Obedience in the Midst of Providence

Intro:

Last week, we talked about THE HIDDEN HAND OF PROVIDENCE

Recognizing that while God is never mentioned in the book of Esther…

He is providentially at work and is certainly present!

We were reminded that GOD REMEMBERS us, and has brought us HERE FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS!

Today, we are going to look at our OBEDIENCE in the MIDST OF THIS PROVIDENCE!

Today, WE ARE INTRODUCED TO THIS ESTHER and her COUSIN MORDICAI!

Esther 2:7 CSB

7 Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.

Her Persian name is Esther but her Hebrew name is Hadassah

Catch this…..Hadassah means “Myrtle”

Several Hundred years before Esther, ISAIAH wrote these words…

Isaiah 55:13 CSB

13 Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up; this will stand as a monument for the Lord, an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.

Thorns and Briers will be replaced by Cypress and Myrtle

Desolation will be turned into Beauty

What is cursed will be deemed BLESSED

But there is something special about MYRTLE…..

30 years later in Nehemiah, we see a people who have RETURNED to JERUSALEM FROM EXILE….and EZRA READS THEM THE BOOK OF THE LAW

Nehemiah 8:13–18 CSB

13 On the second day, the family heads of all the people, along with the priests and Levites, assembled before the scribe Ezra to study the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in shelters during the festival of the seventh month. 15 So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make shelters, just as it is written.” 16 The people went out, brought back branches, and made shelters for themselves on each of their rooftops and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, and the square by the Ephraim Gate. 17 The whole community that had returned from exile made shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. And there was tremendous joy. 18 Ezra read out of the book of the law of God every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

We see returned EXILES back at JERUSALEM celebrating SUKKOT for the first time like this since JOSHUA close to 1,000 years ago

They built SUKKAHs as they celebrated….FEAST OF TABERNACLES or BOOTHS….REJOICE UNTO THE LORD

Part of this celebration was to weave together a palm branch with the MRYTLE and other leafy tress….and they would wave them as a symbolic act of REJOICING

And it was to help them REMEMBER that GOD REMEMBERED THEIR PEOPLE in the WILDERNESS!

SO FOLLOW ME!

The Events of Esther are occuring with an EXILED PEOPLE in SUSA….in their own WILDERNESS

And Esther’s Hebrew name is HADASSAH which means MYRTLE…

Which happens to be what is used to wave around as one REJOICES that GOD REMEMBERS HIS PEOPLE!

IT IS ALMOST AS IF the HIDDEN PROVIDENTIAL HAND OF GOD is preparing HIS PEOPLE as HE WEAVES TOGETHER the story of ESTHER (His own MRYTLE) and WAVES her in front of THE PERSIAN KING to REMEMBER HIS PEOPLE as THEY WILL ONCE AGAIN BE DELIVERED.

Isn’t GOD AMAZING…..HE IS A GOD WHO REMEMBERS!!!

PRAY

I. God is PROVIDENTIAL in GUIDING ESTHER through MORDECAI.

We see this in God’s Providence in what seemed like the SHADOWS of ESTHER’S LIFE.

When I say Shadows of Life, I am talking about those moments that seem darker in life.

And these moments can come for all kinds of reasons.

It may be that you feel as if you didn’t get the same OPPORTUNITY AS SOMEONE ELSE.

It may be due to some POOR DECISIONS THAT YOU HAVE MADE.

It could be those moments of YOU FEEL MORE ALONE.

It may be due to SOMETHING or SOMEONE BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU.

It could just be that it seems like THERE IS A DARK CLOUD OVER YOU THAT WONT LEAVE.

The shadows of life are where it seems (at least at first) that the LIGHT OF CHRIST is at a distance!

And there are some of these moments in the Life of ESTHER and her cousin MORDECAI

Esther 2:1–18 CSB

1 Some time later, when King Ahasuerus’s rage had cooled down, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what was decided against her. 2 The king’s personal attendants suggested, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom, so that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem at the fortress of Susa. Put them under the supervision of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women, and give them the required beauty treatments. 4 Then the young woman who pleases the king will become queen instead of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly. 5 In the fortress of Susa, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite. 6 Kish had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the other captives when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took King Jeconiah of Judah into exile. 7 Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. 8 When the king’s command and edict became public knowledge and when many young women were gathered at the fortress of Susa under Hegai’s supervision, Esther was taken to the palace, into the supervision of Hegai, keeper of the women. 9 The young woman pleased him and gained his favor so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem’s best quarters. 10 Esther did not reveal her ethnicity or her family background, because Mordecai had ordered her not to make them known. 11 Every day Mordecai took a walk in front of the harem’s courtyard to learn how Esther was doing and to see what was happening to her. 12 During the year before each young woman’s turn to go to King Ahasuerus, the harem regulation required her to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months. 13 When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the palace. 14 She would go in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the supervision of the king’s eunuch Shaashgaz, keeper of the concubines. She never went to the king again, unless he desired her and summoned her by name. 15 Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter. When her turn came to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women, suggested. Esther gained favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Ahasuerus in the palace in the tenth month, the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She won more favor and approval from him than did any of the other virgins. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 The king held a great banquet for all his officials and staff. It was Esther’s banquet. He freed his provinces from tax payments and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.

We see a couple different Shadows of Life:

The Shadow of a TOUGH UPBRINGING

Esther 2:7 “7 Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she had no father or mother…When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.”

We are not told how Esther’s parents died….BUT WE KNOW THAT SHE BECAME A JEWISH ORPHAN

However, she had a cousin named MORDECAI that ADOPTED HER AS HIS OWN!

The Shadow of BEING AN EXILE

Esther 2:5–6 “5 In the fortress of Susa, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite. 6 Kish had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the other captives when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took King Jeconiah of Judah into exile.”

And so we have MORDECAI who’s GREAT GRANDPA was CAPTURED and EXILED FROM JERUSALEM

And now HE IS RAISING HIS COUSIN as his own DAUGHTER as an 3rd GENERATION EXILE

The Shadow of Uncertainty

Esther 2:14 “14 She would go in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the supervision of the king’s eunuch Shaashgaz, keeper of the concubines. She never went to the king again, unless he desired her and summoned her by name.”

She was caught up in the midst of this huge deal with the King

Some call it a Beauty Pageant and some call it a season of THE BACHELOR FROM PERSIA

Who knows, but no doubt a lot of uncertainty

All the Beautiful Women gathered from 127 provinces

But in this, we see the way GOD REMEMBERS ESTHER AND GUIDES HER WITH HIS HIDDEN HAND!

I keep thinking about Psalm 23 lately, especially the first four verses:

Psalm 23:1–4 NKJV

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, 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.

The HIDDEN STAFF is not mentioned in ESTHER, but the GOOD SHEPHERD is WITH THEM and is LEADING and GUIDING!

One of the clearest ways we see this is through the RELATIONSHIP between ESTHER AND MORDECAI.

Esther 2:10–11 “10 Esther did not reveal her ethnicity or her family background, because Mordecai had ordered her not to make them known. 11 Every day Mordecai took a walk in front of the harem’s courtyard to learn how Esther was doing and to see what was happening to her.”

The Lord’s Rod and Staff is LEADING ESTHER through MORDECAI!

Esther 2:20 “20 Esther still did not reveal her family background or her ethnicity, as Mordecai had directed. She obeyed Mordecai’s orders, as she always had while he raised her.”

I love the power behind this!

This is the way that the LORD OFTEN LEAD ME!

When first coming to CHRIST, there was so much that I didn't know!

ALL I KNEW WAS THAT HE WAS REAL AND I BELIEVED HIS WORD!

But I had a relationship with my Step-dad where I too OBEYED WHILE I WAS BEING RAISED!

The Lord lead us this way….

HIS HIDDEN HAND HOLDING HIS HIDDEN STAFF constantly LEADING AND GUIDING!

We must recognize this today!

Many of y'all watched the FORGE MOVIE with us Friday, it is so powerful to see the POWER OF THESE DISCIPLESHIP RELATIONSHIPS!

Something I am coming to learn is that ALL KIDS GROW UP….BUT FEW ARE BEING RAISED UP!

This is true in the FAITH AS WELL!

CHRISTIANS WILL ALWAYS GET OLDER….BUT WE SHOULD BE GETTING MORE MATURE

AND THE LORD often does this by LETTING US RAISE UP ONE ANOTHER

II. God wants to USE YOU as HE GUIDES OTHERS WITH HIS HIDDEN HAND!

Jesus said, “I have Come so that you may have life and have it in Abundance.” (John 10:10)

It is amazing what happens when someone finds this ABUNDANT LIFE!

There is a resurrection that happens within them….

Who once walk around defeated….now walks in victory

Who once walk around numb….now walks with purpose and vigor

One who is made ALIVE inside and given the JOY OF LIFE backed by the PEACE OF LIFE!

But we DO NOT FIND this ABUNDANT LIFE ON OUR OWN.

We need other believers in our life to steer us toward CHRIST….the one who GIVES THIS LIFE!

The life where our lips are…

Quenched with the TASTE OF THE LIVING WATER

And Satisfied with the BREAD FROM HEAVEN!

Jesus came to give us this Abundant Life

A LIFE that….

Is full and truly SATISFYING

Overflows and is Rich

But GOD MEANT FOR US TO EXPERIENCE THIS ABUNDANT LIFE IN RELATIONSHIPS!

III. We want to CALL YOU TO SAP DISCIPLESHIP: THE ABUNDANT LIFE CYCLE

God has given our church a way to BE INTENTIONAL WITH THESE TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS!

Relationships that lead to ABUNDANT LIFE!

Relationships that are LIFE on LIFE!

Where we see ONE ANOTHER RAISED UP IN CHRIST!

This process is called SAP DISCIPLESHIP!

This is something we believe has its foundation in the WORD OF GOD!

In the Gospels, Jesus talks about sowing seed and how some of those seeds sprouted and yielded fruit while others did not.

In 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

We wanted a clear process for what it looked like to see someone go from that SEED stage to SOMEONE WHO SOWS SEED THEMSELVES

And so the SAP DISCIPLESHIP is really a GROWTH GUIDE THAT HELPS US BE INTENTIONAL IN THIS ABUNDANT LIFE!

SAP stands for the stages of this process:

S is for SPROUTS

These are those who have heard the GOSPEL and have RESPONDED TO CHRIST

However, they are a NEW BELIEVER or a BELIEVER THAT HAS NOT BEEN DISCIPLED

They are PURSUING A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

They need the LIGHT OF CHRIST and the LIVING WATER

Isaiah 61:11 ESV

11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

A is for ABIDERS

These are those that are learning to ABIDE IN CHRIST

They are Maturing Disciples who are starting to BEAR FRUIT

They HAVE A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

They are in need of Pruning and Producing

John 15:4 ESV

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

John 15:8 CSB

8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.

P is for PLANTERS

They are sowing the Gospel into the lives of others

They are those that are DISCIPLE-MAKING

They are TEACHING A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

They are in need of Reproducing and Tending the Ground.

Colossians 1:28–29 CSB

28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.

This process is intentional with these stages.

SPROUTS are PAIRED with PLANTERS for 10 WEEKS where you go through THE GROWTH GUIDE and the book ROOTED TOGETHER!

And then the SPROUT BECOMES an ABIDER for 5 MONTHS in a group of 4-8 MEN or 4-8 WOMEN

And then the ABIDER becomes a PLANTER and is PAIRED with EITHER a SPROUT or a group of ABIDERS

WE WANT TO HELP YOU FIND OUT WHAT STAGE YOU ARE AT!

We would love for you to come and get a SAP ASSESSMENT: To see Where Are You in the Abundant Life Cycle?

Come and get one and spend a moment praying

Fill this out and follow the instructions on the last page GIVE US THE LAST PAGE BACK.

Conclusion:

Once again, we see The HIDDEN HAND OF PROVIDENCE in the story of ESTHER

We see a GOD WHO REMEMBERS HIS PEOPLE

We see a GOD WHO GUIDES HIS PEOPLE

AND WE SEE A PEOPLE TRYING TO BE FAITHFUL IN THE MIDST OF PROVIDENCE!

WILL YOU BE FAITHFUL IN THE MIDST OF PROVIDENCE TODAY!

I believe God…

Has providently BROUGHT YOU HERE TODAY

He has providently place people in your life, IN THIS CHURCH, to grow in CHRIST WITH!

In His providence, we are to plant and water AND WATCH GOD GIVE THE GROWTH!

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TODAY?

Will you be obedient!

This is what we are going to be praying and FASTING ABOUT THIS WEEK!

WHERE ARE WE ON THE ABUNDANT LIFE CYCLE!?