Rise up and act

(0:00) Today I want to share with you from the book of Esther chapter 4 verse 13 to 16. (0:06) It’s a story of a young girl called Esther and the background of this book is the children of Israel (0:14) were living, they were living in a difficult condition. So they were not the main, they were (0:19) ruled by a pagan king.
Esther was a young girl, was an orphan who had no parents and her uncle (0:26) felt sorry, Mordecai took her into custody and raised her up. The time the king was called for (0:34) a banquet and he was drunk and he invited his queen to come into the banquet to show her beauty (0:45) because she was very beautiful, Queen Vasthi. But she refused to come because she didn’t want to (0:51) degrade herself.
She refused to come and king got angry and she’s removed from the place of queen (1:00) and the committee of the king got together, they decided okay we need to find somebody else (1:05) in her place and there was a race, who will be the next queen. So Mordecai was a Jew living in a (1:12) pagan land. He got this idea, why don’t we put up Esther without disclosing the fact that she’s a Jew.
(1:20) She went for the beauty pageant and she was selected into the harem of the king and she (1:28) became the queen. So everything going good and now Mordecai thought I played my cards well. (1:37) Now I placed my step daughter, adopted daughter in the right place.
So I can be cool, I can (1:45) enjoy life now and that time you know God loves to upset your table. God loves to upset your plans. (1:53) It’s very common.
God got another idea that God inspired king to select a man called Haman who (2:00) hate Jews to be the head of everything. So he was selected and he was excited. He got this position (2:06) above everybody else and he’s all excited.
He came out walking and everybody got up. Everybody (2:14) is very respectful to Haman but one man did not got up. His name was Mordecai.
(2:21) Because Mordecai as a Jew, he believed that he should not bow down himself to any man. He bowed (2:28) down to God. Haman got angry by looking at Mordecai.
He’s the only one who didn’t got up. (2:33) See one small ego problem later became a revenge. Haman said that I don’t want to (2:41) take revenge on Mordecai alone.
I want to take revenge on his entire community. (2:47) Taking revenge on this one small man alone doesn’t fit for my status. So I wanted to kill them all.
(2:56) So he went to king and he devised a plan. He told the king, hey king I have a good idea. (3:02) There is a bunch of people called Jews and they are a pest.
They don’t really worship you as a king. (3:09) They have their own system and they don’t accept you as the head of their life. They are different (3:16) and they are not so good.
They are not patriots. So king liked the idea. He said if you allow me (3:22) to wipe them out because they are a headache, I will bring 850 tons of silver in your treasury.
(3:31) It’s a deal. King liked the deal. He said who doesn’t like money? (3:35) King liked the deal and king signed the order and gave his ring for him as an authority.
He said go (3:42) ahead, get it done. So Mordecai and Haman got all excited, went to his home and he told his wife (3:48) Sarayu, say I got a good deal. You know this Mordecai whom I told you that he didn’t got up (3:54) when I came in.
I got a chance to pay him back. I got permission to wipe out his entire community. (4:05) And to kill him.
So wife got an idea, why don’t we raise a gallow in front of a house. (4:13) So they erected a 50 feet high gallow for Mordecai. Now Haman is back in the palace (4:20) planning the rest of it.
Now this news spread out. Mordecai came to the king’s courtyard (4:31) and he tore his clothes. He put a sackcloth on himself and he started crying very loud.
(4:39) So he was doing it because he wanted to get the attention of Esther who was in the palace. And (4:46) Esther saw that Mordecai is tearing the clothes and wearing sackcloth and crying loud. So Esther (4:52) sent a pair of clothes to Mordecai.
Said don’t embarrass me. I know you’re my stepfather and (5:00) people know. Don’t embarrass me.
Sent a set of clothes. Mordecai refused to take and said Esther (5:06) this is the time for you to rise up and act. Esther said no I can’t do it.
Though I am the queen I (5:15) cannot go into king’s chamber unless he wears his golden scepter to say come. If I go without that (5:23) I will get killed. That’s the order.
That’s the rule it was there. So then Mordecai sent this (5:31) message. Don’t think you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in king’s palace.
(5:39) If you keep silent at this time liberation and the deliverance will come to the Jewish people (5:47) from another place. But you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows perhaps you (5:54) have come to your royal position for such a time as this.
Esther sent this reply to Mordecai. (6:04) Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three (6:13) days day or night and I and my female servants will also fast at the same time.
After that I will (6:21) go to the king. It’s against the law but if I perish I perish. So there are a few things you (6:28) can see.
One is Mordecai who believes that God can save him and his people. Amen. So God’s plans (6:39) cannot be thwarted.
God’s plans cannot be changed. Mordecai sent this message to Esther. Esther (6:47) this is the time for you to rise up and act.
This is the time you have been brought into a place (6:56) like this for this moment. Now look at Mordecai and Esther’s feeling behind. They thought they (7:05) played their cards well.
Got everything. Daughter is a queen and I’m the king’s royal court managing (7:11) things. Mordecai must have thought that he will get the positions to Haman because Haman was known (7:17) as an evil man.
Whereas Mordecai helped the king before that. Two guys wanted to kill king. Mordecai (7:24) got the information to king and king got saved.
Sometimes though you are good you are denied. (7:32) Mordecai sent this message to Esther saying that you know this is the time for you to rise up and (7:39) act. Now there is a call upon each and every one of our life to rise up and act.
(7:47) So Mordecai said because Esther was reluctant to act on it because she was scared of losing the (7:53) position maybe she was too comfortable. You know being a queen for this big king Artaxerxes who’s (8:01) like an emperor kind of king. It’s a big position where she has everything going good.
But you know (8:08) what was her background? She was an orphan girl. From the orphancy the queenship is a big (8:17) transformation. What if I lose? Will I able to get it again? You know sometimes we forget where we (8:25) come from.
Do an act of kindness yourself. Remind yourself where you come from. Sometimes it’s good (8:35) to know where did God picked you from.
Maybe that will fill your heart with a bit of gratitude. (8:43) If you don’t do that sometimes you believe in so much entitlement and then you die hard, (8:50) work hard, struggle to keep all the entitlement. One day it’s all gone.
(8:56) Did ever Naresh Goyal thought that he will end up in the jail in Mumbai Kolhapur street or whatever (9:02) it is? He was the founder of the greatest airline called Jet Airways. Jet Airways are the best. Did (9:10) he ever thought he will end up in the jail? I saw a picture recently.
He’s shivering, (9:15) weak, very very fragile and he’s still in the jail. Sometimes it’s good for us to remind ourselves (9:24) where did God picked us from and say thank you that you brought me so far. (9:31) So Esther might had a feeling in her mind.
Man I got everything good going. Do I need to give up (9:38) this to save these people? The fun is nobody knew Esther was a Jew. More than I told Esther keep (9:47) this confidential.
Don’t tell because you may not get selected. So now she thinks that I’m in a (9:53) better place, safe zone. I’m the queen.
I got everything and nobody knows I’m a Jew. (10:00) So that’s why more than I had to say that Esther don’t think that you will escape because you (10:08) live in this panel houses. So we all have problem.
In fact problems are a blessing. (10:15) Don’t try to avoid the problem. Problems are the blessing.
Problems will define you, who you are (10:21) and what you are made out of. Somebody put it this way. Life, what is life? It’s a journey.
It’s not (10:29) a destination. Building a house or buying car or buying the second house or having a good fixed (10:35) deposit. These are not going to keep you safe.
These are good. Your life is a journey. That journey (10:43) ends by joining you into Christ.
Till that journey never stops. In this journey we have many (10:51) destinations, many places we pass through but we never stop. We may go through a pit of hell.
Don’t (10:57) make your house there. You may have some bad failures. Don’t sit down and talk all the time (11:02) about your failure and remain there.
Get up. You may have some great achievement. Don’t get (11:08) overwhelmed.
Oh I’m become this. I’m this. I’m that.
No but who can be better than me? Listen to me. I got (11:14) all the answers. Don’t get there.
God will send you through different stages of life only to bring (11:21) you to the completion of the plan that God has for you. So don’t get carried away with any position (11:29) whether it’s a depression, whether downtime or there’s an uptime. I am what I am because of Jesus (11:35) made me.
Bible there’s a verse in book of Ephesians says that having done everything to stand. (11:43) Amen. Having done everything to stand.
Making all kinds of prayers. Book of Ephesians chapter 6 (11:50) verse 10 onwards. So we are on a journey.
In this journey we have challenges. Life is a bunch of (11:58) trials, tests and temporary assignments. What is trials? Trials will reveal what you’re made out of.
(12:09) Some people trial come the word trial only they’ll start fighting (12:14) because some people say God do not lead me into trial. God say I’m pushing you into trial. (12:20) Not leading you.
So there’s some trials, some tests. You know every test comes to to pass you to the (12:27) next level. Not to fail you.
Jesus died on the cross for what? To pass you from death to life. (12:34) From failure to success. From poverty to riches.
From curses to blessing. Jesus died to get you passed (12:43) over. Amen.
So every test comes to pass you over to a better place. (12:51) And third thing in life is a bunch of temporary assignments. Nothing is permanent.
(12:58) Everything is temporary. The clothes you wear. When I bought this first time you feel excited (13:04) but after two wears it’s no longer exciting.
Everything in life is temporary. Nothing is (13:10) permanent. But there’s one thing permanent.
On Christ’s solid rock I stand. All of the ground is (13:17) sinking sand. Amen.
Christ the faithful is a good companion always. So life is a trial, test and (13:26) temporary assignment. A bunch of things you would go through but your eyes should be always on (13:31) eternity.
Not on the thing that God gave or God takes. Don’t get stuck because God took something (13:38) away from you. Or don’t get stuck because God gave you something.
God gave, God took, God’s name be (13:46) glorified. Amen. So Esther must have been thinking all this.
No no no I can’t do this. If I do (13:53) maybe I’ll get killed. This order is for all these people.
And me? No I am not. I’m just imagining. (13:59) It’s not written in the bible.
Okay so she was battling with Mordecai saying that why I cannot (14:06) go to the king. That’s when Mordecai said Esther don’t think you are in a safer place. (14:14) God’s deliverance will come.
He didn’t say may come, maybe come or God will do something. No no. He said (14:20) God’s deliverance and salvation will surely come.
Now Mordecai was a man of faith. You got to be a (14:30) man and woman of faith. Believe in what God promised, not what’s happening.
(14:37) He believed that God will bring him out. He was not focused on what Haman is doing or done. He’s (14:46) not been hurt because king he’s been ungrateful.
He didn’t remember my good works and didn’t give (14:52) me anything. But his eyes are on God. He said Esther this is your chance to rise up and act.
(15:03) Now if you don’t act, God’s salvation liberation will come from somebody else. You and your family (15:11) will be destroyed. You know God’s work never depend on anyone but all of us have an opportunity to be (15:20) in God’s work.
What is the greatest God’s work? You can think of according to the Bible. What is (15:26) the greatest work God expects from you? I would say evangelism. Sharing the gospel is one of the (15:34) greatest work God wants.
Why did Jesus die? To build a nice building like this all over the world? (15:39) No he didn’t die for that. To make you rich? No he didn’t die for that. You can become rich without (15:44) Christ as well.
Why did Jesus came to the world? Why did he die? To save the sinner from his sin. (15:53) To open the doors of heaven for the people who are lost. That’s the reason Jesus came.
(16:01) That’s the reason Jesus died. All these healing, miracle, financial, prosperity, poverty all are (16:07) good. So Jesus came to save the soul.
Apostle Paul said Jesus came to save the sinner. Among them I’m (16:14) the chief sinner. So the greatest work that God has for us is to evangelize.
Of course worship (16:24) is the greatest thing in our life but worship is not an order. It’s a lifestyle. Worship gets you (16:32) closer to God.
God doesn’t get anything out of worship. You get everything out of worship. God (16:37) is not an egoistic guy and feeling so inferior in his own sense.
Come on praise me, praise me, (16:42) otherwise I feel so flat. God doesn’t have a problem with ego like that. God’s identity is (16:51) not on your praise.
God’s identity is on who he is. Why do we praise and worship God? We praise (16:59) and we worship God because we wanted to express our gratitude to God. So I am worshipping God (17:05) because I want to get closer to God.
I want to understand the things of God. But evangelism (17:10) I’m doing something out of my life to God. Helping the poor, caring for somebody whom nobody cares.
(17:18) That’s an act I do for him. So Esther’s life she had a situation where she had to rise up and act. (17:33) If she don’t act God’s word says that salvation will definitely come.
See listen God’s church (17:39) will keep growing. No one can stop it. God’s church, God’s kingdom will keep growing.
Book of (17:47) Daniel says that you know that big statue head of gold and chest of silver and bronze and then (17:54) clay and the iron and then the feet and then one stone comes from nowhere touch without touch of (18:01) any man hit the feet or the statue and it it’s all been made to powder and spread all over and the (18:07) Bible says that he will be the kingdom that come never come to an end. That is Jesus. The kingdom (18:14) that Jesus came to build is a kingdom that never come to an end and that kingdom is not based on (18:21) your heart.
See I am no one to flex muscle with God and say let me see what you’re going to do. (18:27) He may throw me out from there. God’s work is not on any man’s shoulder.
When God invites you to work (18:36) you are getting an opportunity to get involved in the kingdom work. You better treat it as a privilege. (18:44) Helping the poor, sharing the gospel with somebody, praying for somebody.
It’s a privilege. It’s not a (18:52) responsibility. Mordecai said Esther who knows you have come to a place like this to rise up and act.
(19:02) Now Esther made three steps. One, she asked people to help. Two, she fast and prayed.
Three, she said (19:12) if I perish, I perish. Five words, five letters. She said if I perish, I perish.
I know there is a law (19:20) stands against me. If I act on it, I can be killed but if I perish, I perish. I’m going.
(19:28) Sometimes we have to take steps of faith like that. When you see that everything is against you, (19:37) you are willing to go and work on it. (19:42) No, waiting for everything to become convenient may be a bad idea.
(19:51) Obeying and doing what God has called you to do, that’s what God expects from us. I just want to (19:59) close reading some of the notes I’ve written down here. Number one, God’s purpose will not be (20:05) thwarted.
God’s plan does not depend solely on our obedience. Though he invites us to participate, (20:13) Mordecai was absolutely confident that God’s salvation will come. So God’s plan cannot be (20:19) changed.
Number one. Number two, it’s true that God has planned for us but if you don’t rise up and (20:26) act, we miss our divine appointment. There’s a season for us to talk.
There’s a season for us (20:35) to rise up and act. If you don’t do it that time, later you’ll be full of regrets and you want to (20:41) do it again, it won’t work. Now God told children of Israel to walk, they didn’t walk.
(20:48) Then God’s anger came, the book of Exodus. They realized wrong. Now they want to go.
Moses said, (20:55) don’t go now. They said, no, we are going. You know what happened? They had a death.
(20:59) They had God’s anger came against them. So make sure that you don’t miss your divine plan. (21:09) For such a time as this, what is, what rising up requires, we need to go with an attitude (21:17) of willing to suffer.
You know, safety is an illusion. There is nothing safe in the world. (21:25) Safety is an illusion.
God’s purpose always will prevail. Perhaps this is why you are here today. (21:32) There is a cost to pay for the courage.
In the book of James, chapter one, verse two, (21:38) Bible says, blessed are you when you face various kinds of troubles. He said, these troubles will (21:46) form faith, faith to patience. When your patience are complete, you will be perfect (21:52) and complete and lack nothing.
So when God inspired us, we have to rise up and act. (22:00) So what, what God is inspiring you in these days? For Esther, it was to get up and go and speak to (22:09) the king. No, she put her life on line to do that.
You know, the story goes later. (22:19) King realized that Haman was a bad guy. Haman was hanged in the gallow that Haman (22:27) erected for Mordecai.
Haman’s house was given to Esther. Mordecai became the caretaker (22:36) and everything turned upside down when she obeyed. Your obedience brings God’s blessings.
You know, (22:45) some of you are praying for things and things are not happening. You may wonder why. I’ll tell you (22:49) why, because you’re not obeying.
What is obedience? Obedience is a willingness to do what God wants me (22:56) to do. You know, when God wants me to do, when God, when I do what God wants me to do, my wealth, (23:04) my position, my knowledge, my ability, everything became a tool for me to accomplish the purpose (23:11) that God has for me. But when you have this money, wealth and education, knowledge or whatever you (23:17) have and you have no purpose, all these things become a snare of the devil, which drag you into (23:23) sin.
But when you obey God, everything that you have become a tool and whatever you ask, (23:33) God will give you because you are not asking for things to spend in flesh, you’re asking for things (23:39) as equipment to fulfill the obedience that you have towards Christ. So what we got to take away (23:47) from Esther this morning is that I must be willing to obey what God calls me to do. Amen.
What we have (23:55) to learn from Mordecai is that God’s work never ends. God’s plan never fails. God’s promises, (24:03) God’s plan will always come to pass.
Let’s offer our life to Jesus this morning and let’s commit (24:10) our life to do what he has called you to do. All of us are called for different things, different (24:16) purpose. The word of God teaches that I alone know the plans and the thoughts I think towards you, (24:23) not the plans of evil but the plans of good, not the plans to harm me but the plans to bless you (24:29) and give you a future and hope.
How many of you are going to club yourself to God this morning? (24:35) How many of you are going to hook yourself to God and say, I will obey no matter what it is, (24:41) even if it involves death, even if it involves suffering, even if it involves that I have to (24:46) give up my position, I will obey God, I will obey God, I will obey God.