First an apology. John's not here, you're gonna have to listen to me for a second time.
Also, typically, I really don't like how my message is laid out. They're like, Oh, boy, and we're in for trouble. No, no, typically, most of us like to take a passage and expound upon that passage, to read
it thoroughly to listen to it. And john mcpheeters, has done a wonderful job going through the book of Esther. And this is not to take anything away from what he has said or done. But I'm going to be going through a lot of Scripture today, hopefully quickly. But please bear with me, in that. When john preached on Esther, and he, he did an awesome job. I said, john, sir, opportunity for me to speak because there's some very awesome messages in the book of Esther. And he said, Yeah, but I got a few things I got to finish and I'm right in the middle of my studying. I don't, that's okay. And so as the time went, by, more and more came to my heart and my mind God, showed me some more things and confirm some things for me. And so that's leading me to where I'm at
right now. Chapter Three of Esther. As you know, Esther has become queen. We were enter Deuce to her the king and Mordecai.
In chapter three, verses one through six. And if I can find my spot now, after these events, King Xerxes honored Heyman son, I'm him adapta. The a guide guite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor, higher than that of all the other nobles. All the Royal officials that the Kings gate knelt down and paid honor Taemin for the king had commanded this concerning him. Well, there's more. David, no, there's more. We'll get to it. Think about it. Would you like not knowing anything about Haman nallah you know, just put it on rewind and just go to the point where if this is the first time you heard it, you like to be Haman. Perhaps the second most powerful man in the world at that time. If he wanted to buy a Hummer for Monday, and a Cadillac for Tuesday, and a tricked out camel for Wednesday. He could do it. He could say up your need to not touch get back down there. Kneel again.
That's where I was at.
I don't know if I could handle that. But that was the honor bestowed by the king of one of the most powerful nations on earth at that time. To hain but were given some very important information, as the Bible does. in different places, we get a little genealogy
ancestry 23. Okay. He's an ag guide. His ancestors. If this reference goes there, his ancestors attacked Israel on Israel's way out of Egypt. The Israelites did not forget that God gave a command for the king of Israel Saul, later on to eliminate a gag the king of the Amalekites most of the Amalekites were destroyed. Saul in his wisdom, air quotes, spared a gag. The Jews were not very happy with the Amalekites. Heymans ancestors did not look favorably upon the Jews. And so we have this animosity, this loathing, and that's not too strong of a word here, this hatred.
And what can we learn from that? There are three things in Esther that I want to point out. And it's all about hate. Hate is learned. It's not an inherited quality. It's not something where your three year old will get up. And I hate this when they might, especially if it's a new food you're trying to introduce. But where do they even learn about the idea? There are some things that have innocently been passed down to us some behaviors,
some language, some ways of looking at things and people that may have seemed to be quite innocuous. But if turned out to be quite harmful to others.
I'm, I'm just gonna confess my father, we're driving down route nine in South Jersey, along the shore. I forget the instance. But he used that famous N word. I hate this. And then he realized that was in the car. And he looked at me, David, don't do as I did, do Just do as I say.
Okay, you know, but guess what I was introduced to a very ugly word, which I then proceeded to use on a couple of occasions. And I felt so ugly. Afterwards, I was thankful that my mom instilled in me and my dad tried a respect for all people. And that kind of counterbalance what I said but I learned a very hateful thing. Oh, be careful, little lips what you say what you do with our hands. Hatred is learned. I'm sure Haman did not just wake up one day and say you know what? I hate the Jews. Chapter Five. We're going to start at verse nine through 13. Esther comes before the king chapter five, verse three. Then the king asked, What is it Queen Esther? What is your request? even up to half the kingdom? It will be given to you. If it pleases the king, replied Esther let the king together with Haman. come today to a banquet I have prepared for him. The king says bring him in at once. Let's go. And then at the banquet. Esther is asked again. What would you want up to half the kingdom. King If it pleases you, would you and Haman come to a banquet with me that I will prepare for you tomorrow. Well, of course Haman now it's just like, Oh, I'm good. You know, the queen is invited me to a special banquet. Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai, remember that Jewish fellow at the king's gate and observed that He neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home, calling together his friends, and zeresh his wife, Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways that King honored him, and how he had elevated him above all the other nobles and officials. And that's not all. Haman added. I'm the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave, and she has invited me along with a king tomorrow. And so you'd be that yeah, this is pretty cool. Notice what I said later. But all this gives me no satisfaction. As long as I see the Jew Mordecai, sitting at the king's gate, riches man's or second riches man, perhaps invited to be with the Queen and the king and a banquet honored among all the people.
And in the words of Mick Jagger, I can't get no satisfaction. Do you see what bitterness and hatred will do to us? And our children, our neighbors, our family, our nation, our world? God so loved the world. Look at the beauty of creation. How mindful is God of us? How much joy I know Brian has shared with me some of the places and with us some of the places he been and the joy he has in being hiking on a trail, discovering something new. I see the pictures that Brandon sends us
great joy and satisfaction. Haman no satisfaction. And so we rather than just leaving this as a historic study, a historic setting. What does hatred do? What does bitterness do? It robs us of the joy that God intended us as people created in his image. It robs us of that joy. God said we will have peace that passes all understanding. But that peace is corrupted corrodes when hatred is present chapter seven verse one, so the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. And as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again asked Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request even up to half the kingdom? It will be granted. Then Queen Esther answer if I found favor with you, okay. And if it pleases Your Majesty, Grant me my life. What? This is my petition and spare my people. This is my request that we know that Haman has sent out but the king doesn't know this. In order that on a certain day the Jews in every count of every province will be destroyed. For imi people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we merely been sold as male and female slaves I would have kept quiet because no such distress would justify disturbing the king. King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, who is he? Where is the man who dared to do such a thing? Verse six, Esther said the adversary and enemy is this vile Haman. Then Haman was terrified. Before the king and queen. The King got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. We know the rest of the story. Haman, fumbles and Bumbles and tries to plead for his life between before Queen Esther, the king comes back sees it
a servant. Maybe he's been waiting to say this, I don't know. But he says, you know, Haman had a gallows erected for this man, Mordecai. And what does the king say?
Take him in and hang them on his own gallows. unchecked, unresolved. Hey, hatred will destroy. That's why there's admonitions in the Bible about allowing roots of bitterness to grow.
Where we're told the flee from evil, the cling to what is good.
These aren't just good sayings to live by. It could be the difference between life and death. So he's okay. Yeah, that's pretty good, David. That's my introduction. Now, believe me, it won't be that. Look at the world we are in right now. Look at the state of things. Among our very own people. COVID was not the only pandemic that we suffered through.
There's been a pandemic going on long, but it's been building and building and building. And I think COVID help expose it and bring it to light. But there's a lot of evil and hatred In our world today. We as a people, politically are divided. And I think that's a mild statement. There are people who will attack and kill other people. Because of this division. I'm not going to get political today. The things that are written that I'm going to reference
were written Well, before there were Democrats and Republicans and independents and libertarians. God has a certain expectation of his people. Social Justice is a very prominent subject. on God's heart, I could say in the Bible, but I want to make it even more personal. The Bible reveals God's heart and his intentions for his people. When he created them in his image, he set
forth what he expected his people to do and that is to walk out to live out what it means to be created in God's image. We've been talking a lot about disciple making, and that's great. And I told john, I would mention this and it's it's not Nothing against disciplemaking. In fact, it's everything about disciplemaking. Justin would know this going to Myanmar and doing many things around. But when you make disciples, oh, okay, you're baptized by not usually, I mean, sometimes you got a plane to catch, you know that, but they're usually placed in the care of somewhere and they are continued to be discipled.
That to go hand in hand with God's expectations. I did a little word search last week in the English language. I looked up one word, and it was not Strong's exhaustive concordance that I used. But the reference to the word justice, as it pertains to how we treat each other. And how God wants us to treat each other. The word appeared 173 times. So I shared that with Greg McKenzie. He says, but you don't understand. That's just in the English, you're forgetting about all the variants of that word, that appear in the original language. And so it's just like, hundreds, upon hundreds of references. In the early 1900s. There was a movement called the social gospel, and Protestant Christianity wanted to take
and apply Christian morals to everyday living. After I became a Christian, you know, I heard reference to the social gospel. But it was more like
you know, we need to be preaching the five steps of salvation or we need to be going out baptizing people. And, you know, we're not going to go out and start up different programs.
Turn with me, if you will. to Luke chapter four. I think you know, where I'm going with this. Jesus goes to his hometown, into the synagogue. He could probably say, you see that bench over there. Look underneath you'll probably find a piece of bubblegum from when I was a youth.
He went to Nazareth, verse 16, where he had been brought up and on the Sabbath day, he went into the synagogue, and as was his custom, and he stood up to read, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him unrolling it, he found the place where it was written. The Spirit of the Lord has on me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Then he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. For a longest time, when someone said, See we have to help the poor, the sick, those that are mistreated, and I'm like, No, no, no, no, no, that interpretation of that scripture is about spiritual blindness and spiritual oppression. And that's why Jesus came to free us. Oops. I'm starting to think that it's both. I'm starting to believe
that it's both.
Walking out, living out, being made in the image of God says we're going to live as Jesus would live. If we were to pick up up his purpose. We need to be a part of reaching out to others, to take good news to the poor, to spend time with prisoners, to address oppression. Turn with me, if you will to Matthew 25. Think you know where I'm going here. When the Son of Man comes verse 31, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in the heavenly glory and all the nations will be gathered before him. And he will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right, and the goats on his left. Then the cane will say to those on his right, come you who are blessed by my father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you, since the creation of the world, For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me in. I needed clothes, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you looked after me. I was in prison, and you came to visit me? Then the righteous will answer, Lord, when when did we see you hungry and feed you? or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger? and invited you in? or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison? And go to visit you? And the king will reply tell you the truth, whoever you did, for one of those we know those who are our buddy doesn't say that. For the least of these my brothers? Who did it for me? JOHN, I don't know if I've ever said thank you for setting the example of going to the county jail to one place I wouldn't be comfortable going but faithful he did. And we saw the fruits of that. Often. I don't know how many times there were people in need. When Trudy and I were need that there wasn't somebody from this congregation, this community that was there for us. Thank you. These are the living out of what it means to be created in the image of God.
I want to make reference to Hosea chapter four. I'll summarize. Didn't know my preaching was that bad. Could be worse could put her to sleep. Hosea tells the people this is from God. My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. No, they didn't participate enough in Bible. They didn't memorize the scripture of the week. They can't tell you what the preacher preached on.
Now, not that knowledge. It's an experiential knowledge. And he goes on to list about how there are people hungry and not fat. How people are being abused and oppressed. How even the priests are taking advantage of the sinfulness of the people. You know, the more the people sin, the more we get to eat. The minor prophets especially Amos, and I love this. I had the privilege of sitting at the feet of and Brandon, you may have remembered Clyde Miller. I don't know if he was there when you were there. No. Okay. But we did a course on the Minor Prophets and Amos was very Jose and Amos were very impressing on me. Amos does a roll call. If you ever watched the Yankees game, the players are in the field and they, you know, Derek Jeter and they'll keep saying and until the player acknowledges them, and they do a roll call. Well, God is doing a roll call of the nations. And he talks about all the people around them. Moab etom, tire and sign. And he goes through the list of nations and you can just see the pride in the people of Israel saying, Yeah, they're evil. Yeah, they're bad. And then, and you owe Israel. Oops. Yes, this is what God expects of you to. I want to take us first to Proverbs first proverbs 14. Well, I'll tell you what, let's go right to Micah six, eight first. And then I'm going to conclude the prophecy Yay.
This is the Lord's case against Israel. That's what my little introduction says there. Listen to what the what yawei says, stand up, plead your case before the mountains, let the hills hear what you have to say. Hero mountains, Yahweh is accusation. Listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For Yahweh has a case against his people. He is lodging a charge against Israel, my people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you answer me. I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you and also Aaron and Miriam. My people remembered what bailout king of Moab canceled and what bail I'm the son of B are answered. Remember your journey from shittim to Gilgal? That you may know the righteous acts of yawei. With what shall I come before yawei and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burn offerings with calves a year old? Will yawei be pleased with 1000s of rams with 10,000 rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my trans gash Gretchen's the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul. He has shown you Oh man. What is good? And what
does Yahweh require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. In Isaiah 10, one and two. And again, this is before there's Democrats and Republicans so I'm not trying to bring anything out here
about our present circumstance. You do that? Isaiah speaking God's word says Woe to you who passed laws that are that are oppressive. Well as that happened, yeah. laws that prevent people from having access to some of the basics of life. And it's happening all over the world. Proverbs 1414 through 31. And then I'm going to just pause for a few applications.
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his maker. He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his maker. One version actually says, mocks the maker. And I'm gonna come right back from the very beginning. God created us in His image. And we are to live out what it means to be created in the image of God in our actual interactions with not just one another where it's easy.
But in those hard places of society, and those places where it does not feel comfortable. When we, and I say we, as people of God, people, this world, people that are created in his image, fail
to address poverty. And yes, I said address it. I'm not just saying acknowledge it. We're part of the problem. We're, we're part of the solution. We are part of the problem if we're not part of the solution. And I really appreciate what john king has said, Now you're going into medlin. I thought it was just a funny quip. But it's serious. Now. I see where he's saying. Because this is not comfortable for me to say. Because I know where I've been guilty. And I'm not going to make judgment on anybody else. You have to do that. And that's what I hope after today, you do you look at your heart. I don't want to mock My God, who created me who gave His Son to die for me? The Gospel The good news is more than just going out and doing a DBS. We need to do DBS. We need to do more of it. Yes.
But this end also. So some application. My intention is just to bring to light what God has been speaking to me about
what the Scriptures say, and I left a bunch of my scriptures off. We have an opportunity this Well, let me back up. Let me put in context. This past summer, I was taken back by the events that happened, the protests.
The hurt the pain. I've taught in an inner city school. I taught in a school that just eats up teachers and spits them out.
I don't feel like I go to work. I love my work. I love teaching. But I spent five years listening to children compare the release of their father from prison.
The countless students who needed to take food home because they did not have any the sense of hopelessness acting out and fighting because that was the only way they can get attention from somebody. I'm here but as well. So I did something different. It had been on my mind God put her on my heart.
I joined the NAACP. I'm hoping to get more involved with that. But then God put something else on my heart and I'm going to share it with you.
I don't have to join an organization. To make an impact among the poorest of our children, Thursday nights in the fall, David, what are the faces of those that are on your bus look like when they're coming
to inner city? smiles? Yeah. Joy. For some time, it may be the only time that week that it says, you know, there's some people here you don't really know, but they do care about you.
That will make a lifelong impression. So it was me. So why do I have to join some national organization and get involved in something here, when it's right here on my doorstep? So I told Ben that I'm going to give him one right now. once every three weeks, I'm going to be there. And we're going to be there with a meal. Now not gonna try and guilt you into doing that. But think how many people we have here. once every three weeks, once every four weeks. There are opportunities in our community with intentionality. Just look at somebody and acknowledge them.
Now, that's another thing I did. When I was overwhelmed by all this. I was going to intentionally greet people, especially people of color. But I was going to greet people that
I didn't know that was passing by. And the response was amazing. I found my countenance, through the days and week changing to the positive. Why won't look what I did for myself. Now, it's what it's how God made us to be. God made us to be better because we are treating people better. We're acknowledging people.
Miss Lee, thank you, for your kindness and your community. We know you have reached out often.
Thank you for all of you, who have contributed to our children, to those in need. With intentionality, I hope that you will live out this aspect of the gospel.
And I'll leave that to you. And God, to decide what that will look like what walking in the image of God will look like. But God wants us to be people who lift the burdens of those oppressed, to meet the needs of the needy. Because what we do for ourself, will fade and be forgotten and die with us. What we do for others will last for eternity. And I don't know a more effective way than spreading the gospel than this show that we care and we love and then maybe more people will listen and respond. Father, we thank you. We give you the praise. We give you the glory. Father, thank you for making us in your image. So we know how you want us to live. And we just pray that we will be obedient to that with intentionality every day. Lord, let us wake up and say how can I be obedient to you today. Father, thank you for this people in this room. Thank you for their love for you. Thank you for their love for others. Thank you for their desire that others will know you. Thank you father in Jesus Christ name Amen.
