Born For This

Born For This: Embracing the Moments of Purpose

Bible Passage: Esther 2:15-17, Esther 5:1-3, Esther 7:1-6, Jeremiah 29:11

Introduction: This is week 6 in our Generations series “Born for This.”

Every Generation is here on Purpose

Every Generation must be ready to Embrace the Moments of Purpose

Every Moment in life holds the potential for God’s purpose: when we recognize and seize these moments, we can fulfill our divine calling & impact our generation!

We see this in Esther’s Life in the Book of Esther.

Summary: The passages we will be reading, recount the pivotal moments in Esther's life where her courage and wise use of her position led to the salvation of her people. The plan was signed & sealed - but her story illustrates how small daily decisions can lead to monumental outcomes through the divine plan and power of God.

Esther 2:15–17 “When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”

1. Providence Prepares the Path

God orchestrates our placement and circumstances often in unexpected ways

The reason Esther was in this position, was because God put her there! God already knew that the King would dismiss Queen Vashti. As powerful as the king thought he was, God was always in control. It was the sovereign hand of God placed her in this specific situation, not by chance, but with purpose.

The Path Wasn’t Easy: She was an orphan, lost her mom and dad at a young age, lived with her cousin who saw her as a daughter. She was a Jew in exile in Persia (lots of hardships & disqualifications)

In & through Every Moment:

God protects

God preserves

God places (us where he needs us to be to make a difference)

God’s Providence will always Prepare the Path!

There’s No such Thing as a Small Moment

God can use all of our pain, hard circumstances, and whatever else we think disqualifies us to set up a bigger stage for God to use us in bigger ways than we might perceive right now.

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

How we respond to every moment Matters

The No’s in life can be used in part of God’s plan & Preparation - You might not like how it “feels” - but you can have peace in knowing God can use it!

How we respond to small and big moments is either preparing us or disqualifying us

2. Potential Cultivates in the Process

Esther 2:17 “the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”

What made Esther stand out from all other girls?

Her beauty & Christlike Character traits - neither happened overnight! It took time to form into the woman she became.

Esther 2:7 ESV

“…The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at”

Esther 2:15 “When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her.”

It wasn’t just her beauty… It was her Character - after her actions of asking for nothing more … “Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her.”

Greater Potential Can be Developed in the Process

Korean Street food Bag in Freezer… Decided to try it and it was pretty terrible….my brother “is it supposed to be eaten that way or is it supposed to go through a process”….

Esther became more beautiful inside & out throughout the Process & used these gifts for the benefit of the Kingdom of God!

Despite her early life challenges or trauma, she didn’t use that as her excuse to justify her future decisions! She could have become bitter, angry, spiteful of what others had… but instead we see her become honest, humble, grateful..”

What Has God given you? And what are you doing with God has given you?

You might not have the qualities Esther had, but what do you have?

Don’t focus on what you don’t have: She didn’t focus on what she had lost, she focused on what she had been given “for such a time as this”

Are you honest? Loyal? Smart? Creative? Musically talented? Graceful personality?

God wants to use that!! To fulfill his purposes for your life in the Kingdom of God

If I go back 25 years from now, I have to be honest and say I had no idea what God was doing… what I did know is that I wanted to be FAITHFUL: I gave God what I had…

Story of being selected main drummer for Ambassadors: i really don’t think i was the best…honestly.. but what Got me that position wasn’t my skill. My Skill got me to the door - But God’s FAVORITE Got me in the ROOM! - It was that moment that changed the entire direction of my life.

3. Purpose in the Palace

Esther grew up an ordinary Jewish girl… I’m sure she had a picture in her mind of what her future would look like.. but this was certainly not what she had imagined.

Seemed like a fairytale… until she realized WHY SHE WAS THERE

Every other moment had prepared her for this very moment

We have to be able to recognize why God places us where we are! (Not a coincidence)

The evil plot of Haman, one of the Kings advisor, to exterminate the entire Jewish people!

What he did not know was that God had placed a Courageous Jewish Girl as the New Queen of Persia!!

Esther’s Responds out of both reality and fear: “I’m not supposed to go in to the kings chamber in the next 30 days.. unless i want to die”

Mordecai’s Response to Esther: Esther 4:14 “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?”

Older generation… We have to challenge, we have to remind them of their purpose..

Esther realized: THIS IS WHY THE LORD HAS PUT ME IN THIS POSITION

THIS CHANGED HOW SHE APPROACHED HER POSITION: Esther took the Crown not as a queen but as a child of God!

don’t lose your identity as a child of God

Walk & Lead with Wisdom, Conviction & Courage

Understand your calling always points to the Kingdom of God

Esther 5:1–2 ESV

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, in front of the king’s quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

The King Tells her: “Ask whatever you wish and even to the half of my kingdom, it will be done”

In Chapter 8 & 9 - we see her request granted. And the King gave her more than she had requested.. Haman was killed, the decree was revoked, and the men that were going to kill the Jews along with haman were also killed… the whole plan reversed!

What’s the importance of this moment:

If they destroy the Jews, the destroy to lineage and future generations!

This lineage includes the line of King David which also leads to the coming of Jesus!

AND GOD CHOSE ESTHER TO INTERRUPT THE ENEMIES PLAN!!! SHE FULFILLED HER PURPOSE!