34:42,750 --> 00:34:44,958
What happens is sometimes
the Bible will reference

673
00:34:44,958 --> 00:34:48,083
a historical book outside of
the canon of Scripture,

674
00:34:48,083 --> 00:34:50,167
and it's not that
that's a perfect book,

675
00:34:50,167 --> 00:34:51,792
divinely inspired,
without error,

676
00:34:51,792 --> 00:34:54,333
from the Lord, but it
does have truth in it--

677
00:34:54,333 --> 00:34:55,833
some truth in it.

678
00:34:55,833 --> 00:34:57,333
And here,
it's the historical record.

679
00:34:57,333 --> 00:35:00,167
And they're saying, "We're not
going to recount all the ways

680
00:35:00,167 --> 00:35:02,333
"that, you know, Mordecai
was used of the Lord

681
00:35:02,333 --> 00:35:03,833
"for the salvation
of his people,

682
00:35:03,833 --> 00:35:06,042
"but, you know, we all
know that, you know,

683
00:35:06,042 --> 00:35:09,042
"in this book over here
that we had to read in school

684
00:35:09,042 --> 00:35:12,042
"and all the kids had to
memorize the dates and the facts

685
00:35:12,042 --> 00:35:13,792
growing up, it tells us
about Mordecai."

686
00:35:13,792 --> 00:35:16,750
Here's the big idea:
all truth is God's truth.

687
00:35:16,750 --> 00:35:20,375
The highest authority
is the Scriptures.

688
00:35:20,375 --> 00:35:22,875
We believe that all Scripture
is God-breathed and profitable,

689
00:35:22,875 --> 00:35:25,167
that there's nothing
above the Word of God,

690
00:35:25,167 --> 00:35:27,958
there's nothing alongside
of the Word of God.

691
00:35:27,958 --> 00:35:29,833
It's our proverbial
Supreme Court.

692
00:35:29,833 --> 00:35:32,750
But what we do believe is
under the highest authority,

693
00:35:32,750 --> 00:35:34,583
there are other authorities.

694
00:35:34,583 --> 00:35:36,667
Through general revelation
and common grace,

695
00:35:36,667 --> 00:35:38,667
sometimes you'll
find truth elsewhere.

696
00:35:38,667 --> 00:35:40,667
This is why we're not
scared of science,

697
00:35:40,667 --> 00:35:43,500
we're not scared of medicine,
we're not scared of business,

698
00:35:43,500 --> 00:35:45,250
we're not scared of history.

699
00:35:45,250 --> 00:35:49,167
We want to be people who find
God's truth anywhere we can find

700
00:35:49,167 --> 00:35:52,792
it, and we know that it's truth
when we test it by

701
00:35:52,792 --> 00:35:55,333
the perfect Word of God.

702
00:35:55,333 --> 00:35:59,042
This is why we don't want
you to be scared of learning.

703
00:35:59,042 --> 00:36:01,667
We also don't want
you to be gullible,

704
00:36:01,667 --> 00:36:03,833
we want you to be discerning.

705
00:36:03,833 --> 00:36:05,375
And what's it's saying here is,

706
00:36:05,375 --> 00:36:07,083
"There's some truth
over in that book."

707
00:36:07,083 --> 00:36:10,167
Now, it's not all true,
it's not a book of the Bible,

708
00:36:10,167 --> 00:36:12,375
but there are some things
there that will help

709
00:36:12,375 --> 00:36:14,375
your understanding.

710
00:36:14,375 --> 00:36:16,167
"For Mordecai the Jew,"
verse 3,

711
00:36:16,167 --> 00:36:18,000
"was second in rank
to King Ahasuerus,

712
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,667
"and he was great among
the Jews and popular with

713
00:36:20,667 --> 00:36:24,083
the multitude of his brothers,
for he sought the welfare of his

714
00:36:24,083 --> 00:36:27,792
people and spoke peace
to all his people."

715
00:36:27,792 --> 00:36:31,667
Bad news: same king, same
kingdom, and taxes are going up.

716
00:36:31,667 --> 00:36:34,500
Good news: God loves us.

717
00:36:34,500 --> 00:36:36,375
He hasn't dealt with
our of our problems,

718
00:36:36,375 --> 00:36:41,000
but he's dealt with
our biggest problem.

719
00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,542
And why did they love Mordecai?

720
00:36:44,542 --> 00:36:48,083
He leads very differently.

721
00:36:48,083 --> 00:36:51,583
Ahasuerus leads
through intimidation,

722
00:36:51,583 --> 00:36:54,833
Mordecai leads
through affection.

723
00:36:54,833 --> 00:36:59,875
Ahasuerus is a very selfish
man and all his decisions are

724
00:36:59,875 --> 00:37:03,333
self-serving and self-seeking.

725
00:37:03,333 --> 00:37:07,083
Mordecai is a very selfless man

726
00:37:07,083 --> 00:37:10,750
and his decisions are for the
well-being of all the people.

727
00:37:10,750 --> 00:37:15,875
Ahasuerus wants to have
the people glorify him,

728
00:37:15,875 --> 00:37:20,875
and Mordecai wants to help
the people to glorify God.

729
00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:27,167
People fear Ahasuerus,
but they love Mordecai.

730
00:37:27,167 --> 00:37:29,292
This is really a great analogy.

731
00:37:29,292 --> 00:37:32,458
There's only, really,
two ways to lead:

732
00:37:32,458 --> 00:37:36,583
from the strong hand
of fear and control,

733
00:37:36,583 --> 00:37:39,500
and the stronger hand of love,
and grace,

734
00:37:39,500 --> 00:37:43,542
and compassion,
and affection.

735
00:37:43,542 --> 00:37:47,833
See, Mordecai is a stronger
man than Ahasuerus.

736
00:37:47,833 --> 00:37:52,542
He has the one thing that
Ahasuerus never receives,

737
00:37:52,542 --> 00:37:57,042
and that's the love of the
people, because he loves them.

738
00:37:57,042 --> 00:37:59,667
At this point, Mordecai has
become kind of like

739
00:37:59,667 --> 00:38:02,500
the George Washington.

740
00:38:02,500 --> 00:38:04,667
He's the founding father.

741
00:38:04,667 --> 00:38:08,875
People love him in a fatherly
way and he cares for them

742
00:38:08,875 --> 00:38:11,292
in a fatherly way.

743
00:38:11,292 --> 00:38:16,500
And it says here it's because
he spoke peace to the people.

744
00:38:16,500 --> 00:38:18,958
That's a very
important word there.

745
00:38:18,958 --> 00:38:20,958
It's actually a Jesus word.

746
00:38:20,958 --> 00:38:23,167
It's "shalom."

747
00:38:23,167 --> 00:38:25,667
Have you ever heard
the word "shalom"?

748
00:38:25,667 --> 00:38:30,458
God made the world in shalom,
and then sin comes to vandalize,

749
00:38:30,458 --> 00:38:33,875
to scandalize shalom.

750
00:38:33,875 --> 00:38:37,583
Shalom is the world without
sin, shalom is the world without

751
00:38:37,583 --> 00:38:43,500
death, shalom is the world
without terror, or fear,

752
00:38:43,500 --> 00:38:48,000
or oppression, or suffering.

753
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,542
When God was done, he said
that everything was very good,

754
00:38:51,542 --> 00:38:53,667
Genesis 1:31.

755
00:38:53,667 --> 00:38:59,083
It was all shalom, it was whole,
it was peaceful, it was perfect,

756
00:38:59,083 --> 00:39:00,750
it was right.

757
00:39:00,750 --> 00:39:04,667
It reflected the character of
God, and then sin comes to mar,

758
00:39:04,667 --> 00:39:09,875
to attack, to vandalize shalom.

759
00:39:09,875 --> 00:39:12,083
The result is we live
in a world, friends,

760
00:39:12,083 --> 00:39:14,083
that's not shalom.

761
00:39:14,083 --> 00:39:20,292
It's shalom as altered,
affected, marred by sin.

762
00:39:20,292 --> 00:39:23,375
And Mordecai comes
speaking shalom,

763
00:39:23,375 --> 00:39:25,333
speaking life where
there is death,

764
00:39:25,333 --> 00:39:27,042
speaking truth
where there is lies,

765
00:39:27,042 --> 00:39:28,875
speaking light where
there is darkness.

766
00:39:28,875 --> 00:39:31,583
The Bible says that the power
of life and death are

767
00:39:31,583 --> 00:39:36,667
in the tongue, and he is
echoing the truth of God,

768
00:39:36,667 --> 00:39:40,958
he is echoing the love of God,
and it says that he speaks

769
00:39:40,958 --> 00:39:42,875
shalom to the people.

770
00:39:42,875 --> 00:39:46,875
He gives them a vision of
what life could be like,

771
00:39:46,875 --> 00:39:50,333
and, by the grace of God,
will be like when

772
00:39:50,333 --> 00:39:53,542
the Prince of Shalom comes.

773
00:39:53,542 --> 00:39:56,083
It says in Isaiah 9,
I believe it's verse 6,

774
00:39:56,083 --> 00:40:00,000
that Jesus Christ is
the Prince of Shalom.

775
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,667
You know why we do
not have shalom?

776
00:40:02,667 --> 00:40:05,000
Because we have not yet been
visited again by

777
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,083
the Prince of Shalom.

778
00:40:08,083 --> 00:40:11,167
It shows us, here, that even
when there is salvation

779
00:40:11,167 --> 00:40:14,583
and celebration, there's
still not shalom.

780
00:40:14,583 --> 00:40:17,667
The political leaders are
not what they ought to be,

781
00:40:17,667 --> 00:40:21,875
and the financial systems are
not what they ought to be,

782
00:40:21,875 --> 00:40:24,500
and everything is not
right in the world,

783
00:40:24,500 --> 00:40:27,292
and we remain restless
and frustrated.

784
00:40:27,292 --> 00:40:31,167
We become cause crusaders, we
become those who put our hopes

785
00:40:31,167 --> 00:40:35,042
in politicians, or business
leaders, or political leaders,

786
00:40:35,042 --> 00:40:38,792
or moral leaders, or spiritual
leaders, and we try our hardest,

787
00:40:38,792 --> 00:40:41,667
we give our most,
and then we lose hope

788
00:40:41,667 --> 00:40:44,583
because shalom never comes.

789
00:40:44,583 --> 00:40:46,583
It doesn't matter how
many wars we fight,

790
00:40:46,583 --> 00:40:51,292
how many dollars we spend, how
many prescriptions we purchase,

791
00:40:51,292 --> 00:40:57,542
shalom never comes because
we need the Prince of Shalom.

792
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,667
And Jesus is
the Prince of Shalom,

793
00:41:01,667 --> 00:41:03,833
and when he comes again,
friends,

794
00:41:03,833 --> 00:41:07,500
he's bringing
shalom with him.

795
00:41:07,500 --> 00:41:10,833
So, when Mordecai speaks
shalom to the people,

796
00:41:10,833 --> 00:41:15,375
they love him because they hear
the faint echo of the coming of

797
00:41:15,375 --> 00:41:19,875
Jesus in his voice.

798
00:41:19,875 --> 00:41:23,875
I have good news:
shalom is coming,

799
00:41:23,875 --> 00:41:30,333
but it won't be here until
the Prince of Shalom brings it.

800
00:41:30,333 --> 00:41:34,167
For all who are leaders,
let me encourage us to,

801
00:41:34,167 --> 00:41:38,792
by the grace of God, seek
to lead as Mordecai leads,

802
00:41:38,792 --> 00:41:42,292
not as Ahasuerus leads;

803
00:41:42,292 --> 00:41:49,167
to lead with shalom as our
vision and our hope.

804
00:41:50,792 --> 00:41:54,042
Some concluding, closing
observations on Esther

805
00:41:54,042 --> 00:41:56,292
as we're nearing
the end of an 11-week study

806
00:41:56,292 --> 00:41:57,875
in a great book.

807
00:41:57,875 --> 00:41:59,792
Number one: kings
rule over nations,

808
00:41:59,792 --> 00:42:01,542
but God rules over them both.

809
00:42:01,542 --> 00:42:03,500
We've seen the Persian Empire
and the king,

810
00:42:03,500 --> 00:42:10,458
and we've seen above them
both is the Lord--is the Lord.

811
00:42:10,458 --> 00:42:13,250
You need to see
this and know this.

812
00:42:13,250 --> 00:42:15,875
When people lose all hope--
"Oh, the nation is ending

813
00:42:15,875 --> 00:42:17,792
and the rulers are godless."

814
00:42:17,792 --> 00:42:19,792
This is not new.

815
00:42:19,792 --> 00:42:25,292
I'm not saying it's right,
but I'm saying it's not new.

816
00:42:25,292 --> 00:42:31,667
From Genesis 3 forward,
the record is usually of sin

817
00:42:31,667 --> 00:42:38,542
not shalom, and God ruling and
reigning to protect his people,

818
00:42:38,542 --> 00:42:43,042
to provide for his people,
to be present with his people.

819
00:42:43,042 --> 00:42:46,875
Number two: important ministry
is often done by those not in

820
00:42:46,875 --> 00:42:49,292
vocational ministry.

821
00:42:49,292 --> 00:42:53,583
Esther was not a prophetess,
Mordecai was not a priest.

822
00:42:53,583 --> 00:42:57,958
They're not in vocational
ministry, they're in politics.

823
00:42:57,958 --> 00:43:00,542
Some of you don't need
to go to Bible college,

824
00:43:00,542 --> 00:43:02,333
you need to go to
business school.

825
00:43:02,333 --> 00:43:04,500
Some of you don't need
to go to seminary,

826
00:43:04,500 --> 00:43:07,083
you need to go to medical
school or law school.

827
00:43:07,083 --> 00:43:10,167
Some of you need to be
teachers, some of you need to be

828
00:43:10,167 --> 00:43:12,667
attorneys, some of you
need to be moms and dads,

829
00:43:12,667 --> 00:43:14,667
some of you need
to be P.E. teachers,

830
00:43:14,667 --> 00:43:16,458
some of you
need to be mechanics,

831
00:43:16,458 --> 00:43:18,167
some of you need to be plumbers.

832
00:43:18,167 --> 00:43:20,875
Whatever it is, if it's under
the Lord, it's all worship,

833
00:43:20,875 --> 00:43:22,292
it's not in vain.

834
00:43:22,292 --> 00:43:25,667
And one of the great myths in
the church is that those who are

835
00:43:25,667 --> 00:43:27,667
in vocational ministry are
used for the Lord

836
00:43:27,667 --> 00:43:29,083
for the most important ministry.

837
00:43:29,083 --> 00:43:30,500
Not always true.

838
00:43:30,500 --> 00:43:33,875
At Mars Hill, only about 1% of
the adults at Mars Hill are on

839
00:43:33,875 --> 00:43:36,583
paid staff in any capacity,
part-time or full-time.

840
00:43:36,583 --> 00:43:38,875
That doesn't mean that
1% has an opportunity

841
00:43:38,875 --> 00:43:41,083
to do something that matters.

842
00:43:41,083 --> 00:43:42,875
It means that all
of God's people,

843
00:43:42,875 --> 00:43:45,542
wherever God should send you,
that's the place where he

844
00:43:45,542 --> 00:43:48,375
has appointed for you
to be to serve him.

845
00:43:48,375 --> 00:43:52,500
We see that with Mordecai,
we see that with Esther.

846
00:43:52,500 --> 00:43:54,167
Everything would have
been destroyed if they

847
00:43:54,167 --> 00:43:58,500
would have quit politics
and went to Bible college.

848
00:43:58,500 --> 00:44:01,958
They stayed in their positions
and they used those to glorify

849
00:44:01,958 --> 00:44:03,667
God and for the good of others.

850
00:44:03,667 --> 00:44:06,583
I want that to be
encouragement for you.

851
00:44:06,583 --> 00:44:09,083
You're not wasting time
if you are pursuing

852
00:44:09,083 --> 00:44:13,000
vocational ministry, you're
already in ministry.

853
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:15,500
All of God's people,
the priests to believers,

854
00:44:15,500 --> 00:44:17,583
are constantly in ministry.

855
00:44:17,583 --> 00:44:19,333
You're missionaries
in the world,

856
00:44:19,333 --> 00:44:22,250
sent there on divine
appointment by the Lord.

857
00:44:22,250 --> 00:44:24,875
And in addition,
some of you, yes,

858
00:44:24,875 --> 00:44:27,792
are going to be called of God
to pursue vocational ministry,

859
00:44:27,792 --> 00:44:30,875
but most of you, quite frankly,
shouldn't because what you're

860
00:44:30,875 --> 00:44:34,375
doing is so important we need
you to do it really well.

861
00:44:34,375 --> 00:44:37,167
Praise God for good politicians,
praise God for good business

862
00:44:37,167 --> 00:44:39,083
leaders, praise God
for good doctors,

863
00:44:39,083 --> 00:44:43,500
praise God for good teachers.

864
00:44:43,500 --> 00:44:50,000
Number three: ladies,
women play important roles

865
00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,875
in God's kingdom.

866
00:44:52,875 --> 00:44:58,083
Esther is magnificently
used of God,

867
00:44:58,083 --> 00:45:01,875
and she didn't come
from a great family.

868
00:45:01,875 --> 00:45:04,083
Her parents are dead,
she's an orphan girl,

869
00:45:04,083 --> 00:45:07,750
she doesn't have a mom,
she probably grew up poor.

870
00:45:07,750 --> 00:45:10,000
She's living away from
the presence of God.

871
00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:14,500
She's raised by a guy
who's not the greatest dad.

872
00:45:14,500 --> 00:45:17,167
He gets a little better
as he gets a little older,

873
00:45:17,167 --> 00:45:20,000
but early on it's
not very impressive.

874
00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:21,875
She hides her faith.

875
00:45:21,875 --> 00:45:25,875
She doesn't start off super well,
but God uses her, and she grows,

876
00:45:25,875 --> 00:45:28,083
and she matures.

877
00:45:28,083 --> 00:45:32,583
She becomes one of the most
famous women in the whole Bible.

878
00:45:32,583 --> 00:45:36,792
And as an observation, let me
point this out:

879
00:45:36,792 --> 00:45:41,167
her primary contribution
is not as a mother.

880
00:45:41,167 --> 00:45:44,333
See, oftentimes in the Bible,
when a woman is mightily used of

881
00:45:44,333 --> 00:45:46,875
God, it's in the role of mother.

882
00:45:46,875 --> 00:45:51,000
So, Sarah becomes a mom,
and Ruth becomes a mom, right?

883
00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:54,333
All leading to the coming of
Jesus through this family line.

884
00:45:54,333 --> 00:45:59,292
Elizabeth becomes a mom,
Mary becomes a mom,

885
00:45:59,292 --> 00:46:03,875
Esther, not a mom.

886
00:46:03,875 --> 00:46:06,083
No indication at all
in the Scriptures

887
00:46:06,083 --> 00:46:07,792
that she was a mother.

888
00:46:07,792 --> 00:46:10,292
Now, we know that
motherhood is a calling,

889
00:46:10,292 --> 00:46:13,875
that motherhood is an honor,
that motherhood is a ministry.

890
00:46:13,875 --> 00:46:19,875
We believe that, but here, God
uses a woman who's not a mother.

891
00:46:19,875 --> 00:46:22,292
She doesn't even have
a great marriage.

892
00:46:22,292 --> 00:46:26,250
Her husband's an unbeliever,
she's a believer.

893
00:46:26,250 --> 00:46:28,167
Her husband's got
a couple hundred maybe other

894
00:46:28,167 --> 00:46:30,375
wives and concubines.

895
00:46:30,375 --> 00:46:33,000
We've already learned in the
book that sometimes he doesn't

896
00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:36,167
even speak to her for
a month at a time.

897
00:46:36,167 --> 00:46:38,333
Is it possible
to be a single woman,

898
00:46:38,333 --> 00:46:40,583
is it possible
to be a divorced woman,

899
00:46:40,583 --> 00:46:44,333
is it possible to be a woman
who comes from difficult

900
00:46:44,333 --> 00:46:50,500
circumstances, is it possible to
be an infertile woman who grows

901
00:46:50,500 --> 00:46:52,875
in relationship with the Lord
and is used in

902
00:46:52,875 --> 00:46:54,292
a significant way?

903
00:46:54,292 --> 00:46:56,083
Absolutely.

904
00:46:56,083 --> 00:46:59,000
That's the encouraging
story of Esther.

905
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:03,042
That's the massively
encouraging story of Esther.

906
00:47:03,042 --> 00:47:06,167
So, for those of you
women who are single,

907
00:47:06,167 --> 00:47:11,167
take this opportunity
to do good.

908
00:47:11,167 --> 00:47:14,792
Maybe you'll be married,
maybe you won't.

909
00:47:14,792 --> 00:47:17,500
For those of you women who are
struggling with infertility,

910
00:47:17,500 --> 00:47:19,542
use this as
an opportunity to do good.

911
00:47:19,542 --> 00:47:22,375
Maybe you'll become a mother,
maybe you won't.

912
00:47:22,375 --> 00:47:25,042
For those of you who are
infertile and you're hoping

913
00:47:25,042 --> 00:47:27,667
to adopt, use this as
an opportunity to do good.

914
00:47:27,667 --> 00:47:29,583
Maybe you'll adopt,
maybe you won't.

915
00:47:29,583 --> 00:47:31,083
Esther's marriage
is never great.

916
00:47:31,083 --> 00:47:33,083
We don't see her
with a converted,

917
00:47:33,083 --> 00:47:37,583
happy husband holding a baby,
but we see her walking with God

918
00:47:37,583 --> 00:47:39,083
and doing much good.

919
00:47:39,083 --> 00:47:40,667
Amen?

920
00:47:40,667 --> 00:47:42,667
It's a great
encouragement for us all,

921
00:47:42,667 --> 00:47:45,167
but particularly for
you sisters in Christ.

922
00:47:45,167 --> 00:47:48,292
Number four: God is relentlessly
committed to caring

923
00:47:48,292 --> 00:47:49,875
for his people.

924
00:47:49,875 --> 00:47:52,167
He keeps loving, he keeps
pursuing, he keeps saving,

925
00:47:52,167 --> 00:47:55,292
he keeps investing.

926
00:47:55,292 --> 00:48:00,167
And number five: in the end,
God wins and his people rejoice.

927
00:48:00,167 --> 00:48:02,667
If you forget everything,
remember that.

928
00:48:02,667 --> 00:48:05,292
In the middle of the book,
it looks dark.

929
00:48:05,292 --> 00:48:08,000
Horrible king, horrible
Haman, death sentence.

930
00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:11,083
In the end, it's a party.

931
00:48:11,083 --> 00:48:13,083
And let me say this:

932
00:48:13,083 --> 00:48:16,000
for us, the end is at
the end of this life.

933
00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:19,458
At the end of this life,
at the end of human history,

934
00:48:19,458 --> 00:48:22,083
God wins and we’ll rejoice.

935
00:48:22,083 --> 00:48:24,292
Until then, we're in
the middle of the story.

936
00:48:24,292 --> 00:48:26,292
It's dark, it's
a death sentence,

937
00:48:26,292 --> 00:48:29,083
the bad guys are winning,
God's people are losing,

938
00:48:29,083 --> 00:48:33,542
death is reigning, people are
drunk, people are perverted,

939
00:48:33,542 --> 00:48:36,042
men are out of control,
women are being abused,

940
00:48:36,042 --> 00:48:39,000
money's being misspent,
it's marching off to war.

941
00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:42,083
All of that is under the
backdrop and the rubric of this

942
00:48:42,083 --> 00:48:45,500
great story of Esther, and you
get to the end, you're like,

943
00:48:45,500 --> 00:48:47,375
"Oh, that's awesome.

944
00:48:47,375 --> 00:48:50,167
"We now need a party
it's so fantastic."

945
00:48:50,167 --> 00:48:53,667
So it will be for
all of God's people.

946
00:48:53,667 --> 00:48:56,042
Right now, friends, we're
in the middle of the movie.

947
00:48:56,042 --> 00:48:59,083
Don't throw your popcorn
on the floor, and scream,

948
00:48:59,083 --> 00:49:01,000
and walk out of the theater.

949
00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:02,792
"I hate--this is a dumb movie."

950
00:49:02,792 --> 00:49:04,667
Wait until the end,
it gets better.

951
00:49:04,667 --> 00:49:09,792
Stay in your seat, wait until
the end, it gets better.

952
00:49:09,792 --> 00:49:13,083
God's going to work it
all out, and in the end,

953
00:49:13,083 --> 00:49:16,000
we'll rise from death,
sin will be no more,

954
00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:18,583
the Prince of Shalom,
the Lord Jesus Christ,

955
00:49:18,583 --> 00:49:20,667
will come again,

956
00:49:20,667 --> 00:49:24,500
and our enemies will be
destroyed as Haman was,

957
00:49:24,500 --> 00:49:28,500
and we will live together
as the people of God with

958
00:49:28,500 --> 00:49:31,667
something that is far more
magnificent than Purim,

959
00:49:31,667 --> 00:49:35,167
and that's joining the angels
and all of God's people from all

960
00:49:35,167 --> 00:49:37,583
the nations of the earth,
singing the praises of

961
00:49:37,583 --> 00:49:39,500
the Prince of Shalom.

962
00:49:39,500 --> 00:49:42,292
In the end, God wins.

963
00:49:42,292 --> 00:49:46,375
In the middle, it's
terrifying, it's difficult,

964
00:49:46,375 --> 00:49:48,500
it's complicated.

965
00:49:48,500 --> 00:49:52,375
But in the end, God wins
and his people rejoice.

966
00:49:52,375 --> 00:49:56,667
That gives us hope
to keep going.

967
00:49:56,667 --> 00:50:01,042
Let me close with this: here's
a question I've gotten a lot

968
00:50:01,042 --> 00:50:03,750
in this series, and I wanted
to end with this.

969
00:50:03,750 --> 00:50:06,667
Why should the Old Testament
be connected to Jesus?

970
00:50:06,667 --> 00:50:09,500
I've been your teaching
pastor for 16 years.

971
00:50:09,500 --> 00:50:11,792
Today, we finish Esther.

972
00:50:11,792 --> 00:50:14,458
This will be the 24th book
of the Bible

973
00:50:14,458 --> 00:50:18,958
I've taught in complete,
verse-by-verse fashion.

974
00:50:18,958 --> 00:50:22,583
And sometimes, when we come to
the Old Testament books

975
00:50:22,583 --> 00:50:24,958
and I start talking about
Jesus, they're like,

976
00:50:24,958 --> 00:50:26,583
"I read the whole book.

977
00:50:26,583 --> 00:50:28,875
"He's not mentioned in, you
know, Esther, or Genesis,

978
00:50:28,875 --> 00:50:31,542
"or Exodus, or Ecclesiastes.

979
00:50:31,542 --> 00:50:34,167
Why do we talk about Jesus
in the Old Testament?"

980
00:50:34,167 --> 00:50:37,667
Let me explain why, and let me
say that when you come to

981
00:50:37,667 --> 00:50:41,500
the Scriptures, you will
emphasize whatever you think

982
00:50:41,500 --> 00:50:44,875
is most important.

983
00:50:44,875 --> 00:50:47,292
So, let's say you're something
called a dispensationalist.

984
00:50:47,292 --> 00:50:49,292
It's a certain team of theology.

985
00:50:49,292 --> 00:50:52,292
You're going to go to the book
and you're going to say,

986
00:50:52,292 --> 00:50:53,667
"Ah, I see Jewish people.

987
00:50:53,667 --> 00:50:56,458
"This is about Israel, this is
about the nation of Israel.

988
00:50:56,458 --> 00:50:58,667
"This is about their right
to become a nation

989
00:50:58,667 --> 00:51:00,458
"and to be protected
from their enemies.

990
00:51:00,458 --> 00:51:03,500
"And today, Israel has a right
to nation status since they’ve had

991
00:51:03,500 --> 00:51:06,167
"it in like 1948, and they're
still being attacked by

992
00:51:06,167 --> 00:51:07,833
"the descendants
of the Persian Empire.

993
00:51:07,833 --> 00:51:09,875
"And this is all
political and prophetic,

994
00:51:09,875 --> 00:51:12,667
"and let's connect it to
the newspaper and the last days,

995
00:51:12,667 --> 00:51:15,375
"and here's a chart, and we
need to defend the national

996
00:51:15,375 --> 00:51:17,667
"sovereign rights of the nation
of Israel

997
00:51:17,667 --> 00:51:20,167
to fulfill the prophetic
promises to the Messiah."

998
00:51:20,167 --> 00:51:22,500
I say, eh, okay.

999
00:51:22,500 --> 00:51:27,500
Your second option, we'll
come back to that maybe.

1000
00:51:27,500 --> 00:51:30,750
See, if you think it's all
about the nation of Israel,

1001
00:51:30,750 --> 00:51:33,583
then that's where
you're going to go.

1002
00:51:33,583 --> 00:51:35,333
Now, let's say you're
not a dispensationalist,

1003
00:51:35,333 --> 00:51:36,833
you're a feminist.

1004
00:51:36,833 --> 00:51:39,042
You're going to come to the book
and say,

1005
00:51:39,042 --> 00:51:40,958
"There's a woman,
that's what it's about.

1006
00:51:40,958 --> 00:51:44,083
"It's about a woman rising up
to be a ruler and a leader,

1007
00:51:44,083 --> 00:51:46,292
"to be powerful and used of God.

1008
00:51:46,292 --> 00:51:48,292
"This is about women's
liberation and deliverance.

1009
00:51:48,292 --> 00:51:50,792
Yay, Esther!"

1010
00:51:50,792 --> 00:51:54,167
I say, well, you know what,
there are some Jewish guys in

1011
00:51:54,167 --> 00:51:57,958
the book, and there is a woman,
but is that the big idea?

1012
00:51:57,958 --> 00:52:00,083
Is that the main theme?

1013
00:52:00,083 --> 00:52:02,000
Is that what it's all about?

1014
00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:04,250
Is that the center
of the universe around which

1015
00:52:04,250 --> 00:52:06,333
everything orbits?

1016
00:52:06,333 --> 00:52:09,083
Now, if you're a liberal
and you're into liberalism,

1017
00:52:09,083 --> 00:52:11,583
you're going to come to
the book and you say,

1018
00:52:11,583 --> 00:52:13,167
"Oh, minority persecuted
by the majority,

1019
00:52:13,167 --> 00:52:14,875
"women persecuted by men.

1020
00:52:14,875 --> 00:52:17,042
"This is like socialism.

1021
00:52:17,042 --> 00:52:19,042
"This is where there
becomes parity in equality,

1022
00:52:19,042 --> 00:52:22,333
and this is a story of justice."

1023
00:52:22,333 --> 00:52:24,667
I say, yeah, that's
sort of in there,

1024
00:52:24,667 --> 00:52:27,792
but I don't know if that's
the center and the heart in

1025
00:52:27,792 --> 00:52:30,458
the entirety of the story.

1026
00:52:30,458 --> 00:52:33,375
So, what is the center
and the heart in the entirety

1027
00:52:33,375 --> 00:52:36,167
of the story?

1028
00:52:36,167 --> 00:52:38,333
Some will just come
to the book with good,

1029
00:52:38,333 --> 00:52:40,667
old-fashioned moralism.

1030
00:52:40,667 --> 00:52:43,667
"There's good guys, bad guys.
What do the bad guys do?

1031
00:52:43,667 --> 00:52:45,542
"Don't do that!

1032
00:52:45,542 --> 00:52:50,500
What do the good guys do?
Do that!"

1033
00:52:50,500 --> 00:52:53,000
Moralism.

1034
00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:56,375
Be an Esther, don't be a Haman.

1035
00:52:56,375 --> 00:52:58,042
I say, you know what?

1036
00:52:58,042 --> 00:53:01,292
Let me just say this: the nation
of Israel and the Jewish people,

1037
00:53:01,292 --> 00:53:03,167
they're in the book.

1038
00:53:03,167 --> 00:53:06,458
A godly woman who rises up in
power and is mightily used of

1039
00:53:06,458 --> 00:53:08,542
God, she's in the book.

1040
00:53:08,542 --> 00:53:11,667
Some people do some good things,
some people do some bad things,

1041
00:53:11,667 --> 00:53:14,375
that's also, truth be
told, sitting right there,

1042
00:53:14,375 --> 00:53:18,375
it's all present in the book.

1043
00:53:18,375 --> 00:53:21,375
And the minority does
overcome the majority,

1044
00:53:21,375 --> 00:53:24,250
and those who were oppressed
do become liberated.

1045
00:53:24,250 --> 00:53:27,292
There is some
justice in the book.

1046
00:53:27,292 --> 00:53:32,542
But all of that
orbits around Jesus.

1047
00:53:32,542 --> 00:53:36,083
All the stories of the Bible,
all of the deliverances in

1048
00:53:36,083 --> 00:53:40,292
the Bible, all of the promises
and foreshadowings and types,

1049
00:53:40,292 --> 00:53:44,375
what they are, they're all
streams and tributaries that are

1050
00:53:44,375 --> 00:53:48,167
coming together into a mighty
river of redemption for

1051
00:53:48,167 --> 00:53:52,083
the story line of the Bible
that leads us to Jesus.

1052
00:53:52,083 --> 00:53:55,500
Some of you say, "Well,
where did you get this?"

1053
00:53:55,500 --> 00:53:58,042
Jesus.

1054
00:53:58,042 --> 00:54:03,000
Here's what I'm going to
suggest: the best Bible teacher

1055
00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:06,667
who's ever lived is Jesus.

1056
00:54:06,667 --> 00:54:08,042
Okay?

1057
00:54:08,042 --> 00:54:09,458
If you're a non-Christian,

1058
00:54:09,458 --> 00:54:11,375
you probably still agree
with me, right?

1059
00:54:11,375 --> 00:54:14,000
You're like, "Finally
a point I concur with."

1060
00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:16,667
Yeah, the best Bible teacher
who's ever lived is Jesus.

1061
00:54:16,667 --> 00:54:20,458
He was called a rabbi,
which means "teacher."

1062
00:54:20,458 --> 00:54:23,667
So, our goal at Mars Hill is not
to impose a theological system

1063
00:54:23,667 --> 00:54:26,500
on the Scriptures, but
to learn from Jesus,

1064
00:54:26,500 --> 00:54:28,458
and, by the power
of the Holy Spirit,

1065
00:54:28,458 --> 00:54:30,167
to see the Scriptures
in the way

1066
00:54:30,167 --> 00:54:31,875
that Jesus wants us
to see them,

1067
00:54:31,875 --> 00:54:33,958
and whatever theological
conclusions we have,

1068
00:54:33,958 --> 00:54:36,292
they come from the Scripture,
they're not imposed on

1069
00:54:36,292 --> 00:54:38,667
the Scripture.

1070
00:54:38,667 --> 00:54:41,375
Here's what Jesus
said, Matthew 5:17-18,

1071
00:54:41,375 --> 00:54:44,083
early in his ministry: "Do not
think that I," that's Jesus,

1072
00:54:44,083 --> 00:54:46,500
"have come to abolish
the Law or the Prophets,"

1073
00:54:46,500 --> 00:54:48,167
that's the Old Testament.

1074
00:54:48,167 --> 00:54:51,292
"I have come--"
He says right there,

1075
00:54:51,292 --> 00:54:54,250
"I have not come to abolish
them but to," what?

1076
00:54:54,250 --> 00:54:55,750
"Fulfill them."

1077
00:54:55,750 --> 00:54:57,875
So, the whole Old Testament's
about Jesus

1078
00:54:57,875 --> 00:55:00,042
and he's come to fulfill them.

1079
00:55:00,042 --> 00:55:02,292
Oh, why do we not
offer sacrifices?

1080
00:55:02,292 --> 00:55:04,042
Jesus is our sacrifice.

1081
00:55:04,042 --> 00:55:06,042
Why do we not go to the temple?

1082
00:55:06,042 --> 00:55:08,792
Because Jesus is the presence
of God, we go to Jesus.

1083
00:55:08,792 --> 00:55:10,500
Why do we not have a priest?

1084
00:55:10,500 --> 00:55:13,167
Oh, Jesus is our
great high priest.

1085
00:55:13,167 --> 00:55:15,792
Everything's fulfilled in Jesus.

1086
00:55:15,792 --> 00:55:19,500
Jesus came and he said, "I'm not
trying to get rid of the Bible,

1087
00:55:19,500 --> 00:55:20,875
"I'm trying to fulfill it.

1088
00:55:20,875 --> 00:55:23,083
In fact, I'm going to
fulfill all of it."

1089
00:55:23,083 --> 00:55:26,083
"For truly, I say to you, until
heaven and earth pass away,

1090
00:55:26,083 --> 00:55:28,792
"not an iota, not a dot,
will pass from the Law

1091
00:55:28,792 --> 00:55:30,167
until all is accomplished."

1092
00:55:30,167 --> 00:55:32,667
We talk about dotting
the i's and crossing the t's.

1093
00:55:32,667 --> 00:55:34,875
Jesus says, "The whole
Old Testament needs to be

1094
00:55:34,875 --> 00:55:41,000
fulfilled, and I'm here to do
just that, all of it."

1095
00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:45,000
Number two: Jesus has an
argument with religious leaders.

1096
00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:48,167
These are scholars educated
beyond their intelligence.

1097
00:55:48,167 --> 00:55:53,167
In John 5:39-40,
"You search the Scriptures."

1098
00:55:53,167 --> 00:55:56,667
Let me ask you this: is that
a good thing or a bad thing?

1099
00:55:56,667 --> 00:55:58,667
What he's saying is,
"You love to study.

1100
00:55:58,667 --> 00:56:00,500
"You have books, you
have commentaries,

1101
00:56:00,500 --> 00:56:02,292
"you do cross-referencing.

1102
00:56:02,292 --> 00:56:04,667
You're very devoted to
studying the Bible."

1103
00:56:04,667 --> 00:56:06,583
Good or bad?

1104
00:56:06,583 --> 00:56:10,667
Good.

1105
00:56:10,667 --> 00:56:15,458
But if you interpret
it wrongly, bad.

1106
00:56:15,458 --> 00:56:18,667
"You search the Scriptures,"
the Old Testament,

1107
00:56:18,667 --> 00:56:21,083
"because you think that in
them you have eternal life;

1108
00:56:21,083 --> 00:56:25,792
and it is they that bear
witness about me," Jesus says,

1109
00:56:25,792 --> 00:56:29,500
"yet you refuse to come to
me that you may have life."

1110
00:56:29,500 --> 00:56:31,875
Here's what they do:
they come to Jesus,

1111
00:56:31,875 --> 00:56:36,792
the religious scholars, and
they say, "You're not biblical."

1112
00:56:36,792 --> 00:56:39,167
It's just funny, right?

1113
00:56:39,167 --> 00:56:42,375
But if Jesus showed up at Bible
college or seminary, you know,

1114
00:56:42,375 --> 00:56:46,667
it would still happen.

1115
00:56:46,667 --> 00:56:49,500
"You're not biblical."

1116
00:56:49,500 --> 00:56:54,583
"Actually, I'm aware of
the Book to which you refer.

1117
00:56:57,875 --> 00:57:00,333
"And you're
studying it a lot,

1118
00:57:00,333 --> 00:57:03,458
but here's the problem: you
don't know what it's about."

1119
00:57:03,458 --> 00:57:05,167
"Oh really, what's it about?"

1120
00:57:05,167 --> 00:57:07,000
"Me."

1121
00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:10,333
Now, let me say, this is either
the most truthful or the most

1122
00:57:10,333 --> 00:57:12,792
arrogant statement that he could
possibly make at that moment,

1123
00:57:12,792 --> 00:57:14,292
right?

1124
00:57:14,292 --> 00:57:16,292
If I came to you and I said,

1125
00:57:16,292 --> 00:57:18,000
"You know what the Bible's
all about?"

1126
00:57:18,000 --> 00:57:19,667
You said, "What?"
I said, "Me."

1127
00:57:19,667 --> 00:57:25,875
You'd say, "That's--you're
a cult leader."

1128
00:57:25,875 --> 00:57:29,167
Here's the big idea:
the Bible's not about you,

1129
00:57:29,167 --> 00:57:31,750
the Bible's not about me,
the Bible's not about us.

1130
00:57:31,750 --> 00:57:34,333
The Bible's about Jesus.

1131
00:57:34,333 --> 00:57:36,792
Now, the Bible's for you,
and the Bible's for me,

1132
00:57:36,792 --> 00:57:40,250
and the Bible's for us, but
the Bible's about Jesus.

1133
00:57:40,250 --> 00:57:42,042
You get the difference?

1134
00:57:42,042 --> 00:57:45,667
That's what Jesus said.

1135
00:57:45,667 --> 00:57:49,958
You can know a lot of Scripture,
but if you don't know Jesus,

1136
00:57:49,958 --> 00:57:55,000
you don't understand
any of Scripture.

1137
00:57:55,000 --> 00:57:58,375
"You refuse to come to me
that you may have life."

1138
00:57:58,375 --> 00:58:00,875
Have you come to Jesus?

1139
00:58:01,875 --> 00:58:03,792
Have you come to Jesus?

1140
00:58:03,792 --> 00:58:06,000
Some of you say, "But I'm
philosophical, I'm moral,

1141
00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:09,667
I'm theological, I'm studious."

1142
00:58:09,667 --> 00:58:12,583
Have you come to Jesus?

1143
00:58:12,583 --> 00:58:14,667
See, more than a high IQ,

1144
00:58:14,667 --> 00:58:17,583
it takes humility
to be a Christian,

1145
00:58:17,583 --> 00:58:22,542
because you need to receive
the truth that you are a sinner,

1146
00:58:22,542 --> 00:58:26,167
that Jesus is a Savior,
and that you need to come to him

1147
00:58:26,167 --> 00:58:32,167
to have life, spiritual life,
a new birth in your soul,

1148
00:58:32,167 --> 00:58:37,375
eternal life,
resurrection from death.

1149
00:58:37,375 --> 00:58:40,792
Scholarship never saved anyone.

1150
00:58:40,792 --> 00:58:43,875
Good scholarship helps you get
to know the Savior

1151
00:58:43,875 --> 00:58:47,875
who saved you.

1152
00:58:47,875 --> 00:58:52,167
After he dies, after he rises,

1153
00:58:52,167 --> 00:58:54,667
Jesus hosts two Bible studies.

1154
00:58:54,667 --> 00:58:56,667
Amazing.

1155
00:58:56,667 --> 00:58:59,333
There are a lot of places in
the Bible I wish

1156
00:58:59,333 --> 00:59:01,292
I could have beamed in,
you know?

1157
00:59:01,292 --> 00:59:03,667
A little “Star Trek” moment.
Just get me there.

1158
00:59:03,667 --> 00:59:06,000
I'll be back in a--I
just want to go.

1159
00:59:06,000 --> 00:59:09,458
Two of the places near
the top of my list

1160
00:59:09,458 --> 00:59:11,667
are in Luke 24.

1161
00:59:11,667 --> 00:59:15,375
After the resurrection
from death, Luke 24:27,

1162
00:59:15,375 --> 00:59:17,333
"And beginning with Moses
and all the Prophets,"

1163
00:59:17,333 --> 00:59:19,500
that's the Old Testament, "he,"
Jesus,

1164
00:59:19,500 --> 00:59:21,000
"interpreted to them in all--"

1165
00:59:21,000 --> 00:59:23,875
What Scriptures?
All.

1166
00:59:23,875 --> 00:59:27,667
He went to Esther.

1167
00:59:27,667 --> 00:59:31,375
Yeah, he went to the other
books, but he went to Esther.

1168
00:59:31,375 --> 00:59:33,458
Yeah, if I could
have been there,

1169
00:59:33,458 --> 00:59:38,875
this would have been such
a better series, right?

1170
00:59:38,875 --> 00:59:41,500
"He interpreted to them in
all the Scriptures the things

1171
00:59:41,500 --> 00:59:45,167
concerning himself."

1172
00:59:45,167 --> 00:59:48,833
"Okay, go to Genesis, me,
me, me, me, me, me, me, me.

1173
00:59:48,833 --> 00:59:50,667
"Exodus, more me.

1174
00:59:50,667 --> 00:59:52,667
"Leviticus, me, me,
me, me, me, me, me.

1175
00:59:52,667 --> 00:59:55,375
Deuteronomy, me, me,
me, me, me, me, me, me."

1176
00:59:55,375 --> 00:59:57,792
Oh, by the time
he got to Esther,

1177
00:59:57,792 --> 01:00:02,000
that would have been awesome.

1178
01:00:02,000 --> 01:00:05,083
When it says in 1 Corinthians
that when we see Jesus

1179
01:00:05,083 --> 01:00:07,250
face-to-face we'll know
as we're fully known,

1180
01:00:07,250 --> 01:00:09,875
and it says in Isaiah that
in the kingdom of God,

1181
01:00:09,875 --> 01:00:12,792
we won't need a teacher because
the Lord will be our teacher,

1182
01:00:12,792 --> 01:00:15,500
I wonder if we'll get to
go to this Bible study.

1183
01:00:15,500 --> 01:00:18,792
That would be awesome.
Please!

1184
01:00:18,792 --> 01:00:22,750
I will take notes.

1185
01:00:22,750 --> 01:00:26,375
But Jesus said that
the whole Bible was about him.

1186
01:00:26,375 --> 01:00:29,875
Last Bible study that Jesus
taught that we have record of,

1187
01:00:29,875 --> 01:00:33,500
Luke 24:44-45, "'These are
my words that I,'" Jesus,

1188
01:00:33,500 --> 01:00:35,667
"'spoke to you while
I was still with you,

1189
01:00:35,667 --> 01:00:38,083
"'that everything written
about me in the Law of Moses,

1190
01:00:38,083 --> 01:00:41,042
the Prophets, the Psalms,'"
those are the entirety of

1191
01:00:41,042 --> 01:00:45,667
the categories of Old Testament
books, "'must be,'" what?

1192
01:00:45,667 --> 01:00:47,667
"'Fulfilled.'

1193
01:00:47,667 --> 01:00:50,583
Then he opened their minds to
understand the Scriptures."

1194
01:00:50,583 --> 01:00:53,292
You know what it takes to
understand the Scriptures?

1195
01:00:53,292 --> 01:00:56,167
The Holy Spirit
opening your mind.

1196
01:00:56,167 --> 01:00:58,167
The same Holy Spirit who
inspired the writing

1197
01:00:58,167 --> 01:01:02,292
of Scripture illuminates our
understanding of Scripture.

1198
01:01:02,292 --> 01:01:04,667
And here's how you know that
you're understanding

1199
01:01:04,667 --> 01:01:09,042
the Scriptures: you love Jesus.

1200
01:01:09,042 --> 01:01:13,250
You love Jesus, and his
salvation leads to

1201
01:01:13,250 --> 01:01:15,583
your celebration.

1202
01:01:15,583 --> 01:01:18,292
If you open the Bible,
and you start studying,

1203
01:01:18,292 --> 01:01:20,583
and you end up anywhere
other than Jesus,

1204
01:01:20,583 --> 01:01:23,042
you took a wrong turn.

1205
01:01:23,042 --> 01:01:25,875
There are other things
that are secondary,

1206
01:01:25,875 --> 01:01:31,083
but what is primary is that
the whole Bible is about Jesus.

1207
01:01:31,083 --> 01:01:34,792
Mars Hill, it's why I would ask
you to pray for me and all of

1208
01:01:34,792 --> 01:01:38,250
our leaders, that as we open
the Scriptures we would get to

1209
01:01:38,250 --> 01:01:41,083
Jesus, not in an allegorical
way or a mystical way,

1210
01:01:41,083 --> 01:01:44,333
but in a faithful way
and in a biblical way.

1211
01:01:44,333 --> 01:01:47,833
So, when I see a kingdom, I
think of the kingdom of God.

1212
01:01:47,833 --> 01:01:51,375
When I see a king, I think of
Jesus as the King of kings.

1213
01:01:51,375 --> 01:01:53,583
When I see a gallows where
people are crucified,

1214
01:01:53,583 --> 01:01:55,333
I think of the cross of Jesus.

1215
01:01:55,333 --> 01:01:57,500
When I see missionaries
like Mordecai and Esther,

1216
01:01:57,500 --> 01:01:59,792
I think of Jesus crossing
cultures to come into

1217
01:01:59,792 --> 01:02:02,250
human history to seek
and save the lost.

1218
01:02:02,250 --> 01:02:04,333
When I see great
deliverance and salvation,

1219
01:02:04,333 --> 01:02:06,292
I think of the greater
deliverance and salvation

1220
01:02:06,292 --> 01:02:07,958
that Jesus brings.

1221
01:02:07,958 --> 01:02:10,667
When I see someone like
Mordecai speaking shalom,

1222
01:02:10,667 --> 01:02:14,333
I think of Jesus,
the Prince of Shalom.

1223
01:02:14,333 --> 01:02:18,375
So, let me close with this:
Jesus is a better Mordecai.

1224
01:02:18,375 --> 01:02:20,792
Mordecai saved people
from one nation,

1225
01:02:20,792 --> 01:02:24,875
but Jesus saves people
from every nation.

1226
01:02:24,875 --> 01:02:28,292
Mordecai was only able to serve
God's people in his generation,

1227
01:02:28,292 --> 01:02:32,750
but Jesus serves God's
people in every generation.

1228
01:02:32,750 --> 01:02:35,167
Mordecai saved people
from premature death,

1229
01:02:35,167 --> 01:02:39,000
but Jesus saves people
from eternal death.

1230
01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:42,083
Mordecai was a godly ruler
in a godless kingdom,

1231
01:02:42,083 --> 01:02:45,583
but Jesus is God, the King,
whose kingdom rules

1232
01:02:45,583 --> 01:02:47,750
over all kingdoms.

1233
01:02:47,750 --> 01:02:50,458
Mordecai ruled over
a kingdom that came to an end,

1234
01:02:50,458 --> 01:02:54,375
but Jesus rules over
a kingdom that never ends.

1235
01:02:54,375 --> 01:02:57,167
Mordecai is celebrated
every year at Purim,

1236
01:02:57,167 --> 01:03:02,167
but Jesus is celebrated
every week at Communion.

1237
01:03:02,167 --> 01:03:05,292
And Mordecai brought peace
between God's people

1238
01:03:05,292 --> 01:03:07,542
and King Xerxes,

1239
01:03:07,542 --> 01:03:11,375
but Jesus brings peace
between God's people and God.

1240
01:03:11,375 --> 01:03:13,000
Let's pray.

1241
01:03:13,000 --> 01:03:15,667
Father God, I thank you for
the 11-week opportunity I've

1242
01:03:15,667 --> 01:03:20,083
had to study and be studied by
the great book of Esther.

1243
01:03:20,083 --> 01:03:23,250
I thank you for the opportunity
to teach at Mars Hill Church,

1244
01:03:23,250 --> 01:03:26,292
where I preach without
restriction, or limitation,

1245
01:03:26,292 --> 01:03:28,292
or inhibition.

1246
01:03:28,292 --> 01:03:32,000
I thank you, Lord God, that
our people love the Scriptures,

1247
01:03:32,000 --> 01:03:35,000
and they love Jesus, and they
get excited about opening

1248
01:03:35,000 --> 01:03:37,875
the Scriptures to learn
about Jesus.

1249
01:03:37,875 --> 01:03:42,333
Lord Jesus, I pray for us as
a church that we would always

1250
01:03:42,333 --> 01:03:46,875
love the Scriptures and love
learning about you,

1251
01:03:46,875 --> 01:03:50,875
because we become like
the people we love.

1252
01:03:50,875 --> 01:03:54,042
So, Lord Jesus, help us to love
you the most so that we

1253
01:03:54,042 --> 01:03:56,292
become more like you.

1254
01:03:56,292 --> 01:03:59,833
And Lord God, I pray for those
who have not yet come to Jesus,

1255
01:03:59,833 --> 01:04:02,000
that they would
come to Jesus now,

1256
01:04:02,000 --> 01:04:05,750
that they would receive
the life that he gives.

1257
01:04:05,750 --> 01:04:09,667
And Lord God, I pray for us as
a people that salvation would

1258
01:04:09,667 --> 01:04:15,000
demand celebration, spontaneous
singing in our car, in our home,

1259
01:04:15,000 --> 01:04:19,542
praying, rejoicing,
calling friends, texting,

1260
01:04:19,542 --> 01:04:23,250
posting updates talking about
the ways in which you've

1261
01:04:23,250 --> 01:04:28,250
showed up in our life
and the lives of others,

1262
01:04:28,250 --> 01:04:31,167
that we might share in your
joy and we might share it

1263
01:04:31,167 --> 01:04:32,875
with others.

1264
01:04:32,875 --> 01:04:36,292
And so, Lord God, now we come
to celebrate salvation

1265
01:04:36,292 --> 00:00:07,292
in Jesus' name, amen.

1266
00:00:07,292 --> 00:00:11,292
My great-grandparents told me
stories of a mighty dragon

1267
00:00:11,292 --> 00:00:15,167
that descended
on the Holy Temple.

1268
00:00:15,167 --> 00:00:19,375
The people
had rebelled against God.

1269
00:00:22,083 --> 00:00:24,875
"I will declare my
judgments against them,

1270
00:00:24,875 --> 00:00:28,333
"for all their evil
in forsaking me.

1271
00:00:28,333 --> 00:00:32,458
"They have made offerings
to other gods and worshiped

1272
00:00:32,458 --> 00:00:35,750
the work of their own hands."

1273
00:00:35,750 --> 00:00:38,500
In his anger,
God turned his people over

1274
00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:42,958
to the fearsome enemy,
King Nebuchadnezzar,

1275
00:00:42,958 --> 00:00:46,292
the dragon of
Babylon through whom

1276
00:00:46,292 --> 00:00:50,250
the fury of God burned
against my people.

1277
00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,250
"Nebuchadnezzar the king
of Babylon has devoured me,

1278
00:00:59,250 --> 00:01:03,958
"he has crushed me, he has
made me an empty vessel,

1279
00:01:03,958 --> 00:01:09,333
he has swallowed me
up like a dragon."

1280
00:01:09,333 --> 00:01:13,167
The tears of my people
flowed like a river,

1281
00:01:13,167 --> 00:01:15,792
but they could not quench
the fires

1282
00:01:15,792 --> 00:01:18,875
that consumed our land.

1283
00:01:18,875 --> 00:01:25,292
Into the wilderness we were
led, defeated and destroyed.

1284
00:01:25,292 --> 00:01:30,500
The God we'd forsaken,
we thought he'd forsaken us.

1285
00:01:32,750 --> 00:01:35,667
But even in our darkest moment,

1286
00:01:35,667 --> 00:01:39,583
God would not leave
or forsake his people.

1287
00:01:39,583 --> 00:01:43,667
Once more,
he made us a promise.

1288
00:01:43,667 --> 00:01:48,667
"I will not look on you
in anger, for I am merciful,

1289
00:01:48,667 --> 00:01:51,375
"I will not be angry forever.

1290
00:01:51,375 --> 00:01:53,542
"Only acknowledge your guilt,

1291
00:01:53,542 --> 00:01:57,458
"that you rebelled against
the Lord your God...

1292
00:01:57,458 --> 00:01:59,083
"I will take you,

1293
00:01:59,083 --> 00:02:02,000
"one from a city
and two from a family,

1294
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,250
and I will bring
you to Zion."

1295
00:02:06,333 --> 00:02:11,083
For 70 years, the people
of God lived in Babylon.

1296
00:02:11,083 --> 00:02:16,042
Over time, Babylon began to
wither and a great lion rose

1297
00:02:16,042 --> 00:02:21,792
from the east: Cyrus,
the king of Persia.

1298
00:02:21,792 --> 00:02:24,500
His armies consumed the world.

1299
00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:28,083
He set his gaze on the remains
of the great dragon's lair,

1300
00:02:28,083 --> 00:02:30,375
Babylon.

1301
00:02:30,375 --> 00:02:35,583
There, Cyrus led a cunning
attack and the kingdom fell.

1302
00:02:35,583 --> 00:02:38,375
Cyrus was a great and good king

1303
00:02:38,375 --> 00:02:42,875
and did not believe
in keeping men as slaves.

1304
00:02:42,875 --> 00:02:45,500
During the first
year of his reign,

1305
00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:50,292
he issued a decree
that freed the Jews.

1306
00:02:50,292 --> 00:02:54,583
God stirred the hearts of his
most devoted people to journey

1307
00:02:54,583 --> 00:02:59,583
back to Jerusalem
and rebuild his temple.

1308
00:02:59,583 --> 00:03:03,333
"And let each survivor,
in whatever place he sojourns,

1309
00:03:03,333 --> 00:03:07,667
"be assisted by the men of his
place with silver and gold,

1310
00:03:07,667 --> 00:03:12,375
"with goods and with beasts,
besides freewill offerings

1311
00:03:12,375 --> 00:03:16,333
for the house of God that
is in Jerusalem."

1312
00:03:18,833 --> 00:03:23,292
Cyrus went the way of all men.

1313
00:03:27,375 --> 00:03:30,667
"Behold, three more kings
shall arise in Persia,

1314
00:03:30,667 --> 00:03:34,875
"and a fourth shall be far
richer than all of them.

1315
00:03:34,875 --> 00:03:37,583
"And when he has become
strong through his riches,

1316
00:03:37,583 --> 00:03:42,500
he shall stir up all against
the kingdom of Greece."

1317
00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:51,042
Behold Ahasuerus,

1318
00:03:51,042 --> 00:03:54,292
Xerxes the Great.

1319
00:03:56,750 --> 00:04:01,167
Under Xerxes, the empire
prospered and so did the Jews

1320
00:04:01,167 --> 00:04:04,375
who did not return to Jerusalem.

1321
00:04:04,375 --> 00:04:08,792
Among these Jews was a family
of the Tribe of Benjamin.

1322
00:04:08,792 --> 00:04:12,083
They gathered all they could
scrape together and headed out

1323
00:04:12,083 --> 00:04:16,250
from Babylon for the richest
city the world had ever known,

1324
00:04:16,250 --> 00:04:19,500
the Persian capital of Susa.

1325
00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:23,792
During the journey, both
the mother and father died,

1326
00:04:23,792 --> 00:04:29,083
leaving a baby girl to Mordecai.

1327
00:04:29,083 --> 00:04:33,583
Little did my cousin know that
I would grow to be a woman

1328
00:04:33,583 --> 00:04:38,542
the world would never forget.

1329
00:04:39,292 --> 00:04:42,500
[music]

1330
00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:48,583
Salvation requires celebration.

1331
00:04:49,542 --> 00:04:52,667
Salvation requires celebration.

1332
00:04:52,667 --> 00:04:55,292
Now, what we've seen in
the story line of Esther

1333
00:04:55,292 --> 00:04:57,250
is salvation.

1334
00:04:57,250 --> 00:05:01,083
Salvation for a man named
Mordecai who was sentenced

1335
00:05:01,083 --> 00:05:05,000
to die, and he
experienced salvation.

1336
00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,667
He was saved spiritually,
he was saved physically.

1337
00:05:08,667 --> 00:05:11,958
In addition, we saw
the salvation of God's people.

1338
00:05:11,958 --> 00:05:15,458
They were under a death sentence
that was reversed

1339
00:05:15,458 --> 00:05:21,833
and their enemy, Haman himself,
died that they might live.

1340
00:05:21,833 --> 00:05:25,542
And what we see today in our
last sermon in the great book

1341
00:05:25,542 --> 00:05:30,958
of Esther is that salvation
requires celebration.

1342
00:05:30,958 --> 00:05:32,375
If you've got your Bibles,

1343
00:05:32,375 --> 00:05:37,792
go with me to
Esther 9:20 through 10:3,

1344
00:05:37,792 --> 00:05:40,667
and the first thing we're
going to look at is that Purim

1345
00:05:40,667 --> 00:05:42,167
is a party.

1346
00:05:42,167 --> 00:05:44,792
I don't know if you have
any Jewish family, friends,

1347
00:05:44,792 --> 00:05:47,750
neighbors, coworkers, but
they will have various feasts,

1348
00:05:47,750 --> 00:05:50,583
festivals, holidays that they
celebrate throughout the course

1349
00:05:50,583 --> 00:05:53,375
of the year,
one of which is Purim.

1350
00:05:53,375 --> 00:05:55,375
If you've ever wondered,
"When did that begin

1351
00:05:55,375 --> 00:05:56,875
and what is that all about?"

1352
00:05:56,875 --> 00:06:00,583
We find it right here
at the end of Esther.

1353
00:06:00,583 --> 00:06:04,083
As God's people
experience salvation,

1354
00:06:04,083 --> 00:06:08,667
they respond with celebration,
and that's the great holiday,

1355
00:06:08,667 --> 00:06:12,500
the Jewish feast
and festival of Purim.

1356
00:06:12,500 --> 00:06:15,667
And let me say this, as
we're gonna read in a moment,

1357
00:06:15,667 --> 00:06:19,750
we're gonna read a huge text of
Scripture, 12 verses altogether,

1358
00:06:19,750 --> 00:06:22,667
and it's a summary statement
for the entire book,

1359
00:06:22,667 --> 00:06:25,667
and it also gives us
the history of this holiday.

1360
00:06:25,667 --> 00:06:28,375
And some of the commentators
will say that the book ends

1361
00:06:28,375 --> 00:06:31,042
in a way that is, quote,
"anti-climactic,"

1362
00:06:31,042 --> 00:06:33,875
and it's not that at all.

1363
00:06:33,875 --> 00:06:37,500
Not only is God's Word perfect
insofar as the content

1364
00:06:37,500 --> 00:06:40,875
is concerned, it's also perfect
in the way it is organized

1365
00:06:40,875 --> 00:06:42,667
and delivered.

1366
00:06:42,667 --> 00:06:45,667
And the big idea is this,
at the end of the book,

1367
00:06:45,667 --> 00:06:49,292
a summary is given of God's
salvation so that there

1368
00:06:49,292 --> 00:06:51,583
might be celebration.

1369
00:06:51,583 --> 00:06:53,875
So it is with you and I.

1370
00:06:53,875 --> 00:06:57,500
We need to make note of
the history of God's people.

1371
00:06:57,500 --> 00:07:00,792
We are part of the great
line of God's people,

1372
00:07:00,792 --> 00:07:04,750
whether it's in Babylon, or it's
in Persia, or it's in Egypt,

1373
00:07:04,750 --> 00:07:06,167
or it's in Nineveh.

1374
00:07:06,167 --> 00:07:09,042
Wherever God should
bring salvation,

1375
00:07:09,042 --> 00:07:11,667
we are a part of
that family history,

1376
00:07:11,667 --> 00:07:14,000
and their salvation
is our salvation,

1377
00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,292
and their celebration
is our celebration.

1378
00:07:17,292 --> 00:07:22,333
Similarly, church history is our
story of God's people at work

1379
00:07:22,333 --> 00:07:25,375
and God at work to,
and through, and for,

1380
00:07:25,375 --> 00:07:28,667
and sometimes in
spite of his people.

1381
00:07:28,667 --> 00:07:31,458
And this is so important
because we live in a day

1382
00:07:31,458 --> 00:07:33,792
that is incredibly
individualistic.

1383
00:07:33,792 --> 00:07:35,875
People don't know their
family of origins,

1384
00:07:35,875 --> 00:07:39,667
they don't know their history,
they don't know their community.

1385
00:07:39,667 --> 00:07:43,542
But in the Scriptures, we see
the history of God's people

1386
00:07:43,542 --> 00:07:46,000
of which we are a part.

1387
00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,792
We see how God brought salvation
to them and that gives hope to

1388
00:07:49,792 --> 00:07:53,667
us that the God who showed up in
their day and has showed up in

1389
00:07:53,667 --> 00:07:56,875
other days would show up today,
for our children and our

1390
00:07:56,875 --> 00:08:02,292
children's children, that he
will be there for them as well.

1391
00:08:02,292 --> 00:08:04,833
And so as we're reading
this, this is God's way

1392
00:08:04,833 --> 00:08:07,833
of communicating that you and I
have this great opportunity

1393
00:08:07,833 --> 00:08:11,667
to recollect how he has acted
in the past, that being God,

1394
00:08:11,667 --> 00:08:14,500
to celebrate that in the present
as an act of faith

1395
00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:16,375
and hope for the future.

1396
00:08:16,375 --> 00:08:19,250
And let me submit this to you
practically: as we're reading

1397
00:08:19,250 --> 00:08:22,375
this, I want you to think about
the particular ways that God

1398
00:08:22,375 --> 00:08:24,875
has brought salvation
into your life,

1399
00:08:24,875 --> 00:08:28,292
that he has saved you from
some terrible, horrible fate.

1400
00:08:28,292 --> 00:08:31,542
Maybe it was sickness, maybe
it was eternal condemnation

1401
00:08:31,542 --> 00:08:35,667
and death, maybe it was from
sin that plagued you,

1402
00:08:35,667 --> 00:08:39,792
or from ancestry that
has haunted you.

1403
00:08:39,792 --> 00:08:42,458
And I want you to know that
unless you record that,

1404
00:08:42,458 --> 00:08:47,000
unless you capture that,
you won't remember that

1405
00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,375
and others won't
remember that either.

1406
00:08:49,375 --> 00:08:54,167
How wonderful would it be if you
had the history of your family,

1407
00:08:54,167 --> 00:08:57,667
the first converts
where salvation began.

1408
00:08:57,667 --> 00:09:01,333
You could learn about how God
worked in your family line

1409
00:09:01,333 --> 00:09:04,667
and you could share that
with generations to come.

1410
00:09:04,667 --> 00:09:07,792
This is why Christians
practice journaling,

1411
00:09:07,792 --> 00:09:11,542
this is why we have feasts,
and festivals, and holidays,

1412
00:09:11,542 --> 00:09:16,000
to celebrate, to remember,
to make note of.

1413
00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,583
It's why people do
this nationally,

1414
00:09:18,583 --> 00:09:23,000
trying to celebrate momentous
occasions for them collectively.

1415
00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,875
That's why we have Thanksgiving,
it's why we have Veteran's Day,

1416
00:09:25,875 --> 00:09:28,083
it's why we have
the Fourth of July

1417
00:09:28,083 --> 00:09:30,958
where we're made to belong to
something bigger than ourselves

1418
00:09:30,958 --> 00:09:33,875
and to celebrate any time
redemption,

1419
00:09:33,875 --> 00:09:36,083
salvation comes.

1420
00:09:36,083 --> 00:09:38,375
We do this is
as well as the church,

1421
00:09:38,375 --> 00:09:41,875
where at Christmas we
celebrate the coming of Jesus,

1422
00:09:41,875 --> 00:09:45,083
at Easter we celebrate
the resurrection of Jesus.

1423
00:09:45,083 --> 00:09:49,667
These kinds of celebrations are
momentous occasions for us

1424
00:09:49,667 --> 00:09:53,375
to remember the past as we
lean into the future.

1425
00:09:53,375 --> 00:09:56,833
And that's exactly what is
happening here with this summary

1426
00:09:56,833 --> 00:10:00,667
of salvation and then this
recording of celebration,

1427
00:10:00,667 --> 00:10:02,792
and we're gonna read
it all together.

1428
00:10:02,792 --> 00:10:05,333
If you're brand-new,
this will catch you up on

1429
00:10:05,333 --> 00:10:07,167
the last sermon in Esther.

1430
00:10:07,167 --> 00:10:09,792
If you've been here awhile,
here's a bit of review.

1431
00:10:09,792 --> 00:10:11,792
Chapter 9, verse 20.

1432
00:10:11,792 --> 00:10:14,000
Here we learn that
Purim is a party.

1433
00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,750
"And Mordecai," right,
the leader who was saved.

1434
00:10:16,750 --> 00:10:18,458
He was saved.

1435
00:10:18,458 --> 00:10:20,375
He was saved spiritually by God.

1436
00:10:20,375 --> 00:10:22,667
He was saved
physically from death.

1437
00:10:22,667 --> 00:10:25,875
"Recorded these things and sent
letters to all the Jews who were

1438
00:10:25,875 --> 00:10:28,875
in all the provinces
of King Ahasuerus,"

1439
00:10:28,875 --> 00:10:30,375
King Xerxes,

1440
00:10:30,375 --> 00:10:33,167
"both near and far, obliging
them to keep the fourteenth day

1441
00:10:33,167 --> 00:10:36,167
"of the month Adar and also
the fifteenth day of the same,

1442
00:10:36,167 --> 00:10:37,542
year by year."

1443
00:10:37,542 --> 00:10:40,083
So, this is the beginning
of the feast of Purim.

1444
00:10:40,083 --> 00:10:43,375
It's basically around
March, as a general rule.

1445
00:10:43,375 --> 00:10:47,000
"As the days on which the Jews
got relief from their enemies."

1446
00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,792
Salvation is going to
result in celebration.

1447
00:10:50,792 --> 00:10:53,875
"And as the month that had been
turned for them from sorrow

1448
00:10:53,875 --> 00:10:56,000
into gladness and from
mourning into a holiday."

1449
00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:57,667
So this is a holiday.

1450
00:10:57,667 --> 00:11:00,250
I need you to know that
holidays are holy days,

1451
00:11:00,250 --> 00:11:02,083
that's what it means.

1452
00:11:02,083 --> 00:11:05,542
And we often times celebrate
apart from God or celebrate

1453
00:11:05,542 --> 00:11:07,458
in defiance of God.

1454
00:11:07,458 --> 00:11:09,750
We eat too much,
we drink too much.

1455
00:11:09,750 --> 00:11:13,500
But we can also celebrate with
God, we can celebrate God.

1456
00:11:13,500 --> 00:11:18,875
You learn a lot about a person
by observing what they celebrate

1457
00:11:18,875 --> 00:11:23,500
and by observing what
they don't celebrate.

1458
00:11:23,500 --> 00:11:26,500
A couple that celebrates their
anniversary in a big way

1459
00:11:26,500 --> 00:11:29,500
is saying something.

1460
00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:32,042
A person who is celebrating
the day of their salvation

1461
00:11:32,042 --> 00:11:36,375
in a big way
is saying something.

1462
00:11:36,375 --> 00:11:40,292
Those who get more excited when
their football team wins than

1463
00:11:40,292 --> 00:11:44,042
when the resurrection of Jesus
is proclaimed are, similarly,

1464
00:11:44,042 --> 00:11:46,500
saying something.

1465
00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:48,042
What do you celebrate?

1466
00:11:48,042 --> 00:11:49,792
What do you get excited about?

1467
00:11:49,792 --> 00:11:51,458
What do you cook food for?

1468
00:11:51,458 --> 00:11:53,167
What do you invite people to?

1469
00:11:53,167 --> 00:11:55,542
What gets you really
excited to celebrate?

1470
00:11:55,542 --> 00:11:58,000
That's a holiday.

1471
00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,667
"That they should make them
days of feasting and gladness,

1472
00:12:01,667 --> 00:12:04,292
"days for sending gifts of food
to one another

1473
00:12:04,292 --> 00:12:06,000
"and gifts to the poor.

1474
00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:08,500
"So the Jews accepted what
they had started to do,

1475
00:12:08,500 --> 00:12:10,292
"and what Mordecai
had written to them.

1476
00:12:10,292 --> 00:12:12,292
"For Haman the Agagite,
the son of Hammedatha,

1477
00:12:12,292 --> 00:12:15,042
"the enemy of all the Jews,
had plotted against the Jews

1478
00:12:15,042 --> 00:12:16,458
to destroy them."

1479
00:12:16,458 --> 00:12:20,375
So, their enemy is
destroyed and they live.

1480
00:12:20,375 --> 00:12:22,333
"And had cast Pur
(that is, lots)."

1481
00:12:22,333 --> 00:12:24,292
I'll explain that in a moment.

1482
00:12:24,292 --> 00:12:27,250
That's why they call
that holiday Purim.

1483
00:12:27,250 --> 00:12:29,375
"To crush and to destroy them.

1484
00:12:29,375 --> 00:12:31,167
"But when it came
before the king,

1485
00:12:31,167 --> 00:12:34,167
"he gave orders in writing
that his evil plan that he had

1486
00:12:34,167 --> 00:12:36,583
devised against the Jews
should turn on his own head."

1487
00:12:36,583 --> 00:12:38,000
A great reversal.

1488
00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:39,583
Haman was going
to kill Mordecai,

1489
00:12:39,583 --> 00:12:43,042
and then Mordecai lived and
Haman was hung on his own cross,

1490
00:12:43,042 --> 00:12:45,667
as it were, in his yard.

1491
00:12:45,667 --> 00:12:47,833
God's people were
going to be destroyed,

1492
00:12:47,833 --> 00:12:51,583
and they were saved and
God's enemies were destroyed.

1493
00:12:51,583 --> 00:12:53,542
"And that he and his sons

1494
00:12:53,542 --> 00:12:55,375
should be hanged
on the gallows,"

1495
00:12:55,375 --> 00:12:56,792
speaking of Haman.

1496
00:12:56,792 --> 00:12:59,292
"Therefore they called these
days Purim, after the term Pur.

1497
00:12:59,292 --> 00:13:01,792
"Therefore, because of all that
was written in this letter,

1498
00:13:01,792 --> 00:13:04,167
"and of what they had
faced in this matter,

1499
00:13:04,167 --> 00:13:05,875
"and of what had
happened to them,

1500
00:13:05,875 --> 00:13:07,875
the Jews firmly obligated
themselves and their offspring."

1501
00:13:07,875 --> 00:13:10,583
It's about the kids,
it's about the grandkids.

1502
00:13:10,583 --> 00:13:13,083
It's not just enough that
you would know Jesus;

1503
00:13:13,083 --> 00:13:15,792
your kids need to know Jesus,
your grandkids need to know

1504
00:13:15,792 --> 00:13:19,167
Jesus, your great-grandkids
need to know Jesus.

1505
00:13:19,167 --> 00:13:22,167
It's not just enough for you to
celebrate God's grace in your

1506
00:13:22,167 --> 00:13:25,958
life; you need to capture
that grace in written form,

1507
00:13:25,958 --> 00:13:29,458
telling the story so that your
children, your grandchildren,

1508
00:13:29,458 --> 00:13:32,458
your great-grandchildren will
know who the God of the Bible

1509
00:13:32,458 --> 00:13:35,458
is, and when he showed
up, and what he's done.

1510
00:13:35,458 --> 00:13:37,792
That's why I tell my
kids all the time,

1511
00:13:37,792 --> 00:13:40,167
"Dad was not a Christian
when he was your age.

1512
00:13:40,167 --> 00:13:42,958
"I was living in sin,
I was living apart from God.

1513
00:13:42,958 --> 00:13:45,583
"I lived foolishly and
recklessly, and I was in danger,

1514
00:13:45,583 --> 00:13:48,583
"and Jesus showed up and saved
me at the age of 19

1515
00:13:48,583 --> 00:13:50,667
as a college freshman."

1516
00:13:50,667 --> 00:13:53,875
I want them to know
the story of my salvation,

1517
00:13:53,875 --> 00:13:57,083
of their mom's salvation,
of their family's salvation

1518
00:13:57,083 --> 00:14:00,542
historically, and how God has
worked in our midst now

1519
00:14:00,542 --> 00:14:03,000
for some generations.

1520
00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,375
It's important.

1521
00:14:05,375 --> 00:14:07,750
You're not just an individual.

1522
00:14:07,750 --> 00:14:10,167
You're part of a community,
you're part of a family,

1523
00:14:10,167 --> 00:14:12,667
you're part of a history,
you're part of a legacy,

1524
00:14:12,667 --> 00:14:15,875
and God's grace to you,
and God's grace through you,

1525
00:14:15,875 --> 00:14:19,458
and God's grace in spite of you
is part of your testimony

1526
00:14:19,458 --> 00:14:22,292
to help others come to
know, love, appreciate,

1527
00:14:22,292 --> 00:14:25,167
and trust that that same God
will be there for them

1528
00:14:25,167 --> 00:14:27,167
and that same grace
is available to them.

1529
00:14:27,167 --> 00:14:28,667
Amen?

1530
00:14:28,667 --> 00:14:30,667
This is important stuff.

1531
00:14:31,167 --> 00:14:34,667
This is important stuff.

1532
00:14:34,667 --> 00:14:37,667
You need to record God's
grace in your life.

1533
00:14:37,667 --> 00:14:41,167
Write it down
and celebrate it.

1534
00:14:41,167 --> 00:14:44,792
"For your offspring
and all who joined them,

1535
00:14:44,792 --> 00:14:47,375
"that without fail they would
keep these two days according to

1536
00:14:47,375 --> 00:14:49,875
what was written and at
the time appointed every year."

1537
00:14:49,875 --> 00:14:52,000
It's going to be
an annual festival.

1538
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,083
"And these days should be
remembered and kept

1539
00:14:54,083 --> 00:14:55,875
throughout every generation."

1540
00:14:55,875 --> 00:15:00,583
It's now been going, friends,
for over 2,000 years.

1541
00:15:00,583 --> 00:15:03,333
"In every clan,
province, and city."

1542
00:15:03,333 --> 00:15:07,167
See, there's diversity across
the globe for God's people,

1543
00:15:07,167 --> 00:15:10,750
but there is unity
around celebration.

1544
00:15:10,750 --> 00:15:14,167
It's why now for thousands
of years across every nation,

1545
00:15:14,167 --> 00:15:17,500
culture, language, tribe,
race, group, and culture,

1546
00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:20,750
subculture of God's people,
the Christian church,

1547
00:15:20,750 --> 00:15:23,792
we celebrate
Communion and baptism.

1548
00:15:23,792 --> 00:15:25,750
A lot of things are different,

1549
00:15:25,750 --> 00:15:28,583
but a few things
are always the same,

1550
00:15:28,583 --> 00:15:33,042
that salvation requires
celebration and that leads

1551
00:15:33,042 --> 00:15:39,292
to holy, godly tradition, doing
the same thing that God's people

1552
00:15:39,292 --> 00:15:42,667
have always done, because God
is the same yesterday,

1553
00:15:42,667 --> 00:15:45,042
today, and forever.

1554
00:15:45,042 --> 00:15:47,500
"That these days of Purim should
never fall into disuse

1555
00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:50,292
"among the Jews, nor should
the commemoration of these days

1556
00:15:50,292 --> 00:15:52,167
"cease among their descendants.

1557
00:15:52,167 --> 00:15:54,167
"Then Queen Esther,
the daughter of Abihail,

1558
00:15:54,167 --> 00:15:56,333
and Mordecai the Jew,"
her adoptive father,

1559
00:15:56,333 --> 00:15:58,375
"gave full written authority,

1560
00:15:58,375 --> 00:16:00,292
"confirming this second letter
about Purim.

1561
00:16:00,292 --> 00:16:02,167
"Letters were sent
to all the Jews,

1562
00:16:02,167 --> 00:16:04,875
to the 127 provinces of
the kingdom of Ahasuerus,"

1563
00:16:04,875 --> 00:16:07,792
that's the Persian Empire,
"in words of peace and truth,

1564
00:16:07,792 --> 00:16:11,375
"that these days of Purim should
be observed at their appointed

1565
00:16:11,375 --> 00:16:14,500
"seasons, as Mordecai the Jew
and Queen Esther obligated them,

1566
00:16:14,500 --> 00:16:18,875
"and as they had obligated
themselves and their offspring,

1567
00:16:18,875 --> 00:16:21,667
"with regard to their
fasts and their lamenting.

1568
00:16:21,667 --> 00:16:25,083
"The command of Queen Esther
confirmed these practices

1569
00:16:25,083 --> 00:16:28,292
of Purim, and it was
recorded in writing."

1570
00:16:28,292 --> 00:16:30,542
Now, let me explain
some of this to you.

1571
00:16:30,542 --> 00:16:33,333
First of all, it's called
Purim, we just learned here why.

1572
00:16:33,333 --> 00:16:37,167
Haman was a pagan man,
Haman was a godless man,

1573
00:16:37,167 --> 00:16:40,792
Haman was an evil man,
and Haman was a spiritual man.

1574
00:16:40,792 --> 00:16:43,583
See, we live in a day when
people would say that

1575
00:16:43,583 --> 00:16:45,792
being spiritual is
in and of itself good.

1576
00:16:45,792 --> 00:16:47,292
That's not true.

1577
00:16:47,292 --> 00:16:49,500
The Bible teaches
there is one God,

1578
00:16:49,500 --> 00:16:52,375
and other religions that have
other gods actually have demons

1579
00:16:52,375 --> 00:16:55,500
that are pretending
to be gods and goddesses.

1580
00:16:55,500 --> 00:16:58,167
And so, if you
will worship them,

1581
00:16:58,167 --> 00:17:01,375
they will answer your prayers
and show up in powerful ways,

1582
00:17:01,375 --> 00:17:05,458
but supernatural power is not
indicative of the presence of

1583
00:17:05,458 --> 00:17:07,542
the God of the Bible.

1584
00:17:07,542 --> 00:17:10,000
"There are counterfeit
signs, wonders, and miracles,"

1585
00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,042
the Bible says,
that "Satan masquerades

1586
00:17:12,042 --> 00:17:14,667
as a angel of light,"
the Bible declares.

1587
00:17:14,667 --> 00:17:17,667
That Satan is a great deceiver
and his intent is to lead

1588
00:17:17,667 --> 00:17:19,167
the whole world astray.

1589
00:17:19,167 --> 00:17:21,875
All of that is
biblical language.

1590
00:17:21,875 --> 00:17:24,083
If you are here
and you are just spiritual,

1591
00:17:24,083 --> 00:17:28,000
you are in grave danger
because in the spirit realm,

1592
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,250
there is not only
God, there is Satan;

1593
00:17:30,250 --> 00:17:33,792
there is not only angels,
there are demons.

1594
00:17:33,792 --> 00:17:36,667
And he, this man Haman,
was a very powerful man.

1595
00:17:36,667 --> 00:17:40,000
His prayers were
answered by demon gods.

1596
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,583
He became very affluent, very
successful, very preeminent,

1597
00:17:43,583 --> 00:17:48,167
and very powerful, and he wanted
to decide whether or not he

1598
00:17:48,167 --> 00:17:50,500
should exterminate God's people,

1599
00:17:50,500 --> 00:17:53,458
the Old Testament
covenantal Jews.

1600
00:17:53,458 --> 00:17:57,167
And what he did is he cast
lots, they called it Pur,

1601
00:17:57,167 --> 00:18:00,292
and the casting of
lots was divination.

1602
00:18:00,292 --> 00:18:02,792
This is witchcraft,
this is sorcery.

1603
00:18:02,792 --> 00:18:05,875
This is like consulting
a medium, or astrology,

1604
00:18:05,875 --> 00:18:10,833
or using a Ouija board, or going
to some spiritual leader that is

1605
00:18:10,833 --> 00:18:14,542
not Christian, trying to hear
from the spirit realm what it is

1606
00:18:14,542 --> 00:18:17,375
you are to do in
the physical world.

1607
00:18:17,375 --> 00:18:19,000
And their assumption
and presumption was

1608
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,542
if we roll the dice,

1609
00:18:20,542 --> 00:18:23,583
then the spirit realm will
decide the answer in the roll

1610
00:18:23,583 --> 00:18:26,792
of the die, and then we will
obey according to the decree

1611
00:18:26,792 --> 00:18:29,667
given us by the demons.

1612
00:18:29,667 --> 00:18:34,083
And the decree was given to
assassinate, to eliminate,

1613
00:18:34,083 --> 00:18:37,667
all of God's people.

1614
00:18:37,667 --> 00:18:40,333
And now God's people
called the holiday “Purim”

1615
00:18:40,333 --> 00:18:42,667
because it is a great reversal.

1616
00:18:42,667 --> 00:18:45,292
Proverbs says very clearly
that we roll the dice,

1617
00:18:45,292 --> 00:18:50,250
but God determines
exactly how the dice fall,

1618
00:18:50,250 --> 00:18:52,667
that over it all is
the God of the Bible.

1619
00:18:52,667 --> 00:18:57,292
And the point here is
that God is over Satan,

1620
00:18:57,292 --> 00:19:02,083
and that God and angels
are over Satan and demons,

1621
00:19:02,083 --> 00:19:05,667
and Satan and demons can empower
even powerful people to do

1622
00:19:05,667 --> 00:19:08,500
horrible things, but in
the end it is the sovereignty

1623
00:19:08,500 --> 00:19:11,333
and providence of God that rules
over all and can bring

1624
00:19:11,333 --> 00:19:14,500
all to pass just as he decrees.

1625
00:19:14,500 --> 00:19:20,000
And so they, in a bit of
celebration, call it Purim.

1626
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:24,458
Yes, Haman rolled the dice, but
our God, he controls the dice.

1627
00:19:24,458 --> 00:19:27,833
Yes, Satan made a decision
to destroy us as a people,

1628
00:19:27,833 --> 00:19:30,500
but our God is more
powerful than Satan,

1629
00:19:30,500 --> 00:19:33,750
and he has protected us, he has
delivered us, he has saved us,

1630
00:19:33,750 --> 00:19:36,500
and that salvation
requires celebration.

1631
00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:38,792
So, they title
the holiday “Purim.”

1632
00:19:38,792 --> 00:19:41,167
It's usually around March,
and like many holidays,

1633
00:19:41,167 --> 00:19:43,875
they eat together.

1634
00:19:43,875 --> 00:19:45,500
This is all foretaste,

1635
00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:47,542
foreshadowing
of the kingdom of God

1636
00:19:47,542 --> 00:19:50,292
where we sit down with
the Lord Jesus Christ.

1637
00:19:50,292 --> 00:19:54,167
In addition, they give gifts
to one another as we do in

1638
00:19:54,167 --> 00:19:58,083
the holiday season, and they are
generous toward the poor,

1639
00:19:58,083 --> 00:20:00,667
particularly those
who are believing poor;

1640
00:20:00,667 --> 00:20:04,542
those who are God's people and
struggling; the single mothers;

1641
00:20:04,542 --> 00:20:07,583
the widows; the orphans; those
who have been injured at work;

1642
00:20:07,583 --> 00:20:10,875
those who are negatively
affected, not by their own sin,

1643
00:20:10,875 --> 00:20:13,583
or folly, or bad investment,
or sense of entitlement,

1644
00:20:13,583 --> 00:20:16,167
but because of circumstance
that is, perhaps,

1645
00:20:16,167 --> 00:20:19,375
beyond their control; people who
have been injured on the job;

1646
00:20:19,375 --> 00:20:21,750
people who are
unemployed, underemployed;

1647
00:20:21,750 --> 00:20:24,000
the single mom who is working
hard but struggling

1648
00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:25,458
to make ends meet.

1649
00:20:25,458 --> 00:20:26,958
Great generosity.

1650
00:20:26,958 --> 00:20:29,167
I want you to see,
particularly in this season,

1651
00:20:29,167 --> 00:20:31,667
this is not politically
motivated or required

1652
00:20:31,667 --> 00:20:33,292
in the Scriptures.

1653
00:20:33,292 --> 00:20:36,875
This is God's people loving,
this is God's people caring,

1654
00:20:36,875 --> 00:20:40,083
this is people who love God and
have received the love of God

1655
00:20:40,083 --> 00:20:43,875
demonstrating that with
generosity toward others.

1656
00:20:43,875 --> 00:20:46,000
Which means don't overlook
the opportunities

1657
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:47,375
in your Community Group,

1658
00:20:47,375 --> 00:20:50,167
don't overlook the opportunities
in your church service,

1659
00:20:50,167 --> 00:20:53,167
don't overlook the opportunities
in your local Mars Hill,

1660
00:20:53,167 --> 00:20:56,500
don't overlook the opportunities
across Mars Hill

1661
00:20:56,500 --> 00:21:00,083
to do good for the people of
God as a sense of generosity,

1662
00:21:00,083 --> 00:21:01,833
and love, and affection.

1663
00:21:01,833 --> 00:21:04,083
"Because God so loved
the world, he gave,"

1664
00:21:04,083 --> 00:21:07,292
and our God is a giver, so we
give as a demonstration

1665
00:21:07,292 --> 00:21:08,750
of his affection.

1666
00:21:08,750 --> 00:21:10,167
There's a lot
going on here

1667
00:21:10,167 --> 00:21:14,292
and it's all motivated
theologically.

1668
00:21:14,292 --> 00:21:18,792
And what this is to be for us is
a sense of ritual, not routine.

1669
00:21:18,792 --> 00:21:20,750
Let me explain
the difference between the two.

1670
00:21:20,750 --> 00:21:24,292
I grew up, as many of you
know, marginal Jack Catholic.

1671
00:21:24,292 --> 00:21:26,375
I did not know Jesus.

1672
00:21:26,375 --> 00:21:29,167
It is not the church's
fault, I was not interested.

1673
00:21:29,167 --> 00:21:33,667
Some Catholics love Jesus,
I wasn't one of them.

1674
00:21:33,667 --> 00:21:36,833
But as a kid, I can
remember going to church.

1675
00:21:36,833 --> 00:21:39,000
We called it mass.

1676
00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:43,167
It was routine, not ritual.

1677
00:21:43,167 --> 00:21:46,667
It was something I had to do,
not something I wanted to do.

1678
00:21:46,667 --> 00:21:50,083
It's something I tried to
avoid, and if I couldn't,

1679
00:21:50,083 --> 00:21:52,958
then I would try to endure.

1680
00:21:52,958 --> 00:21:56,000
Communion meant nothing.

1681
00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:02,375
A bad cracker,
bad wine,

1682
00:22:02,375 --> 00:22:05,083
it meant nothing.

1683
00:22:05,083 --> 00:22:09,667
People would sing,
it meant nothing.

1684
00:22:09,667 --> 00:22:16,000
And then I met Jesus, and all of
a sudden, routine became ritual.

1685
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,000
Oh, Communion's about Jesus,
broken body, shed blood.

1686
00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,000
That's meaningful.

1687
00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,500
Oh, going to church, that's
to be with God's people,

1688
00:22:23,500 --> 00:22:25,000
and to hear from God's Word,

1689
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,000
and God inhabits
the praises of his people,

1690
00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:29,000
and when I'm with
the people of God,

1691
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:30,583
I sense the presence of God.

1692
00:22:30,583 --> 00:22:34,250
It's meaningful.

1693
00:22:34,250 --> 00:22:35,667
Oh, they're singing.

1694
00:22:35,667 --> 00:22:39,250
I love Jesus, the Holy Spirit
lives in me, I want to sing too!

1695
00:22:39,250 --> 00:22:41,167
It's meaningful.

1696
00:22:41,167 --> 00:22:44,792
The Word of God is opened,
now my ear has been opened.

1697
00:22:44,792 --> 00:22:49,250
This is not the dronings
of a man who is boring me,

1698
00:22:49,250 --> 00:22:53,583
this is a herald of life
from a man who is serving me.

1699
00:22:53,583 --> 00:22:56,500
The difference between routine
and ritual is oftentimes

1700
00:22:56,500 --> 00:23:01,500
not what happens out there,
but what happens in here.

1701
00:23:03,792 --> 00:23:06,375
Ritual is where we
do things repeatedly,

1702
00:23:06,375 --> 00:23:09,292
but they have
meaning all the time.

1703
00:23:09,292 --> 00:23:16,167
Every time I hug and kiss my
kids, it's ritual, not routine.

1704
00:23:16,167 --> 00:23:21,292
Every time I hold my wife's
hand, it's ritual, not routine.

1705
00:23:21,292 --> 00:23:24,750
I promise you this, Mars Hill:
every time I get up to teach

1706
00:23:24,750 --> 00:23:27,583
the Bible, it's ritual,
not routine.

1707
00:23:27,583 --> 00:23:32,458
I'm really glad to be here
and it means something

1708
00:23:32,458 --> 00:23:36,583
to gather together.

1709
00:23:36,583 --> 00:23:39,542
And what God is instituting
here is a ritual.

1710
00:23:39,542 --> 00:23:42,583
I want you to do this,
and do this as a family,

1711
00:23:42,583 --> 00:23:46,000
and do it for generations,
and do it together.

1712
00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,292
But the big idea is that
you've experienced salvation,

1713
00:23:49,292 --> 00:23:52,083
so now have celebration.

1714
00:23:52,083 --> 00:23:54,042
That's the big idea.

1715
00:23:54,042 --> 00:23:59,583
And what's sad is over time,
the ritual has become a routine.

1716
00:23:59,583 --> 00:24:02,583
And today, Purim is
still celebrated,

1717
00:24:02,583 --> 00:24:05,000
but it's an interesting,
curious holiday.

1718
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,792
You can ask your
Jewish friends about it.

1719
00:24:07,792 --> 00:24:09,875
It's kind of like Halloween.

1720
00:24:09,875 --> 00:24:13,750
They get dressed up, they go to
the synagogue or temple

1721
00:24:13,750 --> 00:24:16,292
and the entire story
of Esther is read.

1722
00:24:16,292 --> 00:24:18,042
And as Haman's
name is mentioned,

1723
00:24:18,042 --> 00:24:20,083
they jeer and make
all kinds of noise,

1724
00:24:20,083 --> 00:24:22,167
and it's very interactive,
and pretty loud,

1725
00:24:22,167 --> 00:24:25,000
and very different than usually
how the services go at

1726
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,042
the Jewish synagogue or temple.

1727
00:24:27,042 --> 00:24:29,000
So, it's kind of like Halloween.

1728
00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:31,083
It's kind of like Mardi Gras.

1729
00:24:31,083 --> 00:24:33,583
Like, people drink too
much, wear too little,

1730
00:24:33,583 --> 00:24:36,875
and it's not awesome.

1731
00:24:36,875 --> 00:24:39,458
It looks more like the parties
that Ahasuerus threw earlier

1732
00:24:39,458 --> 00:24:42,583
in the book, where people
are drinking too much,

1733
00:24:42,583 --> 00:24:44,750
and bad decisions
are being made,

1734
00:24:44,750 --> 00:24:46,833
and it's getting out of control.

1735
00:24:46,833 --> 00:24:49,167
And it's kind of like
the Fourth of July,

1736
00:24:49,167 --> 00:24:51,333
where they celebrate their
deliverance and their liberation

1737
00:24:51,333 --> 00:24:55,667
politically, and sometimes
what's overlooked is what this

1738
00:24:55,667 --> 00:24:58,833
all means spiritually.

1739
00:24:58,833 --> 00:25:04,750
Should God's people
celebrate Purim?

1740
00:25:04,750 --> 00:25:06,542
It's not a sin to.

1741
00:25:06,542 --> 00:25:10,000
If you want to, you're
welcome to, but if you do,

1742
00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,583
just remember it's
all about Jesus.

1743
00:25:13,583 --> 00:25:17,000
And if it's not about Jesus,
then it becomes routine,

1744
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,167
not ritual.

1745
00:25:19,167 --> 00:25:24,750
You have the outward forms
but not the inward joys.

1746
00:25:24,750 --> 00:25:27,458
What's curious as well is
the Bible never gives us

1747
00:25:27,458 --> 00:25:30,583
a decree from God
for the feast of Purim.

1748
00:25:30,583 --> 00:25:33,292
If you look at the feasts,
and festivals, and holidays,

1749
00:25:33,292 --> 00:25:35,750
and holy days of
the Old Testament,

1750
00:25:35,750 --> 00:25:37,167
first of all,

1751
00:25:37,167 --> 00:25:40,250
they're all fulfilled in Christ,
so as long as we celebrate Jesus

1752
00:25:40,250 --> 00:25:42,667
we're meeting the obligations
of all of the holidays,

1753
00:25:42,667 --> 00:25:44,500
that salvation
requires celebration

1754
00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:49,292
and all small salvations
lead to the big Savior.

1755
00:25:49,292 --> 00:25:52,292
But in addition, what I find
interesting is that the other

1756
00:25:52,292 --> 00:25:54,750
holidays and holy days
that God's people

1757
00:25:54,750 --> 00:25:56,292
in the Old Testament celebrate,

1758
00:25:56,292 --> 00:25:57,958
they're all mandated,
generally speaking,

1759
00:25:57,958 --> 00:26:00,750
by God in the first five
books of the Old Testament,

1760
00:26:00,750 --> 00:26:02,458
called the Pentateuch,
which "penta" is five.

1761
00:26:02,458 --> 00:26:05,792
So it's the book in five parts,
it's the five books of Moses.

1762
00:26:05,792 --> 00:26:08,875
Well, many, many, many,
many, many years later,

1763
00:26:08,875 --> 00:26:11,000
the feast of Purim
is added as well,

1764
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,583
but it's not through
a divine decree from the Lord.

1765
00:26:13,583 --> 00:26:15,583
What this was, this was
the spontaneous celebration

1766
00:26:15,583 --> 00:26:17,500
of God's people.

1767
00:26:17,500 --> 00:26:20,167
And at this point in
the history of the Scriptures,

1768
00:26:20,167 --> 00:26:23,000
they’d already been celebrating
Purim year after year

1769
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,083
for awhile, and this gives
us the history and explains

1770
00:26:26,083 --> 00:26:28,542
what Esther and Mordecai
did to encourage this

1771
00:26:28,542 --> 00:26:30,167
as a national holiday.

1772
00:26:30,167 --> 00:26:32,167
Here's the big idea:

1773
00:26:32,167 --> 00:26:35,792
if you love God and you're
excited about something,

1774
00:26:35,792 --> 00:26:39,667
you could throw a party
whenever you want, okay?

1775
00:26:39,667 --> 00:26:42,000
I don't know if you
knew that, okay?

1776
00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,167
You could throw a party
whenever you want.

1777
00:26:44,167 --> 00:26:47,167
You could cook food,
you could have music,

1778
00:26:47,167 --> 00:26:51,167
you could call people,
you could throw a party.

1779
00:26:51,167 --> 00:26:54,583
And what tends to happen is we
throw parties in a way that they

1780
00:26:54,583 --> 00:26:57,833
dishonor the Lord, and so much
of the story line of Esther

1781
00:26:57,833 --> 00:26:59,875
has been a series of
banquets, and feasts,

1782
00:26:59,875 --> 00:27:02,750
and parties that
dishonor the Lord.

1783
00:27:02,750 --> 00:27:05,667
Men are drunk, women are abused,
things are out of control,

1784
00:27:05,667 --> 00:27:08,250
and evil decisions are made.

1785
00:27:08,250 --> 00:27:10,167
Here, it's a great reversal.

1786
00:27:10,167 --> 00:27:12,292
It shows us how to
redeem feasting.

1787
00:27:12,292 --> 00:27:14,333
It shows us how to
redeem holidays.

1788
00:27:14,333 --> 00:27:17,583
It shows us how to redeem food
so that we're not gluttons,

1789
00:27:17,583 --> 00:27:20,250
but worshipers; drink, so
that we're not drunkards,

1790
00:27:20,250 --> 00:27:25,667
but worshipers; to celebrate,
not in defiance of God,

1791
00:27:25,667 --> 00:27:29,292
but in the presence of God; to
live "coram deo" in the face of

1792
00:27:29,292 --> 00:27:33,375
God; and to invite God and his
people to meet together

1793
00:27:33,375 --> 00:27:38,083
and to celebrate his salvation.

1794
00:27:38,083 --> 00:27:40,167
Let me submit this to you,
Mars Hill:

1795
00:27:40,167 --> 00:27:44,333
most Christians are better at
mourning than celebrating,

1796
00:27:44,333 --> 00:27:46,292
especially in the Reformed
tradition of which

1797
00:27:46,292 --> 00:27:47,667
we are a part.

1798
00:27:47,667 --> 00:27:49,500
It's find your sin,
find your sin,

1799
00:27:49,500 --> 00:27:51,083
find your idols,
find your idols,

1800
00:27:51,083 --> 00:27:53,292
you're horrible,
you're wicked, you're a sinner.

1801
00:27:53,292 --> 00:27:57,542
All true, but doesn't really
lead to much of a party, amen?

1802
00:27:57,542 --> 00:28:00,833
God became a man, lived
without sin, died for your sin,

1803
00:28:00,833 --> 00:28:03,583
rose as your Savior, puts
the Holy Spirit in you,

1804
00:28:03,583 --> 00:28:05,667
gives you a new nature.

1805
00:28:05,667 --> 00:28:08,500
This earth is as close to
hell as you'll ever get.

1806
00:28:08,500 --> 00:28:10,333
It only is going to get better.

1807
00:28:10,333 --> 00:28:12,167
Jesus has gone before you.

1808
00:28:12,167 --> 00:28:14,667
He's the King of kings,
he's the Lord of lords.

1809
00:28:14,667 --> 00:28:18,083
He loves you, he knows you,
he seeks you, he serves you,

1810
00:28:18,083 --> 00:28:21,667
he's prepared a place for you,
he's going to set a table

1811
00:28:21,667 --> 00:28:26,042
for you, he's going to rejoice
over you with singing.

1812
00:28:26,042 --> 00:28:29,667
Well, that's
a party right there.

1813
00:28:29,667 --> 00:28:32,833
And so what happens is we
tend to focus on our sin,

1814
00:28:32,833 --> 00:28:36,583
sometimes more than our Savior.

1815
00:28:36,583 --> 00:28:43,500
Sin doesn't lead to celebration,
sin leads to damnation.

1816
00:28:43,500 --> 00:28:46,958
Salvation leads to celebration.

1817
00:28:46,958 --> 00:28:49,333
So, as Christians,
we acknowledge our sin,

1818
00:28:49,333 --> 00:28:52,583
but then we get to our Savior
and then we realize, "Ah!

1819
00:28:52,583 --> 00:28:56,167
Now we have something
to celebrate: Jesus."

1820
00:28:56,167 --> 00:28:57,833
Jesus.

1821
00:28:57,833 --> 00:29:02,083
And that's the big idea I
want to impress upon you.

1822
00:29:02,083 --> 00:29:05,667
You could throw a party
whenever you want.

1823
00:29:05,667 --> 00:29:09,875
Call people, cook
food, have fun.

1824
00:29:09,875 --> 00:29:13,167
Redeem celebration
to the glory of God.

1825
00:29:13,167 --> 00:29:16,542
Redeem celebration
to the glory of God.

1826
00:29:16,542 --> 00:29:19,833
And this can be informal,
and this can be spontaneous,

1827
00:29:19,833 --> 00:29:22,083
and that's what
we see with Purim.

1828
00:29:22,083 --> 00:29:24,375
There was no decree,
a prophet did not speak,

1829
00:29:24,375 --> 00:29:27,333
the Bible did not declare,
a committee did not vote.

1830
00:29:27,333 --> 00:29:30,292
God's people just
decided, "We're alive,

1831
00:29:30,292 --> 00:29:32,875
time to celebrate."

1832
00:29:32,875 --> 00:29:35,542
I love, as well, that at
our Redemption Nights,

1833
00:29:35,542 --> 00:29:38,292
and our Redemption Groups
tend to deal with deep sin

1834
00:29:38,292 --> 00:29:41,042
and suffering in people's lives,
that they always end with

1835
00:29:41,042 --> 00:29:43,292
a celebration.

1836
00:29:43,292 --> 00:29:48,292
All of this is deeply
theological, deeply theological.

1837
00:29:48,292 --> 00:29:51,167
And sometimes, miserable
religious people--

1838
00:29:51,167 --> 00:29:53,833
and I put those two words
together intentionally.

1839
00:29:53,833 --> 00:29:58,500
Miserable religious people
will become sort of critical.

1840
00:29:58,500 --> 00:29:59,958
"Why are these people happy?

1841
00:29:59,958 --> 00:30:01,458
"Why are they
raising their hands?

1842
00:30:01,458 --> 00:30:02,833
"Why are they celebrating?

1843
00:30:02,833 --> 00:30:04,250
"Why are they joyful?

1844
00:30:04,250 --> 00:30:06,250
Do they not know how
wicked they are?"

1845
00:30:06,250 --> 00:30:07,667
That's why they're celebrating.

1846
00:30:07,667 --> 00:30:10,583
They know how wicked they are
and how great their God is,

1847
00:30:10,583 --> 00:30:12,667
and that they're loved
in spite of themselves,

1848
00:30:12,667 --> 00:30:16,958
and it's all of grace which
should lead to celebration

1849
00:30:16,958 --> 00:30:20,042
because of
the glory of salvation.

1850
00:30:20,042 --> 00:30:22,542
Some of you need
to learn to sing,

1851
00:30:22,542 --> 00:30:24,583
some of you need
to learn to shout,

1852
00:30:24,583 --> 00:30:26,667
some of you need to
raise your hands,

1853
00:30:26,667 --> 00:30:28,500
some of you need
to throw parties,

1854
00:30:28,500 --> 00:30:31,833
some of you need to rejoice
with those who are rejoicing.

1855
00:30:31,833 --> 00:30:35,167
And as we do, it becomes
easier to remember who God is,

1856
00:30:35,167 --> 00:30:39,333
and when God has showed up,
and how God has worked.

1857
00:30:39,333 --> 00:30:42,292
It's a lot easier than looking
at your kids and turning

1858
00:30:42,292 --> 00:30:45,875
the history of God's grace
into a bunch of horrible facts

1859
00:30:45,875 --> 00:30:50,667
to be memorized
but never enjoyed.

1860
00:30:50,667 --> 00:30:56,750
It tells us about Purim, and
then it transitions to tell us

1861
00:30:56,750 --> 00:30:59,875
that even though things
are wonderful, and amazing,

1862
00:30:59,875 --> 00:31:03,375
and have changed,
here's the big idea:

1863
00:31:03,375 --> 00:31:06,083
this ain't heaven.

1864
00:31:06,083 --> 00:31:08,542
Read with me,
chapter 10, verses 1-3.

1865
00:31:08,542 --> 00:31:11,583
“King Ahasuerus,”
who's still the king.

1866
00:31:11,583 --> 00:31:14,167
Xerxes, good king, bad king?

1867
00:31:14,167 --> 00:31:15,667
Bad king.

1868
00:31:15,667 --> 00:31:20,333
Drunk, pervert, bad king.

1869
00:31:20,333 --> 00:31:23,375
Bad king, still king.

1870
00:31:23,375 --> 00:31:25,667
They're not celebrating, "Yay!
New king!"

1871
00:31:25,667 --> 00:31:28,667
Nope, same old king.

1872
00:31:28,667 --> 00:31:31,500
"Did he get saved?
Did he fall down on his face?

1873
00:31:31,500 --> 00:31:35,000
"What must I do to be saved?
Did he cry out to the Lord?

1874
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:36,583
Did he repent?"

1875
00:31:36,583 --> 00:31:40,583
No, still drunken, pervert,

1876
00:31:40,583 --> 00:31:44,083
Persian king.

1877
00:31:45,167 --> 00:31:47,667
You could be excited,
you could throw a party,

1878
00:31:47,667 --> 00:31:51,000
you could worship God even if
you're not super excited about

1879
00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,500
the political
leadership over you.

1880
00:31:53,500 --> 00:31:59,250
Just so you know, just
something to think about.

1881
00:31:59,250 --> 00:32:04,958
"King Ahasuerus imposed a tax."

1882
00:32:04,958 --> 00:32:08,667
Okay, they throw a party
during a tax increase.

1883
00:32:08,667 --> 00:32:14,292
Okay, this is timely.

1884
00:32:14,292 --> 00:32:17,000
This is timely.

1885
00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:21,292
We don't tend to throw
tax increase parties.

1886
00:32:21,292 --> 00:32:24,375
I don't.

1887
00:32:24,375 --> 00:32:26,500
Why are they celebrating?

1888
00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:30,833
Well, because they have another
King and they're part of

1889
00:32:30,833 --> 00:32:34,333
a better kingdom.

1890
00:32:34,333 --> 00:32:38,792
Now, the king, he gave Haman
the decree, the legal right,

1891
00:32:38,792 --> 00:32:41,792
to kill them all
and plunder their goods,

1892
00:32:41,792 --> 00:32:45,792
and they didn't die,
so he taxes them.

1893
00:32:45,792 --> 00:32:47,375
Do you get that?

1894
00:32:47,375 --> 00:32:49,583
"Oh, you're alive.
Taxes are going up."

1895
00:32:49,583 --> 00:32:52,167
Okay, this is just government.

1896
00:32:52,167 --> 00:32:54,292
They kill you or tax you.

1897
00:32:54,292 --> 00:32:56,500
You've got two options,
that's how it works.

1898
00:32:56,500 --> 00:33:00,875
If you don't die, then you're
going to pay in a different way,

1899
00:33:00,875 --> 00:33:02,333
and that's how it works.

1900
00:33:02,333 --> 00:33:06,833
Now, here's what I find
curious: they're still where?

1901
00:33:06,833 --> 00:33:09,542
Persia, not Jerusalem.

1902
00:33:09,542 --> 00:33:12,667
They're still under
the king, not a new King;

1903
00:33:12,667 --> 00:33:15,042
he's still a pagan,
not converted;

1904
00:33:15,042 --> 00:33:19,333
and their taxes have not
gone down, they've gone up.

1905
00:33:19,333 --> 00:33:20,958
And what do they do?

1906
00:33:20,958 --> 00:33:24,083
Celebrate.

1907
00:33:24,083 --> 00:33:28,292
If this is your home, it's
going to be hard to celebrate.

1908
00:33:28,292 --> 00:33:34,958
If this is not your home,
you'll be able to celebrate.

1909
00:33:34,958 --> 00:33:36,750
It keeps going:

1910
00:33:36,750 --> 00:33:39,375
"And all the acts of
his power and might,

1911
00:33:39,375 --> 00:33:41,958
"and the full account of
the high honor of Mordecai,

1912
00:33:41,958 --> 00:33:45,167
"to which the king advanced him,
are they not written in the Book

1913
00:33:45,167 --> 00:33:47,750
of the Chronicles of the kings
of Media and Persia?"

1914
00:33:47,750 --> 00:33:51,042
He says, "Well, we
do have Mordecai,

1915
00:33:51,042 --> 00:33:53,667
"and he's the second most
powerful man in

1916
00:33:53,667 --> 00:33:57,000
"the most powerful nation
on the earth, and he loves us,

1917
00:33:57,000 --> 00:33:59,292
"and he cares for us,
and he serves us.

1918
00:33:59,292 --> 00:34:02,667
"So it's not all bad, there's
a bit of hope in the midst

1919
00:34:02,667 --> 00:34:05,667
of what, otherwise,
would be hopeless."

1920
00:34:05,667 --> 00:34:08,583
It says, "You know, isn't it all
written in this particular book,

1921
00:34:08,583 --> 00:34:11,542
the Book of the Chronicles of
the kings of Media and Persia?"

1922
00:34:11,542 --> 00:34:14,292
Some of you say, "Man, I
was looking in my Bible,

1923
00:34:14,292 --> 00:34:17,500
"I didn't see that Book of
the kings of Media and Persia.

1924
00:34:17,500 --> 00:34:19,000
I can't find it in there."

1925
00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,375
It's because it's not
a book that's in your Bible.

1926
00:34:21,375 --> 00:34:23,583
You say, "Why is it
mentioned in the Bible?"

1927
00:34:23,583 --> 00:34:25,583
Here's why: sometimes the Bible
will mention books

1928
00:34:25,583 --> 00:34:27,083
that are not in the Bible.

1929
00:34:27,083 --> 00:34:28,583
They're not divinely
inspired, perfect, inerrant,

1930
00:34:28,583 --> 00:34:30,000
sacred Scripture.

1931
00:34:30,000 --> 00:34:32,167
I think in Joshua it
mentions a book called

1932
00:34:32,167 --> 00:34:33,583
the book of Jasher.

1933
00:34:33,583 --> 00:34:35,333
You're like,
"I don't know a Jasher.

1934
00:34:35,333 --> 00:34:38,333
"I don't know, was he in one of
those Steven Spielberg movies,

1935
00:34:38,333 --> 00:34:39,750
"'Star Wars'?

1936
00:34:39,750 --> 00:34:42,750
I don't know who Jasher is.
I don't know where he's at."

1937
00:34:42,750 --> 00:34:44,958
What happens is sometimes
the Bible will reference

1938
00:34:44,958 --> 00:34:48,083
a historical book outside of
the canon of Scripture,

1939
00:34:48,083 --> 00:34:50,167
and it's not that
that's a perfect book,

1940
00:34:50,167 --> 00:34:51,792
divinely inspired,
without error,

1941
00:34:51,792 --> 00:34:54,333
from the Lord, but it
does have truth in it--

1942
00:34:54,333 --> 00:34:55,833
some truth in it.

1943
00:34:55,833 --> 00:34:57,333
And here,
it's the historical record.

1944
00:34:57,333 --> 00:35:00,167
And they're saying, "We're not
going to recount all the ways

1945
00:35:00,167 --> 00:35:02,333
"that, you know, Mordecai
was used of the Lord

1946
00:35:02,333 --> 00:35:03,833
"for the salvation
of his people,

1947
00:35:03,833 --> 00:35:06,042
"but, you know, we all
know that, you know,

1948
00:35:06,042 --> 00:35:09,042
"in this book over here
that we had to read in school

1949
00:35:09,042 --> 00:35:12,042
"and all the kids had to
memorize the dates and the facts

1950
00:35:12,042 --> 00:35:13,792
growing up, it tells us
about Mordecai."

1951
00:35:13,792 --> 00:35:16,750
Here's the big idea:
all truth is God's truth.

1952
00:35:16,750 --> 00:35:20,375
The highest authority
is the Scriptures.

1953
00:35:20,375 --> 00:35:22,875
We believe that all Scripture
is God-breathed and profitable,

1954
00:35:22,875 --> 00:35:25,167
that there's nothing
above the Word of God,

1955
00:35:25,167 --> 00:35:27,958
there's nothing alongside
of the Word of God.

1956
00:35:27,958 --> 00:35:29,833
It's our proverbial
Supreme Court.

1957
00:35:29,833 --> 00:35:32,750
But what we do believe is
under the highest authority,

1958
00:35:32,750 --> 00:35:34,583
there are other authorities.

1959
00:35:34,583 --> 00:35:36,667
Through general revelation
and common grace,

1960
00:35:36,667 --> 00:35:38,667
sometimes you'll
find truth elsewhere.

1961
00:35:38,667 --> 00:35:40,667
This is why we're not
scared of science,

1962
00:35:40,667 --> 00:35:43,500
we're not scared of medicine,
we're not scared of business,

1963
00:35:43,500 --> 00:35:45,250
we're not scared of history.

1964
00:35:45,250 --> 00:35:49,167
We want to be people who find
God's truth anywhere we can find

1965
00:35:49,167 --> 00:35:52,792
it, and we know that it's truth
when we test it by

1966
00:35:52,792 --> 00:35:55,333
the perfect Word of God.

1967
00:35:55,333 --> 00:35:59,042
This is why we don't want
you to be scared of learning.

1968
00:35:59,042 --> 00:36:01,667
We also don't want
you to be gullible,

1969
00:36:01,667 --> 00:36:03,833
we want you to be discerning.

1970
00:36:03,833 --> 00:36:05,375
And what's it's saying here is,

1971
00:36:05,375 --> 00:36:07,083
"There's some truth
over in that book."

1972
00:36:07,083 --> 00:36:10,167
Now, it's not all true,
it's not a book of the Bible,

1973
00:36:10,167 --> 00:36:12,375
but there are some things
there that will help

1974
00:36:12,375 --> 00:36:14,375
your understanding.

1975
00:36:14,375 --> 00:36:16,167
"For Mordecai the Jew,"
verse 3,

1976
00:36:16,167 --> 00:36:18,000
"was second in rank
to King Ahasuerus,

1977
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,667
"and he was great among
the Jews and popular with

1978
00:36:20,667 --> 00:36:24,083
the multitude of his brothers,
for he sought the welfare of his

1979
00:36:24,083 --> 00:36:27,792
people and spoke peace
to all his people."

1980
00:36:27,792 --> 00:36:31,667
Bad news: same king, same
kingdom, and taxes are going up.

1981
00:36:31,667 --> 00:36:34,500
Good news: God loves us.

1982
00:36:34,500 --> 00:36:36,375
He hasn't dealt with
our of our problems,

1983
00:36:36,375 --> 00:36:41,000
but he's dealt with
our biggest problem.

1984
00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,542
And why did they love Mordecai?

1985
00:36:44,542 --> 00:36:48,083
He leads very differently.

1986
00:36:48,083 --> 00:36:51,583
Ahasuerus leads
through intimidation,

1987
00:36:51,583 --> 00:36:54,833
Mordecai leads
through affection.

1988
00:36:54,833 --> 00:36:59,875
Ahasuerus is a very selfish
man and all his decisions are

1989
00:36:59,875 --> 00:37:03,333
self-serving and self-seeking.

1990
00:37:03,333 --> 00:37:07,083
Mordecai is a very selfless man

1991
00:37:07,083 --> 00:37:10,750
and his decisions are for the
well-being of all the people.

1992
00:37:10,750 --> 00:37:15,875
Ahasuerus wants to have
the people glorify him,

1993
00:37:15,875 --> 00:37:20,875
and Mordecai wants to help
the people to glorify God.

1994
00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:27,167
People fear Ahasuerus,
but they love Mordecai.

1995
00:37:27,167 --> 00:37:29,292
This is really a great analogy.

1996
00:37:29,292 --> 00:37:32,458
There's only, really,
two ways to lead:

1997
00:37:32,458 --> 00:37:36,583
from the strong hand
of fear and control,

1998
00:37:36,583 --> 00:37:39,500
and the stronger hand of love,
and grace,

1999
00:37:39,500 --> 00:37:43,542
and compassion,
and affection.

2000
00:37:43,542 --> 00:37:47,833
See, Mordecai is a stronger
man than Ahasuerus.

2001
00:37:47,833 --> 00:37:52,542
He has the one thing that
Ahasuerus never receives,

2002
00:37:52,542 --> 00:37:57,042
and that's the love of the
people, because he loves them.

2003
00:37:57,042 --> 00:37:59,667
At this point, Mordecai has
become kind of like

2004
00:37:59,667 --> 00:38:02,500
the George Washington.

2005
00:38:02,500 --> 00:38:04,667
He's the founding father.

2006
00:38:04,667 --> 00:38:08,875
People love him in a fatherly
way and he cares for them

2007
00:38:08,875 --> 00:38:11,292
in a fatherly way.

2008
00:38:11,292 --> 00:38:16,500
And it says here it's because
he spoke peace to the people.

2009
00:38:16,500 --> 00:38:18,958
That's a very
important word there.

2010
00:38:18,958 --> 00:38:20,958
It's actually a Jesus word.

2011
00:38:20,958 --> 00:38:23,167
It's "shalom."

2012
00:38:23,167 --> 00:38:25,667
Have you ever heard
the word "shalom"?

2013
00:38:25,667 --> 00:38:30,458
God made the world in shalom,
and then sin comes to vandalize,

2014
00:38:30,458 --> 00:38:33,875
to scandalize shalom.

2015
00:38:33,875 --> 00:38:37,583
Shalom is the world without
sin, shalom is the world without

2016
00:38:37,583 --> 00:38:43,500
death, shalom is the world
without terror, or fear,

2017
00:38:43,500 --> 00:38:48,000
or oppression, or suffering.

2018
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,542
When God was done, he said
that everything was very good,

2019
00:38:51,542 --> 00:38:53,667
Genesis 1:31.

2020
00:38:53,667 --> 00:38:59,083
It was all shalom, it was whole,
it was peaceful, it was perfect,

2021
00:38:59,083 --> 00:39:00,750
it was right.

2022
00:39:00,750 --> 00:39:04,667
It reflected the character of
God, and then sin comes to mar,

2023
00:39:04,667 --> 00:39:09,875
to attack, to vandalize shalom.

2024
00:39:09,875 --> 00:39:12,083
The result is we live
in a world, friends,

2025
00:39:12,083 --> 00:39:14,083
that's not shalom.

2026
00:39:14,083 --> 00:39:20,292
It's shalom as altered,
affected, marred by sin.

2027
00:39:20,292 --> 00:39:23,375
And Mordecai comes
speaking shalom,

2028
00:39:23,375 --> 00:39:25,333
speaking life where
there is death,

2029
00:39:25,333 --> 00:39:27,042
speaking truth
where there is lies,

2030
00:39:27,042 --> 00:39:28,875
speaking light where
there is darkness.

2031
00:39:28,875 --> 00:39:31,583
The Bible says that the power
of life and death are

2032
00:39:31,583 --> 00:39:36,667
in the tongue, and he is
echoing the truth of God,

2033
00:39:36,667 --> 00:39:40,958
he is echoing the love of God,
and it says that he speaks

2034
00:39:40,958 --> 00:39:42,875
shalom to the people.

2035
00:39:42,875 --> 00:39:46,875
He gives them a vision of
what life could be like,

2036
00:39:46,875 --> 00:39:50,333
and, by the grace of God,
will be like when

2037
00:39:50,333 --> 00:39:53,542
the Prince of Shalom comes.

2038
00:39:53,542 --> 00:39:56,083
It says in Isaiah 9,
I believe it's verse 6,

2039
00:39:56,083 --> 00:40:00,000
that Jesus Christ is
the Prince of Shalom.

2040
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,667
You know why we do
not have shalom?

2041
00:40:02,667 --> 00:40:05,000
Because we have not yet been
visited again by

2042
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,083
the Prince of Shalom.

2043
00:40:08,083 --> 00:40:11,167
It shows us, here, that even
when there is salvation

2044
00:40:11,167 --> 00:40:14,583
and celebration, there's
still not shalom.

2045
00:40:14,583 --> 00:40:17,667
The political leaders are
not what they ought to be,

2046
00:40:17,667 --> 00:40:21,875
and the financial systems are
not what they ought to be,

2047
00:40:21,875 --> 00:40:24,500
and everything is not
right in the world,

2048
00:40:24,500 --> 00:40:27,292
and we remain restless
and frustrated.

2049
00:40:27,292 --> 00:40:31,167
We become cause crusaders, we
become those who put our hopes

2050
00:40:31,167 --> 00:40:35,042
in politicians, or business
leaders, or political leaders,

2051
00:40:35,042 --> 00:40:38,792
or moral leaders, or spiritual
leaders, and we try our hardest,

2052
00:40:38,792 --> 00:40:41,667
we give our most,
and then we lose hope

2053
00:40:41,667 --> 00:40:44,583
because shalom never comes.

2054
00:40:44,583 --> 00:40:46,583
It doesn't matter how
many wars we fight,

2055
00:40:46,583 --> 00:40:51,292
how many dollars we spend, how
many prescriptions we purchase,

2056
00:40:51,292 --> 00:40:57,542
shalom never comes because
we need the Prince of Shalom.

2057
00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,667
And Jesus is
the Prince of Shalom,

2058
00:41:01,667 --> 00:41:03,833
and when he comes again,
friends,

2059
00:41:03,833 --> 00:41:07,500
he's bringing
shalom with him.

2060
00:41:07,500 --> 00:41:10,833
So, when Mordecai speaks
shalom to the people,

2061
00:41:10,833 --> 00:41:15,375
they love him because they hear
the faint echo of the coming of

2062
00:41:15,375 --> 00:41:19,875
Jesus in his voice.

2063
00:41:19,875 --> 00:41:23,875
I have good news:
shalom is coming,

2064
00:41:23,875 --> 00:41:30,333
but it won't be here until
the Prince of Shalom brings it.

2065
00:41:30,333 --> 00:41:34,167
For all who are leaders,
let me encourage us to,

2066
00:41:34,167 --> 00:41:38,792
by the grace of God, seek
to lead as Mordecai leads,

2067
00:41:38,792 --> 00:41:42,292
not as Ahasuerus leads;

2068
00:41:42,292 --> 00:41:49,167
to lead with shalom as our
vision and our hope.

2069
00:41:50,792 --> 00:41:54,042
Some concluding, closing
observations on Esther

2070
00:41:54,042 --> 00:41:56,292
as we're nearing
the end of an 11-week study

2071
00:41:56,292 --> 00:41:57,875
in a great book.

2072
00:41:57,875 --> 00:41:59,792
Number one: kings
rule over nations,

2073
00:41:59,792 --> 00:42:01,542
but God rules over them both.

2074
00:42:01,542 --> 00:42:03,500
We've seen the Persian Empire
and the king,

2075
00:42:03,500 --> 00:42:10,458
and we've seen above them
both is the Lord--is the Lord.

2076
00:42:10,458 --> 00:42:13,250
You need to see
this and know this.

2077
00:42:13,250 --> 00:42:15,875
When people lose all hope--
"Oh, the nation is ending

2078
00:42:15,875 --> 00:42:17,792
and the rulers are godless."

2079
00:42:17,792 --> 00:42:19,792
This is not new.

2080
00:42:19,792 --> 00:42:25,292
I'm not saying it's right,
but I'm saying it's not new.

2081
00:42:25,292 --> 00:42:31,667
From Genesis 3 forward,
the record is usually of sin

2082
00:42:31,667 --> 00:42:38,542
not shalom, and God ruling and
reigning to protect his people,

2083
00:42:38,542 --> 00:42:43,042
to provide for his people,
to be present with his people.

2084
00:42:43,042 --> 00:42:46,875
Number two: important ministry
is often done by those not in

2085
00:42:46,875 --> 00:42:49,292
vocational ministry.

2086
00:42:49,292 --> 00:42:53,583
Esther was not a prophetess,
Mordecai was not a priest.

2087
00:42:53,583 --> 00:42:57,958
They're not in vocational
ministry, they're in politics.

2088
00:42:57,958 --> 00:43:00,542
Some of you don't need
to go to Bible college,

2089
00:43:00,542 --> 00:43:02,333
you need to go to
business school.

2090
00:43:02,333 --> 00:43:04,500
Some of you don't need
to go to seminary,

2091
00:43:04,500 --> 00:43:07,083
you need to go to medical
school or law school.

2092
00:43:07,083 --> 00:43:10,167
Some of you need to be
teachers, some of you need to be

2093
00:43:10,167 --> 00:43:12,667
attorneys, some of you
need to be moms and dads,

2094
00:43:12,667 --> 00:43:14,667
some of you need
to be P.E. teachers,

2095
00:43:14,667 --> 00:43:16,458
some of you
need to be mechanics,

2096
00:43:16,458 --> 00:43:18,167
some of you need to be plumbers.

2097
00:43:18,167 --> 00:43:20,875
Whatever it is, if it's under
the Lord, it's all worship,

2098
00:43:20,875 --> 00:43:22,292
it's not in vain.

2099
00:43:22,292 --> 00:43:25,667
And one of the great myths in
the church is that those who are

2100
00:43:25,667 --> 00:43:27,667
in vocational ministry are
used for the Lord

2101
00:43:27,667 --> 00:43:29,083
for the most important ministry.

2102
00:43:29,083 --> 00:43:30,500
Not always true.

2103
00:43:30,500 --> 00:43:33,875
At Mars Hill, only about 1% of
the adults at Mars Hill are on

2104
00:43:33,875 --> 00:43:36,583
paid staff in any capacity,
part-time or full-time.

2105
00:43:36,583 --> 00:43:38,875
That doesn't mean that
1% has an opportunity

2106
00:43:38,875 --> 00:43:41,083
to do something that matters.

2107
00:43:41,083 --> 00:43:42,875
It means that all
of God's people,

2108
00:43:42,875 --> 00:43:45,542
wherever God should send you,
that's the place where he

2109
00:43:45,542 --> 00:43:48,375
has appointed for you
to be to serve him.

2110
00:43:48,375 --> 00:43:52,500
We see that with Mordecai,
we see that with Esther.

2111
00:43:52,500 --> 00:43:54,167
Everything would have
been destroyed if they

2112
00:43:54,167 --> 00:43:58,500
would have quit politics
and went to Bible college.

2113
00:43:58,500 --> 00:44:01,958
They stayed in their positions
and they used those to glorify

2114
00:44:01,958 --> 00:44:03,667
God and for the good of others.

2115
00:44:03,667 --> 00:44:06,583
I want that to be
encouragement for you.

2116
00:44:06,583 --> 00:44:09,083
You're not wasting time
if you are pursuing

2117
00:44:09,083 --> 00:44:13,000
vocational ministry, you're
already in ministry.

2118
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:15,500
All of God's people,
the priests to believers,

2119
00:44:15,500 --> 00:44:17,583
are constantly in ministry.

2120
00:44:17,583 --> 00:44:19,333
You're missionaries
in the world,

2121
00:44:19,333 --> 00:44:22,250
sent there on divine
appointment by the Lord.

2122
00:44:22,250 --> 00:44:24,875
And in addition,
some of you, yes,

2123
00:44:24,875 --> 00:44:27,792
are going to be called of God
to pursue vocational ministry,

2124
00:44:27,792 --> 00:44:30,875
but most of you, quite frankly,
shouldn't because what you're

2125
00:44:30,875 --> 00:44:34,375
doing is so important we need
you to do it really well.

2126
00:44:34,375 --> 00:44:37,167
Praise God for good politicians,
praise God for good business

2127
00:44:37,167 --> 00:44:39,083
leaders, praise God
for good doctors,

2128
00:44:39,083 --> 00:44:43,500
praise God for good teachers.

2129
00:44:43,500 --> 00:44:50,000
Number three: ladies,
women play important roles

2130
00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:52,875
in God's kingdom.

2131
00:44:52,875 --> 00:44:58,083
Esther is magnificently
used of God,

2132
00:44:58,083 --> 00:45:01,875
and she didn't come
from a great family.

2133
00:45:01,875 --> 00:45:04,083
Her parents are dead,
she's an orphan girl,

2134
00:45:04,083 --> 00:45:07,750
she doesn't have a mom,
she probably grew up poor.

2135
00:45:07,750 --> 00:45:10,000
She's living away from
the presence of God.

2136
00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:14,500
She's raised by a guy
who's not the greatest dad.

2137
00:45:14,500 --> 00:45:17,167
He gets a little better
as he gets a little older,

2138
00:45:17,167 --> 00:45:20,000
but early on it's
not very impressive.

2139
00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:21,875
She hides her faith.

2140
00:45:21,875 --> 00:45:25,875
She doesn't start off super well,
but God uses her, and she grows,

2141
00:45:25,875 --> 00:45:28,083
and she matures.

2142
00:45:28,083 --> 00:45:32,583
She becomes one of the most
famous women in the whole Bible.

2143
00:45:32,583 --> 00:45:36,792
And as an observation, let me
point this out:

2144
00:45:36,792 --> 00:45:41,167
her primary contribution
is not as a mother.

2145
00:45:41,167 --> 00:45:44,333
See, oftentimes in the Bible,
when a woman is mightily used of

2146
00:45:44,333 --> 00:45:46,875
God, it's in the role of mother.

2147
00:45:46,875 --> 00:45:51,000
So, Sarah becomes a mom,
and Ruth becomes a mom, right?

2148
00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:54,333
All leading to the coming of
Jesus through this family line.

2149
00:45:54,333 --> 00:45:59,292
Elizabeth becomes a mom,
Mary becomes a mom,

2150
00:45:59,292 --> 00:46:03,875
Esther, not a mom.

2151
00:46:03,875 --> 00:46:06,083
No indication at all
in the Scriptures

2152
00:46:06,083 --> 00:46:07,792
that she was a mother.

2153
00:46:07,792 --> 00:46:10,292
Now, we know that
motherhood is a calling,

2154
00:46:10,292 --> 00:46:13,875
that motherhood is an honor,
that motherhood is a ministry.

2155
00:46:13,875 --> 00:46:19,875
We believe that, but here, God
uses a woman who's not a mother.

2156
00:46:19,875 --> 00:46:22,292
She doesn't even have
a great marriage.

2157
00:46:22,292 --> 00:46:26,250
Her husband's an unbeliever,
she's a believer.

2158
00:46:26,250 --> 00:46:28,167
Her husband's got
a couple hundred maybe other

2159
00:46:28,167 --> 00:46:30,375
wives and concubines.

2160
00:46:30,375 --> 00:46:33,000
We've already learned in the
book that sometimes he doesn't

2161
00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:36,167
even speak to her for
a month at a time.

2162
00:46:36,167 --> 00:46:38,333
Is it possible
to be a single woman,

2163
00:46:38,333 --> 00:46:40,583
is it possible
to be a divorced woman,

2164
00:46:40,583 --> 00:46:44,333
is it possible to be a woman
who comes from difficult

2165
00:46:44,333 --> 00:46:50,500
circumstances, is it possible to
be an infertile woman who grows

2166
00:46:50,500 --> 00:46:52,875
in relationship with the Lord
and is used in

2167
00:46:52,875 --> 00:46:54,292
a significant way?

2168
00:46:54,292 --> 00:46:56,083
Absolutely.

2169
00:46:56,083 --> 00:46:59,000
That's the encouraging
story of Esther.

2170
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:03,042
That's the massively
encouraging story of Esther.

2171
00:47:03,042 --> 00:47:06,167
So, for those of you
women who are single,

2172
00:47:06,167 --> 00:47:11,167
take this opportunity
to do good.

2173
00:47:11,167 --> 00:47:14,792
Maybe you'll be married,
maybe you won't.

2174
00:47:14,792 --> 00:47:17,500
For those of you women who are
struggling with infertility,

2175
00:47:17,500 --> 00:47:19,542
use this as
an opportunity to do good.

2176
00:47:19,542 --> 00:47:22,375
Maybe you'll become a mother,
maybe you won't.

2177
00:47:22,375 --> 00:47:25,042
For those of you who are
infertile and you're hoping

2178
00:47:25,042 --> 00:47:27,667
to adopt, use this as
an opportunity to do good.

2179
00:47:27,667 --> 00:47:29,583
Maybe you'll adopt,
maybe you won't.

2180
00:47:29,583 --> 00:47:31,083
Esther's marriage
is never great.

2181
00:47:31,083 --> 00:47:33,083
We don't see her
with a converted,

2182
00:47:33,083 --> 00:47:37,583
happy husband holding a baby,
but we see her walking with God

2183
00:47:37,583 --> 00:47:39,083
and doing much good.

2184
00:47:39,083 --> 00:47:40,667
Amen?

2185
00:47:40,667 --> 00:47:42,667
It's a great
encouragement for us all,

2186
00:47:42,667 --> 00:47:45,167
but particularly for
you sisters in Christ.

2187
00:47:45,167 --> 00:47:48,292
Number four: God is relentlessly
committed to caring

2188
00:47:48,292 --> 00:47:49,875
for his people.

2189
00:47:49,875 --> 00:47:52,167
He keeps loving, he keeps
pursuing, he keeps saving,

2190
00:47:52,167 --> 00:47:55,292
he keeps investing.

2191
00:47:55,292 --> 00:48:00,167
And number five: in the end,
God wins and his people rejoice.

2192
00:48:00,167 --> 00:48:02,667
If you forget everything,
remember that.

2193
00:48:02,667 --> 00:48:05,292
In the middle of the book,
it looks dark.

2194
00:48:05,292 --> 00:48:08,000
Horrible king, horrible
Haman, death sentence.

2195
00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:11,083
In the end, it's a party.

2196
00:48:11,083 --> 00:48:13,083
And let me say this:

2197
00:48:13,083 --> 00:48:16,000
for us, the end is at
the end of this life.

2198
00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:19,458
At the end of this life,
at the end of human history,

2199
00:48:19,458 --> 00:48:22,083
God wins and we’ll rejoice.

2200
00:48:22,083 --> 00:48:24,292
Until then, we're in
the middle of the story.

2201
00:48:24,292 --> 00:48:26,292
It's dark, it's
a death sentence,

2202
00:48:26,292 --> 00:48:29,083
the bad guys are winning,
God's people are losing,

2203
00:48:29,083 --> 00:48:33,542
death is reigning, people are
drunk, people are perverted,

2204
00:48:33,542 --> 00:48:36,042
men are out of control,
women are being abused,

2205
00:48:36,042 --> 00:48:39,000
money's being misspent,
it's marching off to war.

2206
00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:42,083
All of that is under the
backdrop and the rubric of this

2207
00:48:42,083 --> 00:48:45,500
great story of Esther, and you
get to the end, you're like,

2208
00:48:45,500 --> 00:48:47,375
"Oh, that's awesome.

2209
00:48:47,375 --> 00:48:50,167
"We now need a party
it's so fantastic."

2210
00:48:50,167 --> 00:48:53,667
So it will be for
all of God's people.

2211
00:48:53,667 --> 00:48:56,042
Right now, friends, we're
in the middle of the movie.

2212
00:48:56,042 --> 00:48:59,083
Don't throw your popcorn
on the floor, and scream,

2213
00:48:59,083 --> 00:49:01,000
and walk out of the theater.

2214
00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:02,792
"I hate--this is a dumb movie."

2215
00:49:02,792 --> 00:49:04,667
Wait until the end,
it gets better.

2216
00:49:04,667 --> 00:49:09,792
Stay in your seat, wait until
the end, it gets better.

2217
00:49:09,792 --> 00:49:13,083
God's going to work it
all out, and in the end,

2218
00:49:13,083 --> 00:49:16,000
we'll rise from death,
sin will be no more,

2219
00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:18,583
the Prince of Shalom,
the Lord Jesus Christ,

2220
00:49:18,583 --> 00:49:20,667
will come again,

2221
00:49:20,667 --> 00:49:24,500
and our enemies will be
destroyed as Haman was,

2222
00:49:24,500 --> 00:49:28,500
and we will live together
as the people of God with

2223
00:49:28,500 --> 00:49:31,667
something that is far more
magnificent than Purim,

2224
00:49:31,667 --> 00:49:35,167
and that's joining the angels
and all of God's people from all

2225
00:49:35,167 --> 00:49:37,583
the nations of the earth,
singing the praises of

2226
00:49:37,583 --> 00:49:39,500
the Prince of Shalom.

2227
00:49:39,500 --> 00:49:42,292
In the end, God wins.

2228
00:49:42,292 --> 00:49:46,375
In the middle, it's
terrifying, it's difficult,

2229
00:49:46,375 --> 00:49:48,500
it's complicated.

2230
00:49:48,500 --> 00:49:52,375
But in the end, God wins
and his people rejoice.

2231
00:49:52,375 --> 00:49:56,667
That gives us hope
to keep going.

2232
00:49:56,667 --> 00:50:01,042
Let me close with this: here's
a question I've gotten a lot

2233
00:50:01,042 --> 00:50:03,750
in this series, and I wanted
to end with this.

2234
00:50:03,750 --> 00:50:06,667
Why should the Old Testament
be connected to Jesus?

2235
00:50:06,667 --> 00:50:09,500
I've been your teaching
pastor for 16 years.

2236
00:50:09,500 --> 00:50:11,792
Today, we finish Esther.

2237
00:50:11,792 --> 00:50:14,458
This will be the 24th book
of the Bible

2238
00:50:14,458 --> 00:50:18,958
I've taught in complete,
verse-by-verse fashion.

2239
00:50:18,958 --> 00:50:22,583
And sometimes, when we come to
the Old Testament books

2240
00:50:22,583 --> 00:50:24,958
and I start talking about
Jesus, they're like,

2241
00:50:24,958 --> 00:50:26,583
"I read the whole book.

2242
00:50:26,583 --> 00:50:28,875
"He's not mentioned in, you
know, Esther, or Genesis,

2243
00:50:28,875 --> 00:50:31,542
"or Exodus, or Ecclesiastes.

2244
00:50:31,542 --> 00:50:34,167
Why do we talk about Jesus
in the Old Testament?"

2245
00:50:34,167 --> 00:50:37,667
Let me explain why, and let me
say that when you come to

2246
00:50:37,667 --> 00:50:41,500
the Scriptures, you will
emphasize whatever you think

2247
00:50:41,500 --> 00:50:44,875
is most important.

2248
00:50:44,875 --> 00:50:47,292
So, let's say you're something
called a dispensationalist.

2249
00:50:47,292 --> 00:50:49,292
It's a certain team of theology.

2250
00:50:49,292 --> 00:50:52,292
You're going to go to the book
and you're going to say,

2251
00:50:52,292 --> 00:50:53,667
"Ah, I see Jewish people.

2252
00:50:53,667 --> 00:50:56,458
"This is about Israel, this is
about the nation of Israel.

2253
00:50:56,458 --> 00:50:58,667
"This is about their right
to become a nation

2254
00:50:58,667 --> 00:51:00,458
"and to be protected
from their enemies.

2255
00:51:00,458 --> 00:51:03,500
"And today, Israel has a right
to nation status since they’ve had

2256
00:51:03,500 --> 00:51:06,167
"it in like 1948, and they're
still being attacked by

2257
00:51:06,167 --> 00:51:07,833
"the descendants
of the Persian Empire.

2258
00:51:07,833 --> 00:51:09,875
"And this is all
political and prophetic,

2259
00:51:09,875 --> 00:51:12,667
"and let's connect it to
the newspaper and the last days,

2260
00:51:12,667 --> 00:51:15,375
"and here's a chart, and we
need to defend the national

2261
00:51:15,375 --> 00:51:17,667
"sovereign rights of the nation
of Israel

2262
00:51:17,667 --> 00:51:20,167
to fulfill the prophetic
promises to the Messiah."

2263
00:51:20,167 --> 00:51:22,500
I say, eh, okay.

2264
00:51:22,500 --> 00:51:27,500
Your second option, we'll
come back to that maybe.

2265
00:51:27,500 --> 00:51:30,750
See, if you think it's all
about the nation of Israel,

2266
00:51:30,750 --> 00:51:33,583
then that's where
you're going to go.

2267
00:51:33,583 --> 00:51:35,333
Now, let's say you're
not a dispensationalist,

2268
00:51:35,333 --> 00:51:36,833
you're a feminist.

2269
00:51:36,833 --> 00:51:39,042
You're going to come to the book
and say,

2270
00:51:39,042 --> 00:51:40,958
"There's a woman,
that's what it's about.

2271
00:51:40,958 --> 00:51:44,083
"It's about a woman rising up
to be a ruler and a leader,

2272
00:51:44,083 --> 00:51:46,292
"to be powerful and used of God.

2273
00:51:46,292 --> 00:51:48,292
"This is about women's
liberation and deliverance.

2274
00:51:48,292 --> 00:51:50,792
Yay, Esther!"

2275
00:51:50,792 --> 00:51:54,167
I say, well, you know what,
there are some Jewish guys in

2276
00:51:54,167 --> 00:51:57,958
the book, and there is a woman,
but is that the big idea?

2277
00:51:57,958 --> 00:52:00,083
Is that the main theme?

2278
00:52:00,083 --> 00:52:02,000
Is that what it's all about?

2279
00:52:02,000 --> 00:52:04,250
Is that the center
of the universe around which

2280
00:52:04,250 --> 00:52:06,333
everything orbits?

2281
00:52:06,333 --> 00:52:09,083
Now, if you're a liberal
and you're into liberalism,

2282
00:52:09,083 --> 00:52:11,583
you're going to come to
the book and you say,

2283
00:52:11,583 --> 00:52:13,167
"Oh, minority persecuted
by the majority,

2284
00:52:13,167 --> 00:52:14,875
"women persecuted by men.

2285
00:52:14,875 --> 00:52:17,042
"This is like socialism.

2286
00:52:17,042 --> 00:52:19,042
"This is where there
becomes parity in equality,

2287
00:52:19,042 --> 00:52:22,333
and this is a story of justice."

2288
00:52:22,333 --> 00:52:24,667
I say, yeah, that's
sort of in there,

2289
00:52:24,667 --> 00:52:27,792
but I don't know if that's
the center and the heart in

2290
00:52:27,792 --> 00:52:30,458
the entirety of the story.

2291
00:52:30,458 --> 00:52:33,375
So, what is the center
and the heart in the entirety

2292
00:52:33,375 --> 00:52:36,167
of the story?

2293
00:52:36,167 --> 00:52:38,333
Some will just come
to the book with good,

2294
00:52:38,333 --> 00:52:40,667
old-fashioned moralism.

2295
00:52:40,667 --> 00:52:43,667
"There's good guys, bad guys.
What do the bad guys do?

2296
00:52:43,667 --> 00:52:45,542
"Don't do that!

2297
00:52:45,542 --> 00:52:50,500
What do the good guys do?
Do that!"

2298
00:52:50,500 --> 00:52:53,000
Moralism.

2299
00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:56,375
Be an Esther, don't be a Haman.

2300
00:52:56,375 --> 00:52:58,042
I say, you know what?

2301
00:52:58,042 --> 00:53:01,292
Let me just say this: the nation
of Israel and the Jewish people,

2302
00:53:01,292 --> 00:53:03,167
they're in the book.

2303
00:53:03,167 --> 00:53:06,458
A godly woman who rises up in
power and is mightily used of

2304
00:53:06,458 --> 00:53:08,542
God, she's in the book.

2305
00:53:08,542 --> 00:53:11,667
Some people do some good things,
some people do some bad things,

2306
00:53:11,667 --> 00:53:14,375
that's also, truth be
told, sitting right there,

2307
00:53:14,375 --> 00:53:18,375
it's all present in the book.

2308
00:53:18,375 --> 00:53:21,375
And the minority does
overcome the majority,

2309
00:53:21,375 --> 00:53:24,250
and those who were oppressed
do become liberated.

2310
00:53:24,250 --> 00:53:27,292
There is some
justice in the book.

2311
00:53:27,292 --> 00:53:32,542
But all of that
orbits around Jesus.

2312
00:53:32,542 --> 00:53:36,083
All the stories of the Bible,
all of the deliverances in

2313
00:53:36,083 --> 00:53:40,292
the Bible, all of the promises
and foreshadowings and types,

2314
00:53:40,292 --> 00:53:44,375
what they are, they're all
streams and tributaries that are

2315
00:53:44,375 --> 00:53:48,167
coming together into a mighty
river of redemption for

2316
00:53:48,167 --> 00:53:52,083
the story line of the Bible
that leads us to Jesus.

2317
00:53:52,083 --> 00:53:55,500
Some of you say, "Well,
where did you get this?"

2318
00:53:55,500 --> 00:53:58,042
Jesus.

2319
00:53:58,042 --> 00:54:03,000
Here's what I'm going to
suggest: the best Bible teacher

2320
00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:06,667
who's ever lived is Jesus.

2321
00:54:06,667 --> 00:54:08,042
Okay?

2322
00:54:08,042 --> 00:54:09,458
If you're a non-Christian,

2323
00:54:09,458 --> 00:54:11,375
you probably still agree
with me, right?

2324
00:54:11,375 --> 00:54:14,000
You're like, "Finally
a point I concur with."

2325
00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:16,667
Yeah, the best Bible teacher
who's ever lived is Jesus.

2326
00:54:16,667 --> 00:54:20,458
He was called a rabbi,
which means "teacher."

2327
00:54:20,458 --> 00:54:23,667
So, our goal at Mars Hill is not
to impose a theological system

2328
00:54:23,667 --> 00:54:26,500
on the Scriptures, but
to learn from Jesus,

2329
00:54:26,500 --> 00:54:28,458
and, by the power
of the Holy Spirit,

2330
00:54:28,458 --> 00:54:30,167
to see the Scriptures
in the way

2331
00:54:30,167 --> 00:54:31,875
that Jesus wants us
to see them,

2332
00:54:31,875 --> 00:54:33,958
and whatever theological
conclusions we have,

2333
00:54:33,958 --> 00:54:36,292
they come from the Scripture,
they're not imposed on

2334
00:54:36,292 --> 00:54:38,667
the Scripture.

2335
00:54:38,667 --> 00:54:41,375
Here's what Jesus
said, Matthew 5:17-18,

2336
00:54:41,375 --> 00:54:44,083
early in his ministry: "Do not
think that I," that's Jesus,

2337
00:54:44,083 --> 00:54:46,500
"have come to abolish
the Law or the Prophets,"

2338
00:54:46,500 --> 00:54:48,167
that's the Old Testament.

2339
00:54:48,167 --> 00:54:51,292
"I have come--"
He says right there,

2340
00:54:51,292 --> 00:54:54,250
"I have not come to abolish
them but to," what?

2341
00:54:54,250 --> 00:54:55,750
"Fulfill them."

2342
00:54:55,750 --> 00:54:57,875
So, the whole Old Testament's
about Jesus

2343
00:54:57,875 --> 00:55:00,042
and he's come to fulfill them.

2344
00:55:00,042 --> 00:55:02,292
Oh, why do we not
offer sacrifices?

2345
00:55:02,292 --> 00:55:04,042
Jesus is our sacrifice.

2346
00:55:04,042 --> 00:55:06,042
Why do we not go to the temple?

2347
00:55:06,042 --> 00:55:08,792
Because Jesus is the presence
of God, we go to Jesus.

2348
00:55:08,792 --> 00:55:10,500
Why do we not have a priest?

2349
00:55:10,500 --> 00:55:13,167
Oh, Jesus is our
great high priest.

2350
00:55:13,167 --> 00:55:15,792
Everything's fulfilled in Jesus.

2351
00:55:15,792 --> 00:55:19,500
Jesus came and he said, "I'm not
trying to get rid of the Bible,

2352
00:55:19,500 --> 00:55:20,875
"I'm trying to fulfill it.

2353
00:55:20,875 --> 00:55:23,083
In fact, I'm going to
fulfill all of it."

2354
00:55:23,083 --> 00:55:26,083
"For truly, I say to you, until
heaven and earth pass away,

2355
00:55:26,083 --> 00:55:28,792
"not an iota, not a dot,
will pass from the Law

2356
00:55:28,792 --> 00:55:30,167
until all is accomplished."

2357
00:55:30,167 --> 00:55:32,667
We talk about dotting
the i's and crossing the t's.

2358
00:55:32,667 --> 00:55:34,875
Jesus says, "The whole
Old Testament needs to be

2359
00:55:34,875 --> 00:55:41,000
fulfilled, and I'm here to do
just that, all of it."

2360
00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:45,000
Number two: Jesus has an
argument with religious leaders.

2361
00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:48,167
These are scholars educated
beyond their intelligence.

2362
00:55:48,167 --> 00:55:53,167
In John 5:39-40,
"You search the Scriptures."

2363
00:55:53,167 --> 00:55:56,667
Let me ask you this: is that
a good thing or a bad thing?

2364
00:55:56,667 --> 00:55:58,667
What he's saying is,
"You love to study.

2365
00:55:58,667 --> 00:56:00,500
"You have books, you
have commentaries,

2366
00:56:00,500 --> 00:56:02,292
"you do cross-referencing.

2367
00:56:02,292 --> 00:56:04,667
You're very devoted to
studying the Bible."

2368
00:56:04,667 --> 00:56:06,583
Good or bad?

2369
00:56:06,583 --> 00:56:10,667
Good.

2370
00:56:10,667 --> 00:56:15,458
But if you interpret
it wrongly, bad.

2371
00:56:15,458 --> 00:56:18,667
"You search the Scriptures,"
the Old Testament,

2372
00:56:18,667 --> 00:56:21,083
"because you think that in
them you have eternal life;

2373
00:56:21,083 --> 00:56:25,792
and it is they that bear
witness about me," Jesus says,

2374
00:56:25,792 --> 00:56:29,500
"yet you refuse to come to
me that you may have life."

2375
00:56:29,500 --> 00:56:31,875
Here's what they do:
they come to Jesus,

2376
00:56:31,875 --> 00:56:36,792
the religious scholars, and
they say, "You're not biblical."

2377
00:56:36,792 --> 00:56:39,167
It's just funny, right?

2378
00:56:39,167 --> 00:56:42,375
But if Jesus showed up at Bible
college or seminary, you know,

2379
00:56:42,375 --> 00:56:46,667
it would still happen.

2380
00:56:46,667 --> 00:56:49,500
"You're not biblical."

2381
00:56:49,500 --> 00:56:54,583
"Actually, I'm aware of
the Book to which you refer.

2382
00:56:57,875 --> 00:57:00,333
"And you're
studying it a lot,

2383
00:57:00,333 --> 00:57:03,458
but here's the problem: you
don't know what it's about."

2384
00:57:03,458 --> 00:57:05,167
"Oh really, what's it about?"

2385
00:57:05,167 --> 00:57:07,000
"Me."

2386
00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:10,333
Now, let me say, this is either
the most truthful or the most

2387
00:57:10,333 --> 00:57:12,792
arrogant statement that he could
possibly make at that moment,

2388
00:57:12,792 --> 00:57:14,292
right?

2389
00:57:14,292 --> 00:57:16,292
If I came to you and I said,

2390
00:57:16,292 --> 00:57:18,000
"You know what the Bible's
all about?"

2391
00:57:18,000 --> 00:57:19,667
You said, "What?"
I said, "Me."

2392
00:57:19,667 --> 00:57:25,875
You'd say, "That's--you're
a cult leader."

2393
00:57:25,875 --> 00:57:29,167
Here's the big idea:
the Bible's not about you,

2394
00:57:29,167 --> 00:57:31,750
the Bible's not about me,
the Bible's not about us.

2395
00:57:31,750 --> 00:57:34,333
The Bible's about Jesus.

2396
00:57:34,333 --> 00:57:36,792
Now, the Bible's for you,
and the Bible's for me,

2397
00:57:36,792 --> 00:57:40,250
and the Bible's for us, but
the Bible's about Jesus.

2398
00:57:40,250 --> 00:57:42,042
You get the difference?

2399
00:57:42,042 --> 00:57:45,667
That's what Jesus said.

2400
00:57:45,667 --> 00:57:49,958
You can know a lot of Scripture,
but if you don't know Jesus,

2401
00:57:49,958 --> 00:57:55,000
you don't understand
any of Scripture.

2402
00:57:55,000 --> 00:57:58,375
"You refuse to come to me
that you may have life."

2403
00:57:58,375 --> 00:58:00,875
Have you come to Jesus?

2404
00:58:01,875 --> 00:58:03,792
Have you come to Jesus?

2405
00:58:03,792 --> 00:58:06,000
Some of you say, "But I'm
philosophical, I'm moral,

2406
00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:09,667
I'm theological, I'm studious."

2407
00:58:09,667 --> 00:58:12,583
Have you come to Jesus?

2408
00:58:12,583 --> 00:58:14,667
See, more than a high IQ,

2409
00:58:14,667 --> 00:58:17,583
it takes humility
to be a Christian,

2410
00:58:17,583 --> 00:58:22,542
because you need to receive
the truth that you are a sinner,

2411
00:58:22,542 --> 00:58:26,167
that Jesus is a Savior,
and that you need to come to him

2412
00:58:26,167 --> 00:58:32,167
to have life, spiritual life,
a new birth in your soul,

2413
00:58:32,167 --> 00:58:37,375
eternal life,
resurrection from death.

2414
00:58:37,375 --> 00:58:40,792
Scholarship never saved anyone.

2415
00:58:40,792 --> 00:58:43,875
Good scholarship helps you get
to know the Savior

2416
00:58:43,875 --> 00:58:47,875
who saved you.

2417
00:58:47,875 --> 00:58:52,167
After he dies, after he rises,

2418
00:58:52,167 --> 00:58:54,667
Jesus hosts two Bible studies.

2419
00:58:54,667 --> 00:58:56,667
Amazing.

2420
00:58:56,667 --> 00:58:59,333
There are a lot of places in
the Bible I wish

2421
00:58:59,333 --> 00:59:01,292
I could have beamed in,
you know?

2422
00:59:01,292 --> 00:59:03,667
A little “Star Trek” moment.
Just get me there.

2423
00:59:03,667 --> 00:59:06,000
I'll be back in a--I
just want to go.

2424
00:59:06,000 --> 00:59:09,458
Two of the places near
the top of my list

2425
00:59:09,458 --> 00:59:11,667
are in Luke 24.

2426
00:59:11,667 --> 00:59:15,375
After the resurrection
from death, Luke 24:27,

2427
00:59:15,375 --> 00:59:17,333
"And beginning with Moses
and all the Prophets,"

2428
00:59:17,333 --> 00:59:19,500
that's the Old Testament, "he,"
Jesus,

2429
00:59:19,500 --> 00:59:21,000
"interpreted to them in all--"

2430
00:59:21,000 --> 00:59:23,875
What Scriptures?
All.

2431
00:59:23,875 --> 00:59:27,667
He went to Esther.

2432
00:59:27,667 --> 00:59:31,375
Yeah, he went to the other
books, but he went to Esther.

2433
00:59:31,375 --> 00:59:33,458
Yeah, if I could
have been there,

2434
00:59:33,458 --> 00:59:38,875
this would have been such
a better series, right?

2435
00:59:38,875 --> 00:59:41,500
"He interpreted to them in
all the Scriptures the things

2436
00:59:41,500 --> 00:59:45,167
concerning himself."

2437
00:59:45,167 --> 00:59:48,833
"Okay, go to Genesis, me,
me, me, me, me, me, me, me.

2438
00:59:48,833 --> 00:59:50,667
"Exodus, more me.

2439
00:59:50,667 --> 00:59:52,667
"Leviticus, me, me,
me, me, me, me, me.

2440
00:59:52,667 --> 00:59:55,375
Deuteronomy, me, me,
me, me, me, me, me, me."

2441
00:59:55,375 --> 00:59:57,792
Oh, by the time
he got to Esther,

2442
00:59:57,792 --> 01:00:02,000
that would have been awesome.

2443
01:00:02,000 --> 01:00:05,083
When it says in 1 Corinthians
that when we see Jesus

2444
01:00:05,083 --> 01:00:07,250
face-to-face we'll know
as we're fully known,

2445
01:00:07,250 --> 01:00:09,875
and it says in Isaiah that
in the kingdom of God,

2446
01:00:09,875 --> 01:00:12,792
we won't need a teacher because
the Lord will be our teacher,

2447
01:00:12,792 --> 01:00:15,500
I wonder if we'll get to
go to this Bible study.

2448
01:00:15,500 --> 01:00:18,792
That would be awesome.
Please!

2449
01:00:18,792 --> 01:00:22,750
I will take notes.

2450
01:00:22,750 --> 01:00:26,375
But Jesus said that
the whole Bible was about him.

2451
01:00:26,375 --> 01:00:29,875
Last Bible study that Jesus
taught that we have record of,

2452
01:00:29,875 --> 01:00:33,500
Luke 24:44-45, "'These are
my words that I,'" Jesus,

2453
01:00:33,500 --> 01:00:35,667
"'spoke to you while
I was still with you,

2454
01:00:35,667 --> 01:00:38,083
"'that everything written
about me in the Law of Moses,

2455
01:00:38,083 --> 01:00:41,042
the Prophets, the Psalms,'"
those are the entirety of

2456
01:00:41,042 --> 01:00:45,667
the categories of Old Testament
books, "'must be,'" what?

2457
01:00:45,667 --> 01:00:47,667
"'Fulfilled.'

2458
01:00:47,667 --> 01:00:50,583
Then he opened their minds to
understand the Scriptures."

2459
01:00:50,583 --> 01:00:53,292
You know what it takes to
understand the Scriptures?

2460
01:00:53,292 --> 01:00:56,167
The Holy Spirit
opening your mind.

2461
01:00:56,167 --> 01:00:58,167
The same Holy Spirit who
inspired the writing

2462
01:00:58,167 --> 01:01:02,292
of Scripture illuminates our
understanding of Scripture.

2463
01:01:02,292 --> 01:01:04,667
And here's how you know that
you're understanding

2464
01:01:04,667 --> 01:01:09,042
the Scriptures: you love Jesus.

2465
01:01:09,042 --> 01:01:13,250
You love Jesus, and his
salvation leads to

2466
01:01:13,250 --> 01:01:15,583
your celebration.

2467
01:01:15,583 --> 01:01:18,292
If you open the Bible,
and you start studying,

2468
01:01:18,292 --> 01:01:20,583
and you end up anywhere
other than Jesus,

2469
01:01:20,583 --> 01:01:23,042
you took a wrong turn.

2470
01:01:23,042 --> 01:01:25,875
There are other things
that are secondary,

2471
01:01:25,875 --> 01:01:31,083
but what is primary is that
the whole Bible is about Jesus.

2472
01:01:31,083 --> 01:01:34,792
Mars Hill, it's why I would ask
you to pray for me and all of

2473
01:01:34,792 --> 01:01:38,250
our leaders, that as we open
the Scriptures we would get to

2474
01:01:38,250 --> 01:01:41,083
Jesus, not in an allegorical
way or a mystical way,

2475
01:01:41,083 --> 01:01:44,333
but in a faithful way
and in a biblical way.

2476
01:01:44,333 --> 01:01:47,833
So, when I see a kingdom, I
think of the kingdom of God.

2477
01:01:47,833 --> 01:01:51,375
When I see a king, I think of
Jesus as the King of kings.

2478
01:01:51,375 --> 01:01:53,583
When I see a gallows where
people are crucified,

2479
01:01:53,583 --> 01:01:55,333
I think of the cross of Jesus.

2480
01:01:55,333 --> 01:01:57,500
When I see missionaries
like Mordecai and Esther,

2481
01:01:57,500 --> 01:01:59,792
I think of Jesus crossing
cultures to come into

2482
01:01:59,792 --> 01:02:02,250
human history to seek
and save the lost.

2483
01:02:02,250 --> 01:02:04,333
When I see great
deliverance and salvation,

2484
01:02:04,333 --> 01:02:06,292
I think of the greater
deliverance and salvation

2485
01:02:06,292 --> 01:02:07,958
that Jesus brings.

2486
01:02:07,958 --> 01:02:10,667
When I see someone like
Mordecai speaking shalom,

2487
01:02:10,667 --> 01:02:14,333
I think of Jesus,
the Prince of Shalom.

2488
01:02:14,333 --> 01:02:18,375
So, let me close with this:
Jesus is a better Mordecai.

2489
01:02:18,375 --> 01:02:20,792
Mordecai saved people
from one nation,

2490
01:02:20,792 --> 01:02:24,875
but Jesus saves people
from every nation.

2491
01:02:24,875 --> 01:02:28,292
Mordecai was only able to serve
God's people in his generation,

2492
01:02:28,292 --> 01:02:32,750
but Jesus serves God's
people in every generation.

2493
01:02:32,750 --> 01:02:35,167
Mordecai saved people
from premature death,

2494
01:02:35,167 --> 01:02:39,000
but Jesus saves people
from eternal death.

2495
01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:42,083
Mordecai was a godly ruler
in a godless kingdom,

2496
01:02:42,083 --> 01:02:45,583
but Jesus is God, the King,
whose kingdom rules

2497
01:02:45,583 --> 01:02:47,750
over all kingdoms.

2498
01:02:47,750 --> 01:02:50,458
Mordecai ruled over
a kingdom that came to an end,

2499
01:02:50,458 --> 01:02:54,375
but Jesus rules over
a kingdom that never ends.

2500
01:02:54,375 --> 01:02:57,167
Mordecai is celebrated
every year at Purim,

2501
01:02:57,167 --> 01:03:02,167
but Jesus is celebrated
every week at Communion.

2502
01:03:02,167 --> 01:03:05,292
And Mordecai brought peace
between God's people

2503
01:03:05,292 --> 01:03:07,542
and King Xerxes,

2504
01:03:07,542 --> 01:03:11,375
but Jesus brings peace
between God's people and God.

2505
01:03:11,375 --> 01:03:13,000
Let's pray.

2506
01:03:13,000 --> 01:03:15,667
Father God, I thank you for
the 11-week opportunity I've

2507
01:03:15,667 --> 01:03:20,083
had to study and be studied by
the great book of Esther.

2508
01:03:20,083 --> 01:03:23,250
I thank you for the opportunity
to teach at Mars Hill Church,

2509
01:03:23,250 --> 01:03:26,292
where I preach without
restriction, or limitation,

2510
01:03:26,292 --> 01:03:28,292
or inhibition.

2511
01:03:28,292 --> 01:03:32,000
I thank you, Lord God, that
our people love the Scriptures,

2512
01:03:32,000 --> 01:03:35,000
and they love Jesus, and they
get excited about opening

2513
01:03:35,000 --> 01:03:37,875
the Scriptures to learn
about Jesus.

2514
01:03:37,875 --> 01:03:42,333
Lord Jesus, I pray for us as
a church that we would always

2515
01:03:42,333 --> 01:03:46,875
love the Scriptures and love
learning about you,

2516
01:03:46,875 --> 01:03:50,875
because we become like
the people we love.

2517
01:03:50,875 --> 01:03:54,042
So, Lord Jesus, help us to love
you the most so that we

2518
01:03:54,042 --> 01:03:56,292
become more like you.

2519
01:03:56,292 --> 01:03:59,833
And Lord God, I pray for those
who have not yet come to Jesus,

2520
01:03:59,833 --> 01:04:02,000
that they would
come to Jesus now,

2521
01:04:02,000 --> 01:04:05,750
that they would receive
the life that he gives.

2522
01:04:05,750 --> 01:04:09,667
And Lord God, I pray for us as
a people that salvation would

2523
01:04:09,667 --> 01:04:15,000
demand celebration, spontaneous
singing in our car, in our home,

2524
01:04:15,000 --> 01:04:19,542
praying, rejoicing,
calling friends, texting,

2525
01:04:19,542 --> 01:04:23,250
posting updates talking about
the ways in which you've

2526
01:04:23,250 --> 01:04:28,250
showed up in our life
and the lives of others,

2527
01:04:28,250 --> 01:04:31,167
that we might share in your
joy and we might share it

2528
01:04:31,167 --> 01:04:32,875
with others.

2529
01:04:32,875 --> 01:04:36,292
And so, Lord God, now we come
to celebrate salvation

2530
01:04:36,292 --> 01:04:38,375
in Jesus' name, amen.