Transition & remarks
Reading of scripture/prayer/seat people.
I. Introduction:
-Present sermon title/theme.
We are living in a day and time where a great number in the body of Christ are seemingly finding themselves in situations where it appears as though the enemy, the adversary the devil himself even has overcome and defeated us through the use of other folk who have caused so much hurt, pain, and hell in our lives and walked all over us, dragging us through the mud, the muck, and the mire, draining us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, all the while seemingly moving on after the fact, living a great, lavish, and consequence free life. While in the process we are the ones stuck suffering going through, dealing with the anguish, pain, hurt, and heartache, while God is seemingly sitting back “chilling”, not giving a care in the world. And it can seem so coincidental sometimes that your enemy’s seemed to get away unscathed, and that God is apparently chilling, that if not careful you’ll almost start thinking that God and your enemies are in cahoots with one another. It seems as if ALL hell has broken loose in your life and God isn’t lifting a finger. (Elaborate on opening statement)
-Talk about how this can be dangerous b/c we feel as if God has not “sufficiently” or quickly enough gotten back at our enemies, so we begin to think of ways to get back at them ourselves.
-This also happens b/c we don’t draw close enough to God to be healed from our wounds.
-We become wounded animals, walking zombies as a result of all this. (elaborate)
-Talk about how this creates painful “Hurt and be hurt” cycles in our lives.
-How many times have you lost sleep, lying awake at night, trying to figure out ways to get back at those who hurt you? (We’ve all done it in reality.) (Elaborate)
-This text enlightens us to the fact that I don’t have to worry about losing another night of sleep, etc. thinking of ways to get back at my enemies, but I’m better off just holding my peace & letting God handle getting revenge on my enemies!
-Scripture support:
1.) Psalms 37:1: “Fret not thyself because of evil doers for like the grass they will soon wither away.”
2.) Levit. 17:18: “Vengeance is mine…”
3.) Psalms 37:7: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently, do not fret when men succeed in their evil sins and when they carry out their wicked ways.”
4.) Proverbs 26:27: “If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it, if he rolls a stone it will roll back on him.”
-So preacher what you’re trying to tell me is….?
-Transition into body (move #1)
II. Body: Three Reasons why it’s better To Let God Handle Your Enemy.
A.) When you let God handle your enemies, you “keep your hands clean.”
-Talk about Esther being the main one to orchestrate “getting back” at Haman, even though the one he directly conspired against was Moredaci. (Elaborate on how this happens in text)
-Moredacai didn’t have to “get his hands” dirty by putting himself into a situation where his actions could be questioned or consequence later.
-It’s almost like someone hiring a hit man.” (Elaborate)
-Talk about how this truth relates to people today. (Let God handle your light work!)
- (Move #2)
B.) When you let God handle your enemies, He will flip the script!!
-Describe what happens in text when King returns from running out into the garden in a blind fury, and how Haman interacts with Esther in the process.
-Haman thought He had Moredacai in his hands, but God turned it around!!!
-God has a funny way of flipping scripts & turning things around! (Elaborate)
-Talk about how this truth applies to the people today.
- (move #3)
C.) When you let God handle your enemies, they will cause their own demise.
-Talk about how Haman had the gallows built outside his house for Moredacai to be hung on, but the King ultimately had Haman hanged on the gallows himself!!
-If you let God handle your enemies, they will hang themselves!!
-Lion King Example.
-What happens when your focus is on hurting others rather than on God!
- (Move #4) Relate all this to the title of the sermon)
-“What the devil meant for evil…”
III. Preach the text (Celebration)
-Must go back to chapter 3 to understand totality of this text.
-King elevates Haman to office of Prime Minister, everyone but Moredacai bows down. (When you go against the crowd you can expect great oppos.)
-Haman becomes enraged, loses it, and goes to King Xerxes and has a decree made that allows the killing of not only Moredacai, but the Jews too!
-So angry he was willing to pay King off for the decree!
-Mordecai goes to Esther, twice, through her servant, and pleads for help. (Talk about her position with the King as Queen/ Still Mordecai is her uncle)
-Esther knew she couldn’t approach the King without being summoned, but made up her mind to do so anyhow “If I perish I perish” (When you get a mentality like that you become dangerous)
-Esther finds favor with the king when she approaches him. (You have favor with God!)
-Moredacai once again refuses to bow down to Haman, Haman returns home furious, Boasts to his family but says he won’t be satisfied till Moredacai is killed. (Its dangerous when you aren’t satisfied with what God gives you.)
-Haman meets with his wife & friends & they conspire to construct a gallows. (Be sure you have ppl conspiring against you! YOU ARE THAT IMPORTANT!)
-In chapter 6 now, Haman begins to really screw himself, as the King discovers that Moredacai did a previously good work & is now looking for ways to honor him.
-Haman is in the courts now thinking he is about to speak to the king about hanging Moredacai & the King lets him in & asks him, “What should be done for the man the King delights to honor?”
-Haman gets too full of himself, and says to get the King’s robe & horse, and have the man robed, saddled, and led through the town, and the king tells him to go get Moredacai of ALL ppl and do this very thing! (God will let your enemies honor you & humiliate themselves at the same time!)
-Illustrate how Haman probably looked leading Moredacai around.
-Haman gets home and is told he will not be able to overcome Mordecai by himself But then gets rushed away to the banquet. (By the time your enemies realize they are really up against God & not you, it WILL BE TOO LATE!)
-All of this brings us to the text at hand. We’re at the banquet now & King asks Esther a 3rd time what her petition is, and she begins to paint a picture of Haman to the King, setting him up by exposing the decree that he had set up for the Jews. (If you let God handle your enemies He will expose them for who they are!)
-Talk about Haman’s response to all of this as the King leaves out in fury! (The whole time I can see Moredacai off somewhere chillin!)
-God will bring your enemies to their kness.
-Talk about ALL that happens when the King returns..(Haman is really screwed now!)
-“When you dig one ditch you’d better dig two!”
-Encourage & exhort the people of God that it is better to let God handle your enemies, then for you to try to do it yourself!!!! (Tie in sermon title.)
-Talk about being mad now @ the devil & why…
-DON’T WAIT TIL THE BATTLE IS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHOUT NOW!!!!!
-(close strong!)
