The Archer's Paradox: Promptings
Hearing the Voice of God • Sermon • Submitted
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People:
Speak into our lives to help us rid ourselves of those things that separate us from God and by doing so produce a heart of repentance.
Speak into our lives and help us see spiritual matters more clearly; while strengthening and encouraging us.
Sometimes well meaning people speak into our lives in a way that can easily keep us off track and keep us from fulfilling God’s will and plan for our life.
We must be fluent in God’s Word and diligent to intentionally have our time with Him; disciplining ourselves to hear and know His voice.
Then we can discern the voice of emotion and God’s voice.
This week we are going to talk about a sixth language through which God speaks and that is Promptings.
Trivia: In what year did these things happen? 1908
A loaf of bread cost five cents BUT sliced bread would not be invented for two more decades.
Women couldn’t vote
Teddy Roosevelt was president
Henry Ford produced his first Model T.
Movies were silent
The Chicago Cubs won the World Series
How many years later did the Cubs again win the World series? 108
With how many stitches is a baseball sewn together? 108
World Series MVP Ben Zobrist hit the winning pitch for the Cubs.
How does a batter hit a ball that is 2.86 inches in diameter and travels 60 feet, 6 inches in .43 seconds?
Consider: it takes 1/5 of a second for the retina to receive incoming messages, and by then the ball is already halfway to home plate.
The margin of error is just 10 milliseconds. That is fifteen times faster than the blink of an eye.
So back to the original question - how does a batter make the successful hit? Good vision and Good timing.
What did Solomon say about timing?
Bartel:
Nudge is a means of encouraging and guiding behavior without mandating or instructing it.
What are some nudges we see or know about in the story of Esther?
7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king.
7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.
Hegai was prompted to show favor to Esther
10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.
21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
Esther 2:
Mordecai told Esther not to tell of her nationality.
Mordecai told Esther not to tell of her nationality.
Mordecai told Esther not to tell of her nationality.
21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
Mordecai told Esther about the plot against the king.
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?”
Mordecai told Esther about the plot against the king.
Mordecai was prompted to encourage Esther to seize the opportunity God set before her to save her people.
1 On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3 And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
Esther
Insomnia prompted or nudged the king to have his records read to him and it happened to be that of Mordecai revealing the plot that saved the king’s life.
The parading of Mordecai by Haman nudged Haman to plot against the Jews
Mordecai prompted Esther to go to the king.
Time: chronos - clock time or calendar time - sequential; linear, moving in only one direction. Quantitative - counts minutes
kairos - opportune time; qualitative captures moments
I see kairos in the parading of Mordecai by Haman
Jeremiah 29:
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
God’s timing is always perfect. His timing is not like ours!
Mom’s prompting
Patty’s testimony