Have you ever wondered why you're in a particular place at a particular time in your life? It's like there's a greater purpose behind it. You might have even asked yourself, why am I here right now? What's the purpose of this moment? The truth is, we've all experienced those moments. It's kind of part of the human experience. Times when it feels like something beyond our control is guiding us. It's like there's an unforeseen force drawing us to where we're meant to be. And I would suggest to you, if you're new to church and Christianity, that it's God. God's spirit, actually. Often leading us toward a pivotal moment in our life where we have a choice to make. Today might be that moment.
Welcome to Mountain View Church. My name is Jeremy. Whether you're here with us in person or joining online, it's a privilege to have you with us, and we're grateful that you're a part of our experience and our gathering today. If you're new here, please connect with us by visiting mountainview.church slash connect, or you can text connect to the number on the screen, which is 867-322-8001. You can also fill out a connect card if you're at one of our physical gatherings and hand it in to the welcome desk, and we would love to share more about the ministries and groups we offer here at Mountain View. We'd love to connect with you.
Now, if you have kids, we offer a children's program. It's called Base Camp. It happens every Sunday morning at both the 9.30 and 11 a.m. And if you're in-house, I'm actually with the kids today because it's the third Sunday of the month. I take my turn as well as a dad. And it's a wonderful way for your kids to learn and grow in their faith. Each week's video lesson activities are available at mountainview.church slash base camp if you're not able to make it in person.
And lastly, for our students out there, those teenagers, listen up. Our youth group meets every Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. Junior high is on the first and third Sundays, and senior high is on the second and fourth Sundays. With all that being said, let's come back to those pivotal moments that we were talking about before of God's calling, those moments in life where he's called us to something specific, to do something, say something. Maybe you're in one of those moments now. Now, they're different for every person and every season of life.
It might be a hard choice or a challenge you're facing. It could be a decision at work that tests your integrity. It might be a situation within your family or your friend group that causes you to step forward into something risky, maybe challenges your integrity. It might even be a radical shift in your life. All of these different defining moments, when we're standing at a crossroads, they matter. They're important. We're there for a reason. But they often require courage.
sometimes without a guarantee of the outcome. They confront us with a choice. Will we courageously move forward into this moment that God is calling us to? Or will we stay, maybe be comfortable, and just ignore the call? Just ignore the moment. Maybe it'll pass. Maybe it'll go away. Today, we're going to explore the life of Esther. She's a young woman who was called by God to move up into a position she never thought she'd be in.
Through unexpected circumstances, she found herself in a position of power within the Persian Empire. That's right, the Persian Empire. Crazy. And Esther's story is one of courage and calling, proving how God uses those who are willing to move forward in faith, even when the outcome is unknown. It's a great story. So without further ado, let's jump in. Here's this week's scripture reading. I'm Cornelia, and today I'm reading from Esther, chapter 3, verse 12, to chapter 4, verse 9.
Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. it was written in the name of king ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signaturing letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy to kill and to annihilate all jews young and old women and children in one day the thirteenth day of the twelfth month which is the month of adar and to plunder their goods A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be read for that day. The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel, and the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion. When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate closed in sackcloth.
and in every province wherever the king's command and his decree reached there was great mourning among the jews with fasting and weeping and lamenting and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes when esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her the queen was deeply distressed she sent garments to clothe mordechai so that he might take off his sackcloth but he would not accept them then esther called for hathak one of the king's eunuchs who had been appointed to attend her and ordered him to go to mordechai to learn what this was and why it was Hattag went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city, in front of the king's gate, and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. And Hattag went and told Esther what Mordecai had said.
After today's scripture reading, it's very likely that you have a few questions. So for this message, I think it'll benefit for me to give a little bit of background. The Book of Esther is set during the reign of King Ahasuerus, most commonly known throughout history as King Xerxes, which is also easier to pronounce, as you may have guessed from my attempt. Now, he ruled over the Persian Empire between 486 and 565 BC. The Persian Empire was one of the largest in the world at that time, stretched from India to Ethiopia. As you can imagine, this king held immense political and military power.
He was known for his lavish lifestyles, his impulsive nature, and for his harsh decrees, which matters in this message. He ruled through a vast network of officials and advisors. Now, let's move to Esther. Her family, along with many other Jewish people, were living in exile within the empire after the Babylonian captivity. Although some Jews had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, many were scattered throughout the Persian empire, living as a minority among foreign laws and cultures and even pagan spiritual practices.
The king's first queen, Vashti, was removed from her position after refusing to appear before him at a royal banquet. Perhaps he was embarrassed. This dramatic event set the stage for Esther, a young Jewish woman, to be selected as queen. And yet, Esther's racial identity had remained hidden from the king. This was a moment that Esther never could have anticipated, but God had been working behind the scenes the whole time. All would be revealed, and he would soon reveal his providence and use Esther to save his chosen people.
By the time we get to chapter three, we encounter a man by the name of Haman, a high-ranking official in the king's court, who also happens to despise all Jews. Haman is enraged when Mordecai, Esther's cousin and guardian, refuses to bow down to him. In retaliation, Haman convinces the king to issue a decree to commit genocide on all Jews, beginning on a set date. This decree would be irreversible under Persian law and would include Esther, although her Jewish heritage remained a secret. Now let's pick the story back up in chapter 4, verse 13. Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this.
These words reveal Mordecai's ability to face the harsh reality for the Jewish people. And yet there's a faithful confidence. It's a confidence in God's promise to protect his chosen people, Israel, even if Esther remains silent. Now, then there's also this challenge for Esther that God may have moved her up into this position, this position of royalty for a specific purpose. Maybe he was going to use her. Mordecai has considered the outcome. Most likely that Esther and her family will die, but just maybe, just maybe she will be part of God's plan.
for Jewish deliverance. So let's pause for a moment and reflect on Mordecai's response. There's a balance within his understanding of God's sovereignty. On one hand, he has accepted the grim future for the Jewish people. But on the other hand, he has remained faithful in God's covenant promise to sustain them. He gives Esther the hard truth about her family and her, that they're likely not going to make the first wave of genocide. And yet he suggests that Esther's rise to queenship may be more than just a circumstance.
Maybe it's providence. I hope you're catching this. This is important because Mordecai gives us a picture of clinging to faithful submission while accepting the uncertainty of the future. This is the balance that we need to live in. And maybe we're living in a balance that's lost all that. Maybe it's too comfortable. Maybe it's too easy. We're not faced with enough life or death situations like this. But it's important for us to consider and to think about how Mordecai explained this and what he was going through, what Esther might have been going through. Now, coming back to her.
She now faces a life or death decision. That is clear. Approaching the king without being summoned was punishable by death, unless he extended his golden scepter. Nevertheless, this woman has faith and courage. She accepts the potential calling that Mordecai has suggested. Maybe there's another outcome. Perhaps she is the one to save the Jews from genocide. Who knows? She doesn't know, and yet she steps forward. She moves up into that calling. Esther sends a message back to Mordecai. Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf. And do not eat or drink for three days.
night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. Are you seeing this? It's crazy. Esther's courage and willingness to sacrifice marks a pivotal turning point here, not just for her, but for the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews. This example of fasting and prayer sets the stage for God's sovereign hand to begin working through her bravery.
She was absolutely willing to take the risk. She was willing to lay down her life. And three days later, she did just that. Certainly she did. She approached the king and laid out her request to him. How do you respond? Let's fast forward to chapter eight and find out.
It reads, behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman and they have hanged him on the gallows because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews in the name of the king and seal it with the king's ring for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked. The king responded and Haman was put to death. But now Esther and Mordecai and the Jews have freedom and there's a new decree going out. Everything is going to be changed. God's provision, God's providence, it's all coming together. And then we jump down to chapter nine and we read the greater outcome. Now in the 12th month, which is the month of Adar, on the 13th day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred.
the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. What a crazy outcome. It totally reversed. God totally saved his people through Esther. Who knew? Who could have planned it? You see, Esther's story shows us that God sometimes calls us to move up into roles that require courage and even personal sacrifice. Esther wasn't seeking the role of queen, not for herself, not for any sort of glory.
And she certainly wasn't looking to become any sort of hero. She could have stayed silent and stayed safe, but she chose to answer God's call, even at a great personal risk. Wouldn't really count it. God doesn't always call us to the easiest path. Quite the opposite, actually. He calls us to the path where we can make the greatest impact. Let me say that again. God doesn't call us to the easiest path. He calls us to the path where we can make the greatest impact. And just like Esther, you may find yourself in a position that feels daunting. And maybe it's going to require more faith and courage than you feel you have.
It could be standing up for someone who needs an advocate or leading through a season of change. It might be stepping into a new responsibility or maybe even walking beside someone in their darkest hour. I don't know what it is. God's working through you though. Now, if you've been around Mountain View Church for a while, you know how I came to be a lead pastor.
but I didn't expect it. I didn't even really want to be a lead pastor. When I first arrived here, I was supposed to be the associate pastor and I was supposed to oversee the camp ministry and small groups and do some other things supporting the lead pastor. But three months later, everything fell apart. And then we were in this strange time for about a year where I was the interim. I was preaching and leading in some capacity, but without an official title. And to be honest, I was scared. I didn't really want it. But little by little, I felt God calling me forward. And though I had never planned to be a lead pastor, I felt like God was saying, no, you need to be.
This is your time. This is where you need to be. And I was scared. Now, it wasn't life or death in any way like Esther, but I felt it was a hinge moment in my life. It was a moment where the rest of my life and the trajectory really depended on it. And I felt like the trajectory of our church also counted on it. And so after a lot of prayer and fasting and talking to mentors and working with Nicole, my wife, to try to figure out, was this the right idea? Loads of discussions, loads of sleepless nights, all of it. But I knew in my heart, I had to have the courage to do this. And so I drew up a proposal and I submitted it to the board.
asking to be the lead pastor in Mountain View Church. Well, at that time, it was called White Horse Baptist Church. And now, I was nine, well, I guess maybe eight and a half years later, and since when I got the position, now I look at it, and I realize it really was a hinge moment. It was scary, and I didn't know what the future held, but it ended up being one of the most important moments in my life. And it did come at some cost. There was some rough seasons, but now I feel like I'm at the other end of it. And I see God's providence looking back. I see how he cared for me. I see how he cared for our church. And looking back though, there was some really difficult things I had to walk through and the church had to walk through. I don't know if I would change anything.
You see, here's the thing. It's gonna be the same for me and same for you, that God's call often comes with a cost. But when we're willing to courageously move up and we open the door for God to work, in the end, we wouldn't have had it any other way. Coming back to Esther, it's important to note that her courage wasn't something she mustered up on her own. Let's remember that she requested prayer and fasting from others while she prayed and fasted herself. Although she said, quote, if I perish, I perish, she knew that she couldn't walk up to the king without being spiritually equipped. When God calls us to move up into an invitation to be a part of something bigger,
but it's not just on an earthly level. Not when God's involved. It's always got a spiritual and a lot of times an eternal impact. It's often redemptive and life-changing. So it needs prayer. It needs spiritual preparation. We may not always see the impact right away, but God uses our actions, big or small, to bring hope and justice and transformation. And not just transformation for us, but it flows out of us and it impacts so many other people, even the smallest calling, even the smallest move toward God and toward what he's trying to plan and prepare. We can't miss it.
So before we bring this message to a close, I want to highlight that Esther's courageous calling points us toward an even greater example that came 500 years later. All throughout the Old Testament, we see individuals called to make sacrifices for others. But each and every story ultimately points to the one who made the greatest sacrifice when God sent his one and only son, Jesus Christ. Let's just look at Esther's story, for example. Esther risked her life to save her people. Jesus willingly gave his life to save all people.
Esther stood in the gap, bringing deliverance to the Jews. Jesus became the bridge between God and humanity, offering deliverance to everyone who believes. Through Esther's bravery, God rescued his people from physical destruction. Through Jesus, God offers a rescue from spiritual and eternal separation. You see, Esther's story foreshadows the ultimate act of love and redemption that Jesus fulfilled when he laid down his life, when he paid the price for our sin.
and in turn offering us a new life, an eternal life. Today, just as Esther accepted her calling to stand in the gap for her people, Jesus invites each and every one of us, you and me, to accept his gift of love and grace. It's salvation obtained through his sacrifice on the cross. So if you've never placed your faith in Jesus Christ, this is your moment. This is the biggest moment of calling and courage you've ever faced. Jesus gave himself so that you could be forgiven, welcomed into God's family, and to live out a new life through spiritual rebirth.
By putting your trust in Jesus, you can receive this gift of eternal life. You can experience God's love, perhaps for the first time, or at least that you fully understand, and your eyes will be opened as you step fully into your spiritual calling. God loves you, and he wants a relationship with you. Esther's story shows us that upward movement requires both calling and courage, and these two often go hand in hand. It's a moment where we move toward God, and we accept this calling, but it requires courage. With that in mind, here's the final question for you, and I need to ask it of myself.
How is God calling you to move up? How is God calling you to move forward into a new or even challenging position so that you can be used by him to make a difference in this world? He wants to use you. He's waiting. Answer the call. And maybe as I asked that question, you felt it. Maybe it was a whisper. It was a spiritual nudge. Maybe you couldn't even really explain it. And if you did feel that, it's not an accident. God has placed you here for a reason. Please don't ignore it.
Instead, take a chance. Lean into it. This could be your defining moment, the one that shapes your faith and your future. You could look back and say, this was the hinge moment where God radically changed my life, and I can't even imagine not taking that step. Take this moment seriously. Is God inviting you to step out in faith? Is he asking you to use your position and your influence for a greater purpose? I get it. You're scared. You're nervous. You're anxious. Maybe you're dismissing everything I'm saying.
Because I can't guarantee what will happen. I can't guarantee that God's going to use you. I can't guarantee the outcome. But what I know from my own life and from seeing it in so many people throughout my ministry is that we can't always see it. But God has uniquely positioned each of us in certain places at certain times.
He places us in certain families, communities, workplaces, and relationships all for a reason. I can't be where you're at and you can't be where I'm at. And while the purpose isn't always clear at the onset, there will always be a moment. There's a moment and the fog clears and the tapestry is unveiled. And that's the moment where we realize the courage was worth it. The calling was worth it. That's the moment. But it starts with today. We move forward and willingly embrace whatever God has prepared for us to do in advance.
And so if you're willing to take that step, maybe it's your first step accepting Jesus, or maybe you've been following Jesus for a long time, and you're just answering a call to move up with courage into whatever he's laid on your heart. Join with me in prayer. Let's do it. Today's the day. Now's the time. Embrace it. Let's pray together, asking God for the courage to answer his call and the courage to trust him in the timing and the purpose. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you for teaching me through Esther's story, the power of calling and courage. Thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to be the sacrifice for my sin.
Thank you for loving me and saving me. I believe that you raised him from the dead and I accept him as my Lord and Savior. Help me recognize the opportunities you've placed before me and give me the strength to embrace them. Help me move forward, trusting in your guidance. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Now it's time for our discussion and prayer focus. Grab some coffee, grab a tea, get together with some other people and ask them this question. How has God called you to courageously make a move?
As you've listened to this message, as you've prayed and thought about it, have you felt that nudge? How has God called you to courageously make a move? What's the move? Share that. Help them understand it. Maybe they can hold you accountable. It's a good thing. After you do that, pray about it. Pray for the courage to respond to God's call and make that move of faith. Pray for the courage to respond to God's call and move up in faith.
Thank you so much for being here. Again, please come back next week. We're going to look at Daniel, and we're going to look how Daniel's faith led him to stand firm in God's truth, even under the threat of punishment. This message will challenge us to reflect on where God may be calling us to stand up, or maybe even where we need to have a deeper source of faith. Invite a friend. Let's answer God's call together. See you next week.
If you prayed to receive Jesus today or would like to connect with our church community, visit mountainview.church and click the connect link. If this podcast and radio ministry has been a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us or making a tax-deductible donation at mountainview.church. Thanks for listening to Mountain View Church Audio. Join us next week for more Christ-centered teaching from the wilderness city of Whitehorse UConn.