INFLUENCERS ARE RESCUERS
Today I want to look at the story of a minority orphan Jewish girl thrust into a foreign country, who has lost her parents through tragic circumstances.
The little girl's name is Esther. She’s a minority orphan girl, who is insignificant, but with God’s hand on her life. No destiny, no future. But right in the middle of her trouble, she is rescued and her life is transformed
She is rescued and she goes from being a nobody to the queen of a foreign nation
This story of Esther is an epic love story and the ultimate story of redemption. The story of Esther is the story about every one of us who accepts Jesus into our hearts. Rescued from tragedy and trouble and catapulted into a relationship with the King of the world. What an amazing transformation connecting with God brings to our lives.
Unbeknown to Esther, there is an enemy who wants to destroy her family, the enemy of her destiny is the prime minister Haman.
We are like Esther, Really unaware of the times we live in. We live in a day where our freedom is under threat and where people need Jesus more than ever to rescue them.
Mordecai represents the voice of the Holy Spirit trying to get the attention of the born again Christian.
Esther 4:3-5 And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4 When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to replace the sackcloth, but he refused it. 5 Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning
Mordecai does all he can to get her attention. He fasts, he rips his clothes off and puts on sackcloth and ashes. Now that she is the queen it’s almost impossible to get her attention. Her new life is so good, that she has become disconnected from reality. That she was rescued in order to become a rescuer.
But the question is ‘Can Mordecai get through to Esther now life is better. This is the question of the story of Esther. Will he get through to her?'
Esther’s initial response is I can’t do it. It’s dangerous. I can't make a difference. I can’t do anything about it. She is disengaged and she is now just wanting to protect herself and her lifestyle. She feels torn, but is leaning towards looking after no. 1.
13 So Mordecai sent back this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been brought to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
The message of Esther is CAN the rescued become a rescuer??
The question is, 'Can the Holy spirit get through to you. Can he get through your good life and the new rescued existence you live and get you to see the big picture?'
"'Not called!' did you say? Said William booth
'Not heard the call,' you mean…...
Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face -- whose mercy you have professed to obey -- and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world. --
13 Mordecai sent back this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that you will escape there in the palace when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. What’s more, who can say but that you have been elevated to the palace for just such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I perish, I perish.”
"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." -- C.T. Studd
ESTHER HAD ALL THE EXCUSES TO KEEP HER LIFEJACKET ON AND SAVE HERSELF
- She has no Experience
- She has a Tragic history
- She is an orphan whose parents died while she was a child.
- She is a Woman
- She belongs to a Minority group.
- She is Comfortable. She feels no immediate danger
- She could die.
Everyone of us has a reason not to respond to the call. But we must. We have friends, neighbours, work mates who need to hear about Jesus before it’s too late.
Coming up at Influencers...
