Now It's Your Turn!

Introduction: The Wait is Over

Hebrews 11:39-40 “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.”

Esther 4:14 ““For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?””

Our first text is conclusion of the 11th chapter of Hebrews , which is often referred to as the hall of faith, listing the names of great men & women of faith and the deeds that the accomplished through faith in God. Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, and many more who, according to verse 33 & 34, “by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” Now to be clear, these accomplishments did not come with cost or challenge. The previous 38 verses speak of the cost of following Christ; my first point sums up these verses which preceded my subject text:

Great works, come at a great price…for a far greater reward.

An important part of understanding the will of God for us as individuals, as a church and as His body, is that we must know about those who have gone before us- how core beliefs were established, how they responded to trials & percecutions. As the saying goes, to know where we’re going, we’ve got to know where we’ve come from.

And now, let us briefly consider that text. I’ll be quick, so we can get back to those Christmas dinner leftovers in the refrigerator!

Verse 39 makes an interesting statement: although they were accepted by faith, they did not receive what was promised. Now, this a soteriological statement concerning those who looked for & had faith in His coming and what He would accomplish, but despite all they accomplished and all that they sacrificed, they didn’t live see His advent. But there is another lesson that modern day Christians, who await His 2nd coming, can lean from their example:

Play your part- play your role in God’s drama, run your part of the race & carry the “baton” faithfully.

Our prayer should be, as Henry Blackaby puts it, “Lord, help me to be faithful in MY generation.” Be content to do the will of God, even if you don’t get to “finish the work” or “cross the finish line” personally. Much of what the Lord does through His Church is done in seasons & stages. This includes the preaching of the Gospel. Paul sums that up in an the analgous statement found in 1st Corinthians 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.” Not all of us plant the seed, most of us will be called to water it through loving service. Some will tend to the plant in various stages of growth through discipleship and fellowship. But God alone causes the growth of His people and the adding of souls to His Church.

God is always focused on the “big picture”- His plan for His Creation & His Church.

When it gets down to it, there is really no such thing as “God’s plan for my life.” There’s God’s Plan (with a capital “P”) and the part in it that each of us is blessed to play! It is not my intention to diminish your unique and special role…I mean to put it in proper perspective. You individual purpose does not exist in a vaccuum; it is encompassed on every side but the will and plan of God.Those who have preceeded you have done their part; now, it’s YOUR turn.

You may be thinking, “But Pastor, I am not sure if I’m doing all that I should do” or “I am honestly not sure what the Lord wants me to do specifically.” The story of Esther is instructional on the subject of purpose, but for the sake of time, I will only refer to a single verse- the pivitol moment wherre Esther had to decide what to do with her life- her position, her influence, her blessings. Her uncle Mordicai speaks plainly: “Doing nothing is not an option; you can’t avoid this, or pass it off to someone else. But consider this: perhaps this is exactly why you have been brought to this place.”

Here are a few lessons, what i will simply refer to as clues (admittedly with some hint of sarcasm) derevied from her story:

Clue #1: people are drawn to you that don’t really approch others.

Have you ever wondered why people come to you for advice…why they choose to vent about their issues to you? It may very well be that it is your turn to be Christ’s messenger. Perhsps the Lord has sent them- are you seeking the Holy Spirit to help you to seize such opportunites, and to give you what to say?

Clue #2: You are disturbed by some of the things you see, and you wonder why it does not bother others the same way.

In my experience, when something disturbs me and others don’t seem to notice, it is usually the Holy Spirit prompting me to DO soemthing. I have found a simple truth: that your greatest problems are typically issues thst the Lord put you here to resolve.

Clue #3: You are thrown into the midst of a conflict without any provocation.

Esther didn’t sign up for this; she didn’t go looking for trouble, she had no desire to be “the one”. And yet, she was. Her uncle was shrewd & direct in his challange to Esther. It may’ve seemed harsh, but it was the most loving thing he could’ve done. It not only save Esther, but their entire people as well. And despite her reservations, the realitiy is that she was build for this; she was selected, prepared, promoted and positioned to make a difference.

Now it’s YOUR turn!