Episode 24: The Holiday

you get me today, so, Sorry.

We are going to be looking at the Book of Esther. Which is difficult for me, because I've been teaching a class on Esther since January. So, I have a lot of things in my brain and only like 35 minutes. So that's the challenge. The challenge wasn't me, thinking of things to say the channels saying, what am I going to say? When I, what am I going to not say, but this morning, we are looking at the Book of Esther and we're continuing this, the sermon series that we've been in for quite some time. And I believe if I'm not mistaken that I am rounding out the Old Testament here. So I'm the last one in the Old Testament. We are kind of covering. So last week, pastor Matt went over a little bit about some of the the Jews who decided to go back home to Judah after the eggs. I was over and kind of some of the struggles that they went through. We're looking at the others, some of the juice that stayed behind in some of the places that they were living in. And I'm just looking at some of the struggles that they were having some of the things that they are put through because of those struggles, but just to remind us of where we are at. So the plan is the Bible is the story of God's plan, to establish a Place full of people who live out their purpose in his presence. And so knowing this, we have kind of four different coordinates that we look at throughout this sermon series. First, we have the people who is a story about is a place. Where is their home? The presents working? They meet with God and their purpose. What is gone asking them to do? And for that, we're going to turn to Jeremiah 29 and we going to read a few versus there. So let's, let's do that. Just now Jeremiah. 29 versus 4 through 7 says this is what the Lord Almighty the god of Israel says, to all those I carried into Exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, build houses and settle down, plant Gardens, and eat what they produce. Marry, and have sons, and daughters find wise for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they, too may have sons and daughters increase. The number there, do not decrease, also seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into Exile. Pray to the Lord for it because if it prospers you two will prosper. And I also want to read verses 10 and 11 which might sound somewhat familiar. This is what the Lord says. When seventy years are completed for Babylon. I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place for. I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope and a Future. So as we look at those those versus there, we see some things that God might be. Commanding them to do, but knowing that we're reading the book of Esther. Okay, we don't see the characters within Jeremiah 29, but we know some of the characters. So who is the story about what his story is going to be about Mordecai Astor, but then the entire entirety of the Jews me about all of them, but we're going to specifically be looking at a couple of these Jewish people who are living in a certain place. I'm talking about the place with Mordecai. Esther in the Jews. Where is their home? That's a good question while they're at their home is essentially Judah, right? That's the promised land. And that's where they are. That's where their home is, but some are choosing not to go home. Some are choosing not to go back to Judah.

Now, in terms of presents, where can they meet with god? Well, they can't, there's not really a specific presence of God and a part of Matt sermon. Last week was looking at, you know, how they just they tried. So, so so hard to bring that presents back to where they thought it was going to be eat, and they still struggled to do just that, but especially for the Jews were living elsewhere. There is nowhere that they can specifically go meet with God. Now. I, I'm just a pastor. I can't control God. I can't say no. God can't meet them, wherever they're at. Obviously do that. But in terms of the people being, we'll just go somewhere somewhere and meet with God. They cannot do that. Now their purpose, what did God tell them to do? Well from Jeremiah? 29 looks like if he says trust me trust God, trust me. That I will come back for you, but I'm not sending you into Exile and saying, I'm done with you and moving on to someone else. He's saying, you're going into Exile. Be patient. Wait for me. I will be back for you. Trust me and then follow me. Follow God. Notice how he didn't say in Jeremiah 29. Yeah, go live elsewhere and then do whatever you want to from their follow their gods. Do whatever you want. No, he says go elsewhere and still be my people. Still have families, still build home, still do these things? You're still my people follow me. You're just living somewhere else. So trust, me and follow me. And so that's where we're left at with a book of Esther and as we've been going through this class that I'm teaching since January, we keep coming to the conclusion that there's more questions that come up and answers within this book and there's a specific reason why? Because you know where humans and we love rules and we love you know, just tell me what to do and tell me where I need to be at this time and tell me all of that and Esther is kind of a book where it's like there's a lot of unknowns with in it. And says we've been going about the story we say, man. I'm just left with more questions than I have answers. And so where can I reach that conclusion with this sermon? I'm sorry that I can't tell you. This is a hard line answering. You go do this and you'll be fine. I'm just going to tell you that, you know, there's a murky Waters out. There's a lot of gray area and it's difficult to determine some things. Let's get into the story of Esther and what a story that it is, there's so much within its that we're going to be cutting a lot of stuff that I wish I could share about what we're going to start an Esther chapter 1. All verses 1 through 3, just to kind of set the image of where we're at. So, this is what happened during the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled over, 127 provinces, stretching, from India to Kush at that time. King Xerxes rain from his Royal throne in the Citadel of Susa. And in the third year of his Reign, he gave a banquet for all his Nobles and officials, the military leaders of Persia and media, The Princess and The Nobles of the provinces were present. So, where is this specific story taking place right now. Where's the the juice home? Where is a specific story taking place? What was happening in Susa, the capital of Persia. Now? The Persians are the Empire, who conquered the Babylonians, and then take over rule over the land, that the Babylonians were ruling over. Now. If you remember, the Babylonians are the ones who actually were the ones that conquered Judah and where the Jews were sent into Exile under the Babylonian rule until the Persians come along. They conquer Babylon. This should be kind of a little bit of a review. Pastor, Matt kind of went over this briefly, but first, conquered Babylon. And then says, essentially to the Jews, you can go home and you can rebuild your temple. And so, the interesting thing about that is, though, that the Persian rulers aren't aren't saying to to the Jews. Hey, you can go home and now you're an independent nation. Again, they're saying you can go home and you can rebuild your temple, but we're still ruling over you. We still have dominion over you essentially. And so is it kind of freezes interesting situation where there's choose? Kind of going back and forth thing? Well, we can go home now we can rebuild the Temple so we should go home right like this. Is that the rule? I don't know but then there's some juice or saying maybe that I don't know if there is a rule that we go home, even though you know Israel isn't in Judah is an independent nation again yet until we get this interesting kind of dynamic of juice staying where they're at and she was going home and we saw last week that some of the Jews that went home. They didn't sell and make the right decisions. They didn't actually make good decisions. And we're going to see this week. Is that some of these Jews that states a back behind? They are going to make the best decisions either. And fellas, this is pull back and forth between following the rules to a tee and not following the rules and still have his God work in through his people. And Forest, people are looking at where the story is taking place. So, I have a little bit of an image here. So this is the Persian Empire. At this time. And you can see it's very, very large. It stretches, from India, and Kush is where about Egypt is so it spans over several modern day Nations. And I was looking at a map upstairs just before this just to look at it. And compare it. It's about the, the width of the United States of America. So it's a very very large and you think about, in a time where their primary mode of transportation in and getting messages to places was by either walking, or riding horse, or writing another animal, right? It would take forever to get one message to the other end of the of the empire about this email right now. Someone in New York to get it, I guess crazy. I'm all the way on the other coast. What is a huge huge Empire. But also knows that Judah is still a part of this Empire? They are still being ruled over by the Persians. Not for the sake of today's story. We noticed that Susa is kind of in the middle of everything right there in the very center of this entire Empire. And that's where the capital is of Persia. And that's where the story takes place here in the stories that some Jews are still living where they put down roots. Countries are still living where they put down Roots. Because if we notice in Jeremiah, 29, God says, like, actually build up your family's here. Don't just go there and just hang out for a while, and then come back going actually like without your life there. Build Homes and Gardens gardening, takes time. Plateaus, Garden seats. What comes from those Gardens? Right? So some Jews are still living where they put down roots and that was be introduced to a couple of those Jews who are still living where they have put down roots in Susa. Neither was in The Citadel of Susa. A Jew of The Tribe of Benjamin. Name is mordecai. Son of j, e. R, the son of Shem, the son of Kish who had been carried into Exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. Among those taken captive with joy kitchen, king of Judah. Mordecai had a cousin named pedasso whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother these young woman who was also known as Esther had a lovely figure and was beautiful. That's not just in there that actually matters to the story. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. So we have, we are introduced some kind of the two main characters of the story Mordecai and Esther. And if we were to rewind and look at you, no kind of the end of chapter chapter one. We see that the king is a drunkard and he makes a rash decision, gets rid of his, his, his Queen vashti. It's a very wild situation that happens. But essentially, he gets rid of his Queen and now in Chapter 2. He's like, I need a new Queen and that's where were introduced to Mordecai and Esther because Esther is kind of going to be a part of this kind of Twisted beauty contest. That happens when a bunch of young women are gathered for the king and they are given beauty treatments over several several months if not years and they're kind of beauty that up. And then they spend the night with the King, which is not in a silly PG like people tend to believe sometimes but that's beside the point. And Esther ends up winning that contest. Esther becomes Queen. Queen of Persia that the huge Empire that we just looked at the huge Kingdom. She becomes Queen. But we also get these two verses here. Verses 10 and 11. Does Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background because Mordecai had forbidden her to do. So every day. He walked back and forth near the courtyard of the Harem, to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. And so it was something that we find out in these vs. Here is that some Jews are struggling to follow God.

Now, from these two versus one, might be asking how how how do we know that will if she and Mordecai, they're both hiding their identity at this point. As Jewish people. There are specific Jewish laws that they are either not following or following that they should be following or not following. Right. That might have been a confusing statement there. Right? But they might be doing things that go against what they should be doing as Jewish people, right? They might be in the in the palace, eating things that they should not be eating. It might not be practicing things like, you know, prayer times or whatever else. It should be, that they should be actually doing. So they're not actually following all of the Jewish laws. All because they want to hide their identity. Now, one might say, well, this is for you, no personal protection, right? If they come out as a Jewish, then they're going to be, you know, we are killed the tax, you know, whatever else. Right? That still doesn't change the fact that they are hiding their identity and that's causing them to kind of infringe on who they are as Jews. And so some Jews are struggling to follow God. I mean, these are believers who are living in a world that is not believer friendly at this point right there. A lot of Jews who went back home to Judah and said, yeah, we're going to live here because this is home and we can live as Jews here but some juice and he seems actually work in the Citadel. As soon as he actually probably has a pretty prominent position in this, in this place. And so he's actually kind of gotten some personal gain from not coming out as a Jew, right? Now, the story this story is interesting because I actually is intertwined with another story that we actually covered in a sermon a little bit ago. And so we're going to come and go back and read that real quick. But then the next point on your outline here. Is that someone not listening to God's command catches up with the juice?

And this is a really interesting intersection of two different stories. And if you notice when Mordecai was being introduced by Mordecai, it was shared who his, who his ancestors are, right? Who is a descendant of specifically. And it seems as though that the author is actually doing this intentionally because he's actually going to be put it up against someone a little bit later on the story. But who is this person that didn't listen to God's commands of catching up the juice while we're go? Look at that real quick 1st Samuel, 15. This is what the Lord Almighty says. I will punish the amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now, go attack the amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but the death men and women children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys. Sosol some of the men and mustered them at. Tell him, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah. Saul went to the city of amalek is set an ambush in the Ravine. Then he said that the king ice go away, leave the amalekites that I do not destroy you along with them for you show. Kindness to all the Israelites. When they came up out of Egypt for the cainites moved away from the amalekites, then Sol attacked the amalekites all the way from havilah to sure the eastern border of Egypt. He took a gag King of the amalekites alive and all his people. He totally destroyed with the sword but saw in the Army spared a gag and the best of the sheep and cattle. The fat calves and Lambs. Everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely put everything that was despised and week, they totally destroyed. Now, there's a lot of craziness that happens in this brief story. And if you want to go back and listen to that sermon or kind of the pot, the podcast episode that we did kind of covering a little bit of this to Pastor Mike. She does a really good job at unpacking the violence that happens here in all of that, but I don't have time to really unpack that. Okay. So if you're interested in learning more about that rewind a little bit and go back to that episode, but we need to know for the story here. Is that saw was supposed to destroy everything to do with the amalekites, are the amount of attack Israel as they come up out of Egypt, and it, when they're most vulnerable place as a people. And God, essentially says, I will remember this. And so he tells us all Go destroy everything to do with the amalekites, but notice house, all didn't do that. Fall spared King agag and also some of the beneficial things that they had, right? That the Sheep, the cattle, the goats, all those things and sell them. And Esther 3, we get this after these events King, Xerxes honored, Heyman, son of him. And after the agagite elevating him and giving him a seat of Honor, higher than that of all the other Nobles. So here's where these two people are pitted against each other. You have Mordecai and we saw his ancestors. Now, we have Heyman and his ancestors and Heyman is a descendant of King, a guy.

and so, This is going to catch up with it with the Jews at this point. But I want to take a brief look again at Jeremiah 29 and just use that as a lens. As we move further in the story. It says also seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into Exile. Praise to the Lord for it because if it prospers you two will prosper. Now is keep that verse as a lens as we read these next few verses because I want to I want to ask a question. I just proposing a question this point this is me making a statement about anything but is a question to ask your three, two through seven. All the Royal officials at the Kingsgate, knelt down and pay Donner to Haman. For the king had commanded us concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay honor to pay him on her. Then the Royal officials at the Kingsgate asked Mordecai. Why do you disobey the King's Command day? After the day, they spoke to him, but he refused to comply. Therefore. They told him and about it to see whether Mordecai's Behavior will be tolerated or he had told them, he was a Jew notice now. Mordecai saying. I am Jewish. He's identifying as his people when he came and saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him on her. He was enraged yet. Having learn to Mordecai's. People were these formed the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead him and look for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people. The Jews throughout the whole Kingdom exerts. He's in the 12th year of King, Xerxes in the first month. The month of the sand, the / that is the lot was cast in the presence of haemon, the selective day and month. And the lot fell on the 12th month, the month of Adar. So in this story just breaking down all that just happened is 5 versus here.

Mordecai says, I am Jewish and I am not bound to him, and because I know who he is, he is, as he is a descendant of these people that I know our enemies of my people and I'm not going down to him. He makes that decision. And that decision leads to him and getting angry and saying I don't want to just kill Mordecai. I want to kill all of the Jews. Which is a bit of a leap, but that's still the decision. He makes And so in this moment, right Mordecai makes a little decision of I'm not Downing to Heyman and it causes all of God's people to be in Jeopardy. Because if we remember Judah itself, all these Jews who went home to Judith there, still a part of the Persian Empire. And so when Hammond says, I'm going to kill all the Jews, all of the Jews are included in that, whatever, they went home to rebuild the Temple or they stay where they're at. They are all in jeopardy. This isn't just limited to the Jews who are still in the capital of Sue. So this is all of the Jews who are in jeopardy.

And so this this moment force all catches up with them, but remember that question I want to post to you. Is what Mordecai did right or wrong?

And again, that's just a question because I don't know if I seen scripture that there is a right or wrong solution in that moment for Mordecai because scholars believe that Haman being a descendant of a gag is wearing something that is a call back to the amalekites. Until there's, the symbol that he's wearing, where Mordecai looks at this person. And says, I am not going to bow to that because that just disregard all of my people. I am identifying as a Jewish person. Now, And I'm going to be public with that, and I'm not down to Haman, but still, his decision has terrible, terrible. Effects on all of the Jews and that we read the story. Noah, the terrible effects. It has on the Jews, but imagine Mordecai in this moment. He has no idea what's about to unfold. He just makes a simple decision of. I'm not going to this person.

And one might say, will Jeremiah 29 clearly says You must seek peace and in the place your living. I think it's a little bit more complicated than just that. Little bit complicated, right? So it's a murky decision with a lot of gray area in that decision. But none the less we get to the point where the Jewish people they need God. The Jewish people need God, they are in a situation because ham and figures out a way to actually get this done. And when he cast lots like rolls Dice and it lands on the 12th month, like that's when it's going to happen. The Jews are now assigned a way to die, essentially, all of them. Because anyone that surround them can attack them and take whatever the Jews have. So, the Jewish people they need.

I'm turning the chapter 4 here. Benicar sent this reply to Mordecai. Go gather together, all the Jews, wear on, Susa and fast for me, do not eat or drink for three days night or day. I my attendance will fast as you do. When this is done. I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish The Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions. So we have this moment where Esther is saying, listen gather everyone that you can I'm going to do this and my attendants who might not even be Jewish at this point are going to do this and we're going too fast. You're going too fast because I am going to go before the king and guess what? If he doesn't want to see me in this moment. I will be put to death but I'm going to do it. And so what we missing in the first part of the chapter 4 is this whole conversation that happens between Esther and Mordecai. Mordecai's like you got to go and just like I can I'll be killed and more cuz like you got to go. And then Esther finally reaches a point, which is like, I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. But first, let's all fast. I'm going to do it. My tenants are going to do it. Everyone, you know, Mordecai, get them to do it and Mordecai goes out and carried out. All of Esther's instructions. But this is what I think is happening here. I think that God's people show a sign of Reliance on him.

I think that God's people are saying, Where does situation that we cannot change? Where the situation that is is not good and it's scary and we can't do this on our own and we need we need you. We need you.

And for them, this must be a really I mean, this is a very significant situation but they must be feeling this just the weight of everything that's going on in for her after she's she's got to be feeling most of that way because she's the one that I'm going before the king. If he does want to see me then I'm done for. I'm gone.

We're going to take a look at a few different chapters in moments, that happen within these chapters. And just see, see a little bit of what's going on in these chapters with chapter 2, verses 17 and 18 of the King was attracted Esther more than to any of the other women. And she won his favor and approval more than any of the other version. So he said a royal crown on her head and made her Queen instead of vashti. And the King gave a great banquet Esther's banquet for all his Nobles. In officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distribute the gifts with royal liberality and then chapter 6, verses 1 and 2 that night, the king could not sleep. So we order the book of The Chronicles, the record of his Reign to be brought in and read to him, kind of a, you know, a selfish thing to do a little bit. They're read me. All the things that I've done, that school. It was found recorded their that Mordecai had exposed because, Hannah, and teresh two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, do I conspired to assassinate King Xerxes? So, at least first, two moments, we see that God is kind of I believe working behind the scenes, a little bit. Right now tester is someone who is apparently just a really good person to hang out with people just like Esther. She's a pleasant person to be around because she goes into the king's Harem and and people that the units around her and all the attendance around her. They just start to like her and shoot. They like she's a cool person and then she like, when's the king over and like the king just likes Esther. And everybody likes Esther in this and the first couple of chapters of this book. It seems I believe that you know God probably had a hand and kind of shaping who Esther is and her personality and how she is a pleasant person to be around but also kind of guiding Xerxes in the decision to to make her Queen out of everyone. She makes a wild decision, right? When the women go to hang out with Xerxes for an evening, they get to take whatever they want with them to him and answers. Like I don't need anything other than what you tell me I need and I'll go and she's the one that ends up winning over the king. And then chapter 6 read on the very very night that he may decide. I'm going to put Mordecai up on a 75ft pole. The very nice Bahama decides that it is on his way to the Palace to say, we need to kill Mordecai. The king can't sleep, and he has the record of his Reign read to him. And guess, what's in that record? Mordecai saved the King's life. So, Not only was Mordecai in the right place at the right time to hear these two officers saying, we're going to kill the king but also that story is read to the King when he can't sleep. Like, I mean, that's if that's a coincidence. That's the craziest coincidence, is almost ever happen for the Jews because they hadn't slept kind of changing the whole story from there.

But I don't think that's just coincidence. I think God has a hand in this. Until that very night. Hey, man is on his way. He gets the King, Xerxes and King Xerxes says, well, what should I do for the one who pleases the king? The most and ham and being Heyman? Is like that's got to be me. So give him the king's Royal robe of them where it giving the king's horses on them, write it and parade him through town. And King Xerxes is like, great, do that for Mordecai. And King Hayman Hayman, and I'm only like, wow. How did this turn so quickly? But that's The Coincidence of all coincidences or that's God inter working in the mix, but then chapter 8, verses 15 through 17. When Mordecai left the king's presence. He was wearing Royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold in a purple robe of the fine linen in the city of Susa. Had it held a joyous celebration for the Jews. It was a time of happiness and joy gladness and honor and every Province and in every city to which the Edict of the king came. There was joy and gladness among the Jews. With feasting and celebrating in many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them. And so, what we see is that God Work behind the scenes and delivered his people. Got to work behind the scenes and delivered his people. It's not just, it's not all that simple in the story of Esther. And if you'd like to ask me questions about, I love to answer it, but it for the sake of time. I just don't have time to go into how it all happens. And you know how it all unfolds. It's a crazy story. If it's a crazy story and I'd love to chat with you more about it. But for the sake of, just the simple story of Esther, what we see is that God was working in the situation through his people and delivered his people and remember that includes all have his people. This isn't just about Esther and Mordecai. Living in Susa, this is about the Jews who went home to Judah, & Art, something to rebuild the Temple, and get God back there and get his presents back. This works to the benefit of all of God's people, this story here. But some of the things that we can that we can learn from the story here, right? We're moving into the moral section. Is that the tension of living in the world, not being of the world is always present. It is always present.

I had to practice a lot of discipline in the sermon, not to get into this point a lot earlier than I should have. Out of all let you into a little secret. The first time I practice this term and I went for an hour or so and it's because I got into this point a little bit too early, but now we're here, you might be saying oh no, he's getting overtime now, but now we're good. We're good, right? Distension is, always, always present, because we hear a story last week of Jews who are now free to go back home to Judah, and rebuild the Temple. And what are they try to do? They try to follow the rules so much so that they end up making really silly decisions. They really end up hurting people. When they don't necessarily need to.

But then you also have Jews who stay back in Susa in other places who are hiding their identity and saying no if we if we come out of Jewish then that's going to work against us. And so we need to do not reveal that we're Jewish just yet. And so you have these two different people groups who are kind of saying complete opposite things, but they are all still God's people. And they are all still trying to find their way. In this tension, in a world that is not friendly to Believers, right? They are believers in a world that is not friendly to believers.

Is the Jews who went home to Judah? They're just trying to follow the rules. They want the rules, the rules. We need to follow the rules. We need a DOT every, i and cross every T and will be good, just over here. Like I don't know why I'm not Jewish, talk about If we have two very different outlooks on life, but they're still both just trying to like live out their faith. In a world, that is very hard to live out our faith in. And so this really really makes decisions very, very difficult. And I want to recall the decision that Mordecai made really quickly. That is one word. I don't see a right or wrong answer. In that moment, Mordecai is not saying, I'm not going about a Heyman and it's going to cause all of my people to die. That's not what he's saying. The decision is, I see Heyman. I see a symbol that goes against my people, and I'm not going to down to that, that is asking me to disgrace my people to get rid of my people. To say, I don't care about my God. I don't care about my people.

Someone could say Jeremiah 29. You should have seek peace. You should have sought after peace in that situation Mordecai, but I don't think it's that simple was a very murky Waters. The very a lot of gray area there, but also just with the decision to move home or to not move home. Someone could very easily say what God said. He'd be back after 70 years and guess what? The Persians that we can go back home. That means we go back home. But that's not necessarily a rule. Is it? Because someone could very easily say God said to put down Roots where we're at, and that's what we've done. I have a family here. I have a job here and it's a very dangerous road to go back home to Judah. I'm not necessarily sure that the rule right now that God is calling me to go back home yet. By Judith still under Persian rule. So again, murky murky Waters a gray area.

But we can know as Believers cuz I'm sure some of you are saying. Yeah, there's some decisions in life that I don't know the answer to when I turn the scripture. There's not necessarily a specific answer that says make this decision right now, right? But what I can tell you is that ultimately God has a plan for his people and we are invited to participate in that plan. And that plan, at least I believe boils down to loving those who are placed in front of us.

With Mordecai and Esther. If they had made the decision, I'm going to love those placed in front of me in Susa, right? I think at one point, they kind of did Esther was kind of place in the position of like every Jewish person is now in front of you, Esther. The way that you might love them is by, yes, going to the king and pleading for your people. A difficult decision to make, but those are the people who were placed in front of her.

But there's a plan that exists and that plan is to it to love people into minister to people in to spread the gospel. That is the ultimate plan. And so sometimes there are decisions that come by that, say listen this person's place in front of you and there might not be a clear, right or wrong answer in the situation as to how to love them and it's difficult at stuff for us. Like what what do we do with that? That's a hard question. I think spoiler. Jesus is the perfect example of living for God in the world. And that might, that might be kind of an obvious answer and spoiler here. Right? And you might be saying, well, that's all well and good, but I'm Not Jesus and I cannot live a perfect life like Jesus did and you're right. You are correct. And I wish this was a sermon where I can say, this is the Hardline answer. If you go do this, you'll be fine in life, but is more. So a sermon that says we have scripture. We have Jesus who love people placed in front of him in a way that we can't even understand sometimes. And we are supposed to be reading that scripture and saying how did Jesus love this person place in front of him? And how can I love the people placed in front of me and life and guess what? Sometimes working to disagree on? What we see Jesus doing? That's why we have things like the unity project to say we are all believers and we are all just trying to find our way as Believers in a world that is not believer friendly.

And sometimes there's only some of us you say rules rules matter. Sometimes me some of us to say I'm not a Christian. But we all I mean there is a little bit of a middle ground here and we should all be trying to meet in the middle and say no need to come together and say we are believers. We need to love those place in front of us and sometimes working as a screed but at the end of the day, we're all on the same team.

And Jesus is like the captain of the team, right? We look to him and say captain lead us. Show us how to do this lead. By example show us. And Jesus can be that for.

Bound terms of next steps. I just kind of want to wrap this all up a little bit. Right? Cuz there's a lot that happens in Esther. There's a lot that was just talked about. Okay, but at the end of the day, we we are kind of like a team. I have team in my mind now because like the state playoffs are starting for basketball and it's all wild and crazy, but we are kind of like a team. We're all trying to work together to spread the gospel of people. Like, that's the main goal. And if you want to be a part of that, that team that I would invite you to give your life to Jesus, as an invitation, if you'd like to come forward and do that. We'd love to receive you. If you're a part of the general team of of Believers have an SLE joined in the team of like serving and in connecting at this church, then we invite you to join a small group or service team, you know. Virginia service team that she's got. I love that introduction. Thank you for thinking. I was I was wonderful or if you'd like to find out more information about the team. I keep using the team. I don't know if people don't like that analogy or not. I'm sorry, if you don't like it. I know some people don't like it, but I like it. Then you can sign up for a connect class. You can find out more about our church about what we believe in about the movement.

As you're contemplating those things, I'd like to invite the worship team to come up and lead us in our final song.