Our God is Greater!

Title: Our God is Greater!

Text: Esther 6:1-13

The Emphasis verse will be verse 13.

Intro:

· Until now, Esther has been a relatively discouraging book:

o A young orphan girl is taken and made the property of a pagan king.

o Her people have a scheduled day for their genocide.

o And her cousin is hours away from his own death.

· But things are about to change.

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.

· The King happens to have a sleepless night.

· Ever have a sleepless night? Get up and read!

· Book of chronicles. Bedtime story.

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.”

· Remember 2:19-23

· 2 of the King's eunuchs plotted his assassination. Mordecai spoiled the plot and saved the king's life.

· It's a big deal that Mordecai was not rewarded. Would he ever save the king again?

· What if word got out? Who would ever save the king's life?

4 And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

5 And the king’s young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.”

· We've already discovered the King can't think for himself.

· He needs an advisor.

· He happens to have Haman in the court.

6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?”

7 And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor,

8 let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set.

9 And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’ ”

· Pride goes before the fall

· Haman can't imagine anyone else that the king might would want to honor.

· The king's robes and horse represent intimacy and confidence. It shows a very close connection, and will give him even more power than he already has.

10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”

· Here's the pivotal point. Haman has to honor the man he hates. How many times does God do this?

11 So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

1 Cor. 1:27-29 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

·

12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.

13 And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”

Application Point #1: Our God is Greater than Your Circumstances

· Think about Mordecai. He wore sackcloth and mourned his own death sentence. Now he wears the King's robes.

· What death sentence do you have?

o Hell - Sin - God is Greater!

o Cancer - God is Greater!

o Covid - God is Greater!

· But they died? Believers live forever in eternity with Jesus!

· Phil. 1:21- For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!

o Poverty? God is Greater!

o Hunger? God is Greater!

o Thirsty? God is Greater!

o Marriage troubles? God is Greater!

o Addicted children? God is Greater!

Wayward grandchildren? God is Greater!

God is greater than whatever you are dealing with personally.

Application Point #2: Our God is Greater than the World's Circumstances

· What about when the world is against you? What about when the world is stronger than you?

· What about when the world is great and comes against Christianity?

o When a certain person is set against you? God is still Greater!

o When the culture is against you? God is Greater!

o When legislation and justice stand against Biblical doctrine?

o When the government stands against Christian values and beliefs? God is Greater!

o When the presidential administration opposes Christian doctrine? God is Greater!

o No matter what happens on Tuesday, God is Greater!!

Application Point #3: Our God is Greater than Great

· One of the beautiful things about Esther is that God never demonstrates his power in the typical ways.

· In Exodus, God wanted Pharaoh to clearly see and experience his power. 10 times God uses Moses and miracles to demonstrate his strength

o and the Red Sea

o and then the Manna

o then the Quail

o Then the commandments on the mountain,

· With the thunder and lightning.

o Or Elijah and the prophets of Baal. God lights the fire. 450 prophets, water, etc.

o That's not the case in Esther.

o Instead, the turning point is a sleepless night!

o God is so great that he is greater than your idea of great!

o You typically have an idea of what he could do or how he could save a situation, but he is greater than your ideas.

o He is greater than all of the miracles. He can work through a restless night, a book, an overlooked reward, and an arrogant leader.

o God is so great that he can accomplish his purposes through the mundane.

o God can accomplish his purpose through a baby boy born in the company of livestock, seeking refuge in Egypt as a toddler, wrongfully hated by the Jewish religion as an adult, and murdered by the Roman government.

o God can save all of humanity through a the execution of his son.

Conclusion:

Romans 8:31-35 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

If God is for us, then who could ever stop us?

If God is with us, then what could stand against us?