Esther - Series Intro Series

Esther: Living For God, in a Godless Culture

Esther 1:1-9

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER

-For 60 years in a row the percentage of Christians in every American state has been decreasing.

-Some modern day prophets see this decline as evidence that the end is near…perhaps they’re right.

-Some experts and scholars say this is the historical trend of the gospel worldwide…the gospel comes and goes.

-The pessimists say…that God is judging our country for its sins…there might be some truth to that.

-The optimists say…that’s just more lost people for us to share the message of Jesus with!

-Whatever the explanation, the percentage of Christians in every American state has been decreasing for 60 years!

-Many of us who are trying to follow God feel overwhelmed at times by the godless culture that we live in.

-When I was a kid pastors would say, “This is a Christian nation.”

-But no one really believes that today.

-We are Christians, but it’s hard to be Christians in a world that seems contrary to everything we believe in.

-Our children are taught things at school that contradict our beliefs.

-The courts make decisions that don’t reflect our values.

-Television shows get raunchier and more graphic all the time.

-The breakdown of marriage and family in our land is epidemic.

-We can’t hardly let our kids spend the night at a friend’s house because we aren’t sure of what they’ll see, hear, watch, or dig up online!

-More and more Christians have a sense that we are the minority; the culture we live in doesn’t share our worldview, our values, or our faith in Jesus Christ.

-That can make us feel marginalized, angry, sad, overwhelmed, and can make us feel like just giving up on our faith.

-But Christians; this isn't a new thing. This is a normal thing.

-Historically the people of God have almost always been in the minority in their respective countries and cultures.

-Jesus and his disciples were branded, ostracized, and persecuted.

-Roman Christians were persecuted fiercely & killed for their beliefs.

-And even before Christ came; God’s people knew what it was like to “live for God in a godless culture.”

-That’s what we’re going to be studying as we head into the book of Esther these next couple months.

-Here are some things you need to know about the book of Esther:

• The author is unknown. (Mordecai)

• One of the last books written in OT.

• One of only two books in the Bible named after a woman.

• God is never mentioned in this book.

-The entire setting of Esther is so godless that God isn’t even mentioned in the account of what went on.

-Today we aren’t going to focus on Esther but another key character who is introduced in chap 1.

-It’s perfect that many of you are wearing football gear today.

-There is one necessary component for all serious armchair quarterbacks…an arm chair. A recliner! Men love their recliners

XERXES: A GODLESS KING who loved his armchair…more on that later.

VS 1 These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia.

-Xerxes was the son of the ruthless Persian King Darius who had conquered most of the known world at that time.

-Darius, like most of the ancient kings, had a whole harem of wives and thus he had many children.

-Xerxes was the chosen son to be the heir to this massive kingdom.

-At the time of Esther’s story he was about 35 years old. (483BC)

-Xerxes was raised in luxury at the King’s palace.

-He was spoiled. He was concieted and extremly egostictical.

-He was a typical ancient king. He wasn’t elected by the people.

-His dad handed him the keys to a vast kingdom.

-He owned many nations, ruled over people who spoke many languages, had control over a vast army and had a god-like status over the people that he ruled.

-In fact, he gave himself the title “king of kings.”

-There’s someone else we know who rightfully owns that title, and I wouldn’t suggest calling yourself that! Lighting could strike!

-Xerxes had an amazing armchair…well it was a throne.

-And it was a very impressive, richly decorated throne.

-And he loved to sit in it. It may have even had heated seat and massage, we aren’t sure.

-It was carried on the shoulders of slaves so that wherever he went people had to look up on him and so he could look down on them.

-People were required to bow down as his throne passed buy.

-He would sit in that throne while his army would fight for him.

-He was hands down the most powerful man in the world.

-He was the leader of the largest, richest, most powerful nation in the history of the world at that time.