You Have Influence

So as we start I have to ask how many of us like the game UNO?

How many of us hate it?

Most of us it probably depends on the day right?

Because somtimes you get a really good hand and other times you get a hand that is not the best.

Sometimes no one is attacking you and other times it seems like people just keep throwing draw 4s at you.

But there is one man named Aldwin Rodriguez

and what is really intersting is Aldwin is the first ever national champion of UNO.

And Aldwin actually mentions that there is not a lot you can control in the game, but he said you need to use what you have been dealt and use it to control the game.

And you know I was thinking about Aldwins advice this past week because the truth is in life we are dealt a hand of circumstances

And sometimes those circumstances are great, other times they are not so great.

Sometimes it feels like we just have to keep drawing cards

And other times we are yelling UNO

But you know while a lot of times we find ourselves in these circumstances, we have to decide how we are going to live and react to the circumstances that we find ourselves in.

And really where we are in “the story” we kind of find ourselves in a place where the Jewish people are dealt a draw 4.

Because if you were with us last week we saw the Israelites were coming back from exile and they faced a ton of challenges, and we were able to see how they responded.

And we see God move and bring them to do what He called them to which was build the temple

But today where we are we are going to be looking at a story that happens roughly around the same time as where we were last week.

Because on one hand many of the Jewish people are returning from exile but then there are others who have decided to stay where they are.

And so there were some who were in Persia in a city called Susa.

and there is a ton that happens (and I wish we could go a lot deeper this week) but one of the major parts of this story as you saw in the video is this Jewish woman named Esther who emerges.

And people do not know she is Jewish (which will be important later)

But Esther actually becomes known as someone that everyone loved and she eventually actually finds herself as queen of this area.

And so things start great, but at the same time their is an official to the king that has named Haman

And Haman convinces the king who is in power to issue and edict that they would annihilate all Jewish people in the area, because they will not worship the king, but only their God.

And so this edict gets issued, and they are getting closer and closer to the day

And Esther obviously is not happy about this, but their is an issue of where she has not seen the king in 30 days and if she just went to the king without being asked by her she could be killed.

And so this man named Mordecai enters the story and he was kind of like a father figure for Esther.

And I want you to look at what Mordichi tells her. and I know this is a long intro but we will be starting is Esther 4:13-17.

Because really this guy named Mordicai is a father figure, but in this part of the passage He is really acting as a prophet to Esther where He is speaking truth to her. It says this:

Esther 4:13–17 NIV

13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants 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.” 17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

So I really want to dive into this part of the passage, but lets just start with the second half of verse 14 and I would invite you to read this out-loud with me. It says:

And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

You know this is probably a verse most of us have heard a million times, but really the center of what Mordicia tells Esther is God has placed you in a place of influence; How are you going to use it?

And here is the thing, because most of us might read this and go I am not a queen or king, what influnce do I have, but here is the first thing you need to understand.

God has placed you in a position of influence.

And you might go okay whats my influnce in the world because I feel insignifigant.

But you have influence on friends

You have influence on family

on people that you work with

If you are a parent I cannot overemphasize the amount of influnce you have on your children alone.

In fact you hear me say this all the time, but if you are a parent you are the primary spiritual care giver of your child!

Meaning you are the person who gets to show your child who God is (The church is hear to help, but you get so much more time with them.

In fact their is research that even shows especially as when they are younger the way a parent acts shapes the child idea of who God is

And so when your toddler slaps you, your response actually in part shapes who they believe God is

But seriously when your kid has made a mistake you get to be the person who directs them to God

When your child has a terrible day you get a chance to direct them to God

When your child has an awesome day, you get to direct them to God.

Please never say you have no influence, Because God has divinely placed you where you are and I believe He has placed you in a position to change lives.

And lets look at what else Mordecai tells her, because he says:

You have influence, but then he basically says how are you going to use your influence.

Because the issue is so often we have influnce, but we waist it.

It would be like if you all found out I had a ton of sports cars, but they were all in storage.

and so all of these cars are collecting dust, and you all are thinking Pastor why are you driving your Kia Sorento

Why not drive a sports car or why not sell them and you would have a ton of money.

Because you have this valuable thing but you are not using it.

And you know in this passage this is kind of what Mordicai tells Esther, you have this influence that God has given you and now its time to use it.

And this brings up the question of what are we using our influence on?

And really shifting away from the parent mind set of influnce, but the influnce we have on the world.

Because we live in a world that is imperfect.

I mean there are all sort of flaw, and so we need to know what is it we stand up for and what is it?

Because there are times where you don’t nesacarly stand up.

For example someone does not hold a door for you, its probably not worth making this grand stand right?

But something really interesting is if you look throughout the Bible and really in the New Testement specifically there are times where you stand up for yourself.

But the majority of times God calls people to stand up are for the marginalized and oppresed.

In fact if you look at Jesus’s ministry He did not defend himself but he would speak up against those who hurt others

He stood up even for the woman who was caught in the sin of adultry

In fact Psalm 82:3-4 says

3 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

You know as people who are Christ followers their may be times to stand up for ourselves, but we need to be people who stand up for those who cannot.

And I love it because really we see Esther stand up against this Decree

And some of us are thinking well of course she would stand up against this. She’s the queen! She has power and influence.

But I want you to notice that she decides she wants to stand up, but by doing it she could loose everything

In fact the last queen to stand up against this king lost her royal position.

And not only that but Esther could get killed for even being in the kings presence without being called on first

And so she recognizes there is actually a very big risk.

And I know this seems simple, but a lot of times when you speak out their might be a risk involved.

In fact their are times where you can speak out against something and people might make fun of you

It could mean people calling you terms that are not the best

But here is the think because we are called to speak up for those who do not have a voice and those who are oppressed

And I want you to notice because the risk does not scare Esther away, but in verse 16 that we read she says “If I Perish, I Perish” and then she continues to tell all the Jewish people in the area to fast (and most likely be praying for her)

And so she recognizes the risk, but she gives it to God.

And the risk is still real, but she has a God who will walk through that with her.

And I want to end by reading what happens because as Esther approaches the throne of the king He would have a golden scepter and if He held it back she would be killed instantly, but if he extended it she could come forward.

And look at Esher 5:1-3 with me because it says:

Esther 5:1–3 (NIV)

Esther’s Request to the King

5 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

So Esther is allowed to come to the king and as we read on we learn the king creates a new edict changing the current one.

And I know this has been a lot but I just want to end by saying when was the last time we had courage like that where we knew the risk is real, but realized the risk of not standing up was greater.

Because the truth is what we are facing whether its standing up to a bully, influencing your kids, standing up to some sort of injustice in our society, there can be risk, but we have a God that walks though it with us.

And really I love the imagery of the scepter that we just discussed, because the beutiful thing is we have a God who will never take us away from His presence, but He will always extend His presence towards us.

And there might be a risk, but if you are truly doing something that is aligned with God’s heart His presence will go with you and not abandon you.

Will you pray with me?