FAITH

Mary Did you Knowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IC1ejuQrKg

Psalm 75 NIV

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song. 1 We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds. 2 You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity. 3 When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. 4 To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns. 5 Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak so defiantly.’ ” 6 No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. 7 It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another. 8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs. 9 As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob, 10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”

Pray

Advent Candle Reading

Second Sunday of Advent

(uses Luke 1.26-38, not correlated to RCL)

(Reader 1) Today we light the purple "Bethlehem" candle. It helps focus on the ordering of events and people leading up to the birth of Jesus.

(Reader 2) (Light the first and second purple candles during above reading. After candles are lit, 1st reader continues with next line.)

(1) In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

(2) Mary was greatly troubled at his words. But the angel said, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

(1) "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

(2) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

(1) "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

(2) In the same way that God prepared people for the arrival of his Son, he still prepares people to embrace the Good News of Jesus Christ. He prepares all of us to be his children. He prepares us by helping us to understand his purpose in sending his Son.

Opening Hymn:

Announcements:

Sounds & Tastes of Christmas

Christmas Food Box Apps available

Christmas Food Box distribution will be Dec 18

Jeremiah 23:5–6 NIV

5 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.

Worship Set

Revelation 22:6–17 NIV

6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” 7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” 10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” 12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Prayer Chorus

Prayer

Worship through the Word:

FAITH

A story is told of a king who went to his garden one morning, only to find everything withered and dying. He asked the oak tree that stood near the gate what the trouble was. The oak said it was tired of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine tree. The pine was troubled because it could not bear grapes like the grapevine. The grapevine was determined to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and produce fruit as large as peaches. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac.

And so it went throughout the garden. Yet coming to a violet, the king found its face as bright and happy as ever and said, “Well, violet, I’m glad to find one brave little flower in the midst of this discouragement. You don’t seem to be the least disheartened.” The violet responded, “No, I’m not. I know I’m small, yet I thought if you wanted an oak or a pine or a peach tree or even a lilac, you would have planted one. Since I knew you wanted a violet, I’m determined to be the best little violet I can be.”

Others may do a greater work,

But you have your part to do;

And no one in all God’s family

Can do it as well as you.

(Cowman, Mrs. Charles E. ; Reimann, Jim. Streams in the Desert (p. 22). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. )

Today we will look at two very unlikely heroines. These girls lived in cultures where females were not considered particularly important. Women did not typically carry leadership roles. They were often considered property.

If that were not enough, each of these girls were quite young. Probably somewhere between 12-16 years of age. Yet, both young girls played very important roles leading to the salvation of their people.

With that said, let’s look at today’s text. Be prepared as it is not the one you are probably expecting.

Esther 4:1–17NIV

1 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. 2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4 When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why. 6So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. 9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11“All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” 12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” 17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Pray

FAITH

Did I shock you? How many of you thought I was going to read about Mary?

Well believe it or not, there are some parallels in each of these accounts that we will look at today. To begin, let me give you a refresher course in the story of Esther. Esther is a popular, and better-known account in the Old Testament, but it still isn’t told as frequently as the Christmas story.

The date is about 483 B.C. Xerxes has inherited his father Darius’s throne. He has spent 3 years getting established but now he begins to plan to avenge his father by attacking Greece.

So, he gathers all his advisors and generals to plan for war. Of course, if you are going to have this big of a gathering, and you are anticipating going to war, you may as well make it festive. It is under this backdrop that Xerxes decides to show off the beauty of his queen. He calls for Vashti to come and parade herself before his men.

Now this was not appropriate even in that day. Vashti is probably horrified by such a notion, and she courageously declines parading herself before a roomful of drunken men like some bar maiden.

Well Xerxes is furious and as is the custom, asks his advisors what they think he should do. They declare that Vashti’s refusal is an affront to the king and all his men. They say that this will begin a trend where all women will stop obeying their husbands and so he should banish Vashti from the court and to choose another.

So, Xerxes does as they say and he sends an edict across all the land declaring men are to be the ruler over all their household, anticipating this will put women in their place.

Then Xerxes heads off to war. When he returns, he gets feeling lonely and remembers that Vashti is no longer available to him. He turns to his advisors, and they then suggest a fashion show of all the young maidens of the kingdom to come before the king. He can sample them all and choose one to be queen instead of Vashti.

Well, Xerxes loves this idea. So, all the young girls across the land of marriageable age (12-16) who are considered beautiful are gathered into the harem and each spends 12 months preparing themselves to go before the king. One of them is a young, orphaned Jewess who has been raised by her uncle right there in Susa. As she is leaving, he cautions her not to share her nationality.

Esther was not only beautiful, but she must have been pleasing even in manner as she quickly won the admiration of the eunuch in charge of this harem.

Now, Uncle Mordecai has not totally abandoned Esther, but he hangs around the courtyard of the harem to get news on how she is doing.

When the time came for Esther to come to the king, he was pleased with her beyond all the others, and he makes her queen throwing a banquet in her honor.

Now, after Esther has been made queen, Uncle Mordecai still hangs close to the palace. He is still keeping an eye on this niece he has adopted, and Esther proves herself a good daughter as she has obeyed all he advised her, especially that of keeping her identity secret. One day, he overhears an assassination plot by two of the king’s officers. Mordecai shares it with Esther who in turn gets word to the king.

The king is saved. Now, one of the ways the kings of Persia kept order was by richly rewarding those who did good deeds, but somehow this was missed and not done. This was unusual since it was a normal practice to have done so. This is an important part of this account.

Time goes on and Xerxes honors a man named Haman who is an Agagite and elevates him above all the other noblemen of the court. Many people then bowed and honored Haman as well, but not Mordecai. You see, there had been bad blood between the Agagites and the Jews for many years. Now it was not a law for anyone to bow to Haman, it was just what most people did out of respect for the kings right-hand-man. But Haman, who was a very selfish and proud man, was angered by Mordecai’s lack of respect. Especially since Mordecai was a Jew. Haman’s hate is not directed at Mordecai alone. He hates all Jews, so he devises a plan. Haman goes to the king, and he manipulates the king. He talks of a people group (he does not name them), that are different and not respectful to the king. Haman declares them troublemakers. He then bribes the king by promising to put funds in the king’s treasury if he will allow Haman to destroy these people.

The king without really checking into the facts, gives Haman his official signet ring to do whatever he pleases.

So, Haman casts a lot to choose a date to call for the people across the land to kill all the Jews. This is then sealed with the king’s ring making this decree irreversible. This decree is then carried throughout all the provinces of Persia.

When Mordecai hears of it, he goes into mourning and sits under the palace gate where Esther can see him. She sends help to him, which he refuses. He then sends word to her describing all that has happened along with a copy of the edict, and he asks her to go to the king to plead their case.

Now this presents a problem. The queen has no real power unless the king gives it. She has no right to go to him without his requesting her and he has not done so in a month. By the time he does so again, it could be too late. To go to him without his permission, he could have her killed on the spot.

But you know the story, Mordecai in bold faith declares if she doesn’t God will bring another source of rescue, but perhaps this is the very reason she has been placed there. Now, we all know that it doesn’t mention God, but that was where the Jews turned in times of trouble. They believed God moved providentially in their lives. If God placed her there to do this and she doesn’t, she stands condemned by God.

Now we find Esther is also a person of faith. She calls for all the Jews in Susa to pray and fast with her for 3 days and nights, and then she will go into the king.

When the time comes, I am not sure any of us can imagine what it felt like for her to go before the king. She was probably quaking with fear, but she did it anyway. I can just imagine it. She is standing tall and erect slowly approaching the doorway, then he glances up. His face softens and he breaks out in a smile of delight as he extends his scepter to her. What a rush of relief she must have felt!

Then the king in his delight of her, asks what she wishes offering her half of the kingdom.

She is wise as well as beautiful. She doesn’t just blurt out her plea, she instead invites the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet, she still hesitates to make her request. We do not know why. Perhaps she is still nervous about it. Perhaps the king is drunk, and she feels it is not the right time, or his mind is on other things. When he once again inquires, she again requests his and Haman’s attendance at yet another banquet the next day.

Whatever the reason behind her hesitancy, we see that God is in it. God may not be named but He is obviously at work behind the scenes here. That night the king is unable to sleep. Perhaps the queen’s hesitancy to make her request is on his mind or some other business. He calls for a servant to read to him from the most boring book he has, the chronicles of his reign. This is a list of dates, times, and events that have taken place. The servant reads the part about Mordecai’s revelation of a plot to kill the king. Xerxes stops the servant. What was done to thank Mordecai. Nothing he is told. Nothing? How could he have missed this.

The next day he comes to court seeking a means to honor Mordecai. Meantime, Haman arrives early to ask for Mordecai to be impaled on a pole he has put up for the purpose.

The king asks Haman’s advice on how to honor someone properly and Haman thinking the king wishes to honor him, after all, wasn’t he so special that even the queen invited him to her banquets? So, he suggests a royal robe be placed on his shoulders, and a royal mount to carry the man through town announcing, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”

It must have taken every bit of strength Haman had to hold his tongue when Xerxes said, “Do this for Mordecai.” Haman would have been humiliated to lead Mordecai through town making the kings pronouncement.

Later that day, at the queen’s banquet, things go from bad to worse. The queen finally shares her request is to save her life and the life of her people from the evil edict sent out by Haman.

Xerxes is furious. He leaves to go to the garden to get ahold of himself and determine how to respond. Haman then falls on Esther to plead for his life. Unfortunately, the king re-enters at that moment and thinks Haman is assaulting the queen.

The king has Haman impaled on the very pole he erected for Mordecai. He then promotes Mordecai to prime minister over the kingdom and gives all Haman’s property to Queen Esther. However, this does not save her people and an edict issued with the king’s ring is irreversible. Queen Esther pleads her case again, and the king gives her his ring to create an edict of her own. This time the edict is that the Jews can take up arms and protect themselves.

And so, they do. And the rulers and others of the land take up arms with them to protect them. They even become Jews themselves out of respect for Mordecai and the king who has now championed these Jews. You would think that those who wanted the Jews dead would step aside from attacking the Jews, but hate is a powerful motivator. There are many who still turn out to attack the Jews, but some 500 are killed in Susa and something like 75,000 across the province fall. All because of the hate of one man which gave vent to the hatred of these others.

Now, this may not seem like much of a Christmas story but allow me to quickly list some parallels between this account and the Christmas account.

1. This is a story of salvation.

God’s people were facing death. Their enemy had worked through deception to bring death to their door.

The Christmas account is also a story of God’s people facing death through deception of the enemy. Satan tempted God’s people, Adam and Eve, by deceptive means and when they fell for it, it brought death into this world. Not just to Adam and Eve, but to all people.

The story of Christmas is the account of God coming to earth to provide the means for his people to be saved from death. Just like his intervention prevented their death in Persia.

2. God is working even when He is not seen.

In the book of Esther, we do not see God, but the evidence of His working behind the scenes is there. A Jewish girl becomes queen in Persia. Mordecai overhears an assassination plot and works to save the king. When Haman is about to have Mordecai killed, the king is unable to sleep and is reminded of Mordecai’s saving his life and that he was never rewarded. This deed softens the king to the Jews and prepares him to hear Esther’s request to save the Jews.

In the Christmas account, the Jews have not heard from God in hundreds of years. They are still waiting for a Messiah, but God has been quiet. However, God has not forgotten them. God has a plan. He was working behind the scenes and when the time was right, He orchestrates all that takes place that first Christmas.

This brings us to the next point.

3. God sets the details in place.

There is no such thing as a co-incidence where God is involved. Too many things worked out too perfectly in the account of Esther to be a coincidence. It is the same with the account of Christmas. There were so many prophecies given in advance of these events. All were fulfilled. God put all the pieces in place fulfilling every word of prophecy. The prophecies are the evidence of God at work behind the scenes, but the fulfillment is God setting the details all in order.

4. God’s timing is always perfect!

What would have happened if Esther had made her request at the first banquet before the king had that sleepless night where he was reminded of Mordecai’s faithfulness? We do not know, but we know that the way things worked out were all timed perfectly.

So, it was with Christmas. God had waited until the timing was perfect for the account of Christ’s salvation to be taken to the whole world.

We can trust that God’s timing for the rapture and Christ’s second coming will be perfect as well.

5. God uses people you wouldn’t expect.

Esther and Mary were probably about the same age. They were young teenage girls in a world that considered women property. Yet, God used them both. Esther’s faith and obedience provided the door for God to save her people throughout Persia.

Mary’s faith and obedience provided the avenue for God to be incarnated here on earth.

Both girls faced difficult and scary situations, but they walked boldly forward in faith. They risked their lives and God used them in incredible ways that have never been forgotten.

6. God turns the evil plans of men against them.

Psalm 37:12–13NIV

12 The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

Haman planned on impaling Mordecai, but instead Mordecai saw Haman impaled. We may live in an evil world, but God does protect His people. Some may perish, but we need to remember what they perish to…everlasting life in the presence of Almighty God. But God never allows the wicked to last for long. Egypt, Babylon, Nazi Germany eventually all fell. And eventually Satan will fall for ever more.

If you do not think that Haman’s hate of the Jews was Satanic driven, let me alert you to a small detail. The lot Haman cast for the Jews to die fell on the same date as Passover. Do you think that was a coincidence? No, Satan hates God’s people and he is determined to destroy us, but God has our backs.

God gets a bad rap for something He didn’t do. God designed a perfect world. It was beautiful and everything was good. Satan is the one who brought death, deception, and destruction to this world, yet people always blame God for these things.

But one day, just has Haman got his just deserts, so will Satan. The time of his destruction began to count down, the minute one little teenage girl named Mary said,

Luke 1:38NIV

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,…May your word to me be fulfilled.”

God is still working behind the scenes and setting all the details in place. His timing is still perfect. He still uses improbable people. And when the time is perfect, He will return, and the evil plans of men will be turned against them. They will be judged, and King Jesus will make all things right. We can count on that.

As we journey through this advent season, what is it God is calling you to do? You may think you are an unlikely person to do the task, but I guarantee you, you are no less unlikely than Esther or Mary.

The glory of God entered our world again when Jesus was born. Now we are His glory and light in this world taking the message of Christmas and Easter to our world. God was born among us. God walked among us and instructed us in righteousness. We have His words to continue to lead us. We are to be salt and light in this world of darkness until the day of His return.

Matthew 5:13–16NIV

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Through faith, we become salt and light to this world. Esther’s faith led others to become Jews and learn about God. This is always the case. There were others who joined Israel in leaving Egypt. They accepted the Jewish faith. Along the way, others joined them. People like Rahab who was saved when Jericho fell.

Mary’s faith would have had an impact on others. One seems to be her sister who is mentioned as a follower of Jesus.

Christmas is a perfect time to share our faith in Christ and to point others to the truth of Christmas. It is not about Santa Claus or presents or snow or romance. It is not even about families being together, though that is not a bad thing. It is about God being born of a teenage virgin to dwell among us. To teach us. Then to die on our behalf, conquering death, so that we may also conquer death and know the glorious life He always intended for us.

The task we each have is to proclaim this truth to those around us!

Pray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmWdHffqPzY

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen