An Orphan Becomes Queen Series

I said, “I’m a youth pastor and my job it to protect girls like that from creeps like you!”

The profits from sex trafficking world-wide exceed 100 billion dollars.

In the United States, one of the largest sites engaged in sex trafficking is the porn site, “Porn Hub.” They have reported that during the pandemic, hits on their site, have skyrocketed.

Much of the content on the website is uploaded by sex traffickers who hold these girls, mostly underage, captive and force them to “perform.”

Porn Hub has pushed back and announced that they only stream “ethically sourced” porn. Truthfully, I consider that an oxymoron. There is no such thing as ethically sourced porn.

God created sex and made it clear in what context it would a blessing - between one man and one woman in marriage.

It’s like a fire. Fire in a fireplace can make a room glow with warmth. Fire in a forest can cause massive devastation.

Ben Reaoch, pastor of Three Rivers grace Church in Pittsburgh, gives some helpful Biblical thoughts about sex trafficking:

Sex trafficking is an offense to the sanctity of human life

Sex trafficking illustrates the sexual perversity in our fallen world

Sex trafficking is an offense to the sanctity of marriage

Sex trafficking is a picture of bondage to sin

Sex trafficking reveals our need for the Gospel.

Proverbs 31:8a states: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…”

If you would like to learn more, go to the A 21.org site.

The Main Idea of Today’s Verses

Esther and Mordecai were exiles. They were Jews living in the faraway kingdom of Persia. They had to learn to live in a culture that didn’t share their values or beliefs.

Aren’t you glad things have changed?

I want to end today with four postures that Christians can have toward culture.

Isolation

A couple of months ago, I began a sermon with the story of a man who sat on a pillar for 37 years to get closer to God.

There is a group of early theologians known as the “desert fathers” that literally went into the desert to escape the culture and get closer to God.

That still happens today with monks living in isolated monasteries, even taking vows of silence.

At times, I’m sure we all wished we could just live in a cabin in Montana away from all the chaos of our culture.

You don’t have to go to Montana to see this actually happening. We saw it in Arthur, Illinois with the Amish.

The Amish have separated themselves from the culture, particularly the stranglehold that technology has on the culture. They live simple, somewhat isolated lives in order honor God.

But God doesn’t call us to isolate from the culture.

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:14-19)