Esther 4

Intro

Students this was the hardest message I have ever wrote

This literally broke me multiple times

But this is something that you must learn

Something that I believe God is trying to teach you all

Don’t miss this lesson

There is only one thing I want you to see tonight

This isn’t going to be a long message

This isn’t going to be a very eloquent message

This is very simply what I believe God wants us to see

If I die, I die

Esther 4:13–14 ESV

13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Remember Mordecai tells Esther this is her time to step up

Last week we talked about how God wants to use you, but doesn’t need you

We talked about how you are where you are for a reason

How Mordecai looked at Esther and said - if you don’t do it, someone else will, but there will be punishment for you

We talked about how you are in the place you are, with the friends, family, relationships for a reason

Listen to Esther’s response

Esther 4:15–17 ESV

15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

Esther’s response to what Mordecai said was simply this “if I perish, I perish”

In other words, if I die, I die

Esther said she will do what it takes, and if she is killed for it, she is killed for it

Here’s the one point

Can you say that?

Can you be like Esther and be willing to say those words?

If I die, I die

The preacher in Ecclesiastes tells us this

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 ESV

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

There is a time for everything

This is what Esther knew

She realized that God placed her where she is for a reason

That her becoming Queen wasn’t a mistake

That her being Jewish, and Hamon trying to kill all the Jews wasn’t a mistake

That everything she faced in life wasn’t a mistake

She knew God, and knew her calling, and that lead her to say

“If I die, I die”

So can we say that?

Do you have a faith in Jesus that allows you to say that?

A faith that allows you to hear what the preacher in Ecclesiastes says and still say “If I die, I die”

There has been so many tragedies that have rocked REVO this year

Only mention this if the Spirit leads

Skyler - the little boy who died by foster parents

Hannah Fain Stewart - just had her baby, and died suddenly

Tristan’s brother - got killed by a bull, while competing at a bull riding competition

Blake - South Stokes senior heading to senior night for baseball, died in a car wreck

Madi and Jayce - died in a car wreck heading to go fishing

Only mention this if the Spirit leads

There has been deaths, divorces, fighting, and pain

So my question to you is this - can you say what Esther said? “If I die, I die”

Esther’s life wasn’t great

She was taken from her family

Forced into sex slavery

She did become queen, but that doesn’t give her power, just the knowledge that she is the highest woman in a culture that doesn’t care at all about women

She knows that her people are about to die

YET - her faith allows her to say “If I die, I die”

Her faith in Jehovah allows her to continue

The knowledge that God is near and with her gives her the strength to continue

She knew Psalm 23, one of the most beautiful passages

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

She knew that the Lord was her shepherd

That He was with her

That He would protect her and care for her

That He prepared a table before her surrounded by her enemies

She knew that God was with her

What about you?

Do you know that?

Life is short and we are not guaranteed tomorrow

We are not guaranteed tomorrow

Death will come to all

It’s not a question of if we will die, but what we do before we die

It’s not a question of if we will die, but where will we be when we die

Matt McCullough said it best in his book Remember Death

If death is someone else’s problem, Jesus is someone else’s savior.

Matt McCullough

Until you realize that death is certain, you can’t see the beauty of the Gospel

Until you realize that death is real, Jesus’ sacrifice means nothing

Jesus died, for YOU!

He took the place for you!

He died to offer you life eternal

But until you realize that you cannot save yourself you cannot accept Jesus

You must be like Esther and realize that there is something more important than you and what you want

You must be like Esther and realize that death is certain

You must realize that death is coming

James 4:14 ESV

14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

We are a vapor, a blip in the radar

Death is coming

The question then is can you answer like Esther

Do you have faith in Jesus to be able to say “if I die, I die”

Do you trust Jesus?