INTRODUCTION
OPENING SLIDE
• Have you ever been in a moment when you knew what the right thing to do was—but fear tried to hold you back?
• Maybe it was speaking up when someone was being mistreated.
• Maybe it was standing for truth when it would’ve been easier to stay quiet.
• Maybe it was saying “yes” to God’s calling when every part of you wanted to say “no.”
• Life is filled with moments when courage is required.
• Today, we turn to Esther 4:10-17 to explore the kind of courage God calls us to have.
• In our passage, Esther faces a life-defining moment.
• Esther didn’t choose her moment—but God chose her for the moment.
• With the fate of her people resting on her response, Esther teaches us what it means to live with courage.
• In chapter four, Mordecai learns that Haman has issued a royal decree in the king’s name, stating that on a certain day the Jews are to be destroyed.
• So Mordecai asks Queen Esther to plead for the Jews before the king.
• The drama of the story is heightened in this episode by the nature of the laws of the Persian court.
• To go before the king without being called is to risk one’s life.
• God places us in specific situations for a reason—jobs, families, churches, and communities.
• When injustice, brokenness, or need appears, do we shrink back—or step up?
• You don’t need a crown to have influence—just a willingness to act.
• This morning, we’re going to talk about courage—not the kind of courage that comes from confidence in ourselves, but the kind that comes from trusting God.
• Esther had the courage to use her position of power to help others, specifically, to save her people, the Jews, from genocide.
• Let’s open to Esther 4:10–17 and draw out three truths about courage that we can live out today.
Esther 4:10–11 NET 2nd ed.
10 Then Esther replied to Hathach with instructions for Mordecai:
11 “All the servants of the king and the people of the king’s provinces know that there is only one law applicable to any man or woman who comes uninvited to the king in the inner court—that person will be put to death, unless the king extends to him the gold scepter, permitting him to be spared. Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some thirty days”
SERMON
POINT 1 SLIDE
I. The courage to face difficult obstacles
• How many times in life have you faced a situation where you knew what you needed to do, but you saw what looked to be insurmountable obstacles in the way of what you knew you needed to do?
• As I said in the introduction, Mordecai was made privy to the plans that Haman had to wipe out the Jews.
• Mordecai was mourning over the situation, and Queen Esther was made aware that something was seriously wrong with Mordecai.
• Verse three tells us that Mordecai and all the Jews throughout the kingdom were fasting and were mourning.
• It is interesting that even though God is not mentioned by name, we can see the Jewish people were reaching out to God.
• Esther wants to know what is troubling Mordecai.
• Esther sent one of the king's eunuchs, HAY THACK (Haythach), to Mordecai, and Mordecai explained the situation to him.
• HAY THACK goes back to Esther with the message from Mordecai.
• Mordecai implores Esther to go to the king so this upcoming slaughter can be stopped.
• Once Esther receives the information from Mordecai, she sends a response back through HAY THACK.
• Verse 11 is her response.
• Verse 11 is something we should not rush past.
Esther 4:11 NET 2nd ed.
11 “All the servants of the king and the people of the king’s provinces know that there is only one law applicable to any man or woman who comes uninvited to the king in the inner court—that person will be put to death, unless the king extends to him the gold scepter, permitting him to be spared. Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some thirty days”
• Esther names the obstacle, and it seems insurmountable.
• She tells Mordecai exactly how risky his request will be for her.
• Esther is not being a drama queen (NO PUN INTENDED); this was law.
• Courage doesn’t mean we ignore fear—it means we acknowledge the fear and move forward anyway.
• Esther has reason to be afraid, and she does not hide her fear.
• To go before the king without being summoned could mean death.
• And Esther hasn’t been called in 30 days.
• Maybe the king is losing interest in her.
• Maybe she’s already falling out of favor.
• If Esther has fallen out of favor with the king, then her situation is especially precarious.
• If she were to appear unannounced, she would be taking her own life in her hands.
• Did Esther ever consider the safer course and formally request an audience with the king?
• Apparently not.
• The gravity of the situation seemed to not allow for that option.
• THE REALITY OF OBSTACLES IN LIFE.
• Life often places us in front of seemingly insurmountable barriers.
• Maybe it’s a health crisis, a fractured relationship, or a financial burden.
• Like Esther, we can feel paralyzed by the risks involved.
• When we get to verse 16, we see that Esther was painfully aware of what could happen to her if she followed Modecai’s plea for help by saying, “If I perish, I perish.”
• Her courage was not pretending that the obstacle was not real or no big deal.
• Her courage was knowing what she was facing and being willing to face it because she trusted God.
• We all face difficult choices—moral dilemmas, relational tension, or threats to our witness.
• Courage begins when we stop pretending obstacles don’t exist and decide to confront them with faith.
• What obstacle are you facing today?
• It might be a conversation you’re avoiding, a decision you’re delaying, or a fear that’s holding you back.
• Courage begins when we name the obstacle and take the first step toward it, trusting that God is with us.
• David did not pretend that Goliath wasn’t large; he knew God was bigger!
• I have all the respect in the world for firefighters and emergency responders.
• Think of a firefighter running into a burning building.
• They don’t ignore the flames; they feel the heat but move forward because lives are at stake.
• That’s the kind of courage Esther showed, and it’s the kind we need when obstacles loom large.
• What Goliath are you facing?
• Do you know God is bigger?
• Let’s look at verses 12-14.
Esther 4:12–14 NET 2nd ed.
12 When Esther’s reply was conveyed to Mordecai,
13 he said to take back this answer to Esther:
14 “Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear from another source, while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be that you have achieved royal status for such a time as this!”
MAIN POINT 2 SLIDE
II. The courage to get involved
• Esther sent a reply to Mordecai, and he read the response, and then he responded back to her.
• Mordecai knew the gravity of the situation for the Jewish people as well as Esther.
• Mordecai, who raised Esther and who guided her life, was asking her to do something that would put her life at risk; however, he knew what was at risk if she did not act.
• Yet Mordecai's challenge to Esther is powerful.
• He says, 'Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape.'
• In other words, your position does not excuse you from God's purpose.
• Then he caps off his reply with this jewel of wisdom: It may very well be that you have achieved royal status for such a time as this!”
• There is such a temptation to stay silent or sit on the sidelines when the situation demands that we get involved.
• Sometimes we stand on the sidelines, hoping someone else will step up.
• But spiritual courage requires personal involvement.
• God places us in specific roles, families, jobs, and communities with purpose.
• We cannot afford to be passive Christians in a broken world.
• Esther could have kept silent, but doing so would have missed God's plan.
• We too are called to be involved, to speak truth, to act in compassion, and to live justly.
• In verse 14, Mordecai boldly proclaims that God’s plan will be carried out, but that he encourages Esther that she has a part to play in the plan.
• This is Mordecai proclaiming faith in God without plastering His name on the billboards.
• It’s easy to think someone else will step up.
• We might say, “I’m not qualified,” or “This isn’t my fight.”
• Esther could have reasoned that way.
• When an emergency happens and there is a crowd of people around you, it is wise practice not to yell out for someone to call 911, but it is better to point to someone and tell them to call 911.
• The reason is that a generic call to call 911 makes it too easy for everyone to think someone else will make the call.
• Esther has a choice to make: sit on the sidelines and hope someone else steps up or become involved!
• Courage means stepping up, even when we could sit out.
• Instead of staying on the sidelines, Esther chose to act.
• God places us in specific moments and places for a reason.
• Maybe it’s speaking up for justice, helping a neighbor, or sharing your faith.
• The courage to get involved means saying, “I’m here, and I’ll do something.”
• Edmund Burke’s famous quote says it all.
BURKE SLIDE
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
• Back to the story of the Good Samaritan, many people walked by the injured soul, yet the Samaritan stepped up and got involved.
• You don’t need a crown to have influence, just a willingness to act.
• God has you where you are for such a time as this.
• God has you at FCC for a reason; it is time to get off the bench and get into the game!
• Let’s move to verses 15-17
Esther 4:15–17 NET 2nd ed.
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
16 “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast in my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law. If I perish, I perish!”
17 So Mordecai set out to do everything that Esther had instructed him.
MAIN POINT 3 SLIDE
III. The courage to trust God
• Esther responds to Mordecai.
• She is going to get off the bench and into the game.
• Esther shows her decision is based on her faith in God.
• She called for a three-day fast, seeking God’s guidance and strength.
• Why would she be calling for a fast other than for her faith?
• She knew the danger, but she was courageously ready to face whatever was to come.
• Her final words are not fatalistic but faith-filled; rather, she trusts God with the outcome.
• Her statement is one of trust, the willingness to obey God no matter the cost.
• Her courage didn't come from self-confidence but from dependence on God.
• Courage means stepping out without knowing how it ends but knowing WHO holds the end.
• There will be times in your life when the only thing holding you up is trust in God.
• You may not feel capable.
• You may not see the way ahead.
• But you can choose to trust the One who sees the end from the beginning.
• Esther teaches us that courage is rooted in surrender.
• When our hearts are fully yielded to God, we find the strength to do the impossible.
• Esther didn’t know if the king would spare her life.
• Yet she acted, trusting that God was at work.
• Her courage came from knowing that God’s purposes are bigger than our fears.
• We need to trust our God
• However, there are moments when trusting God means risking reputation, comfort, or control.
• Esther did what she could and left the results to God—that’s courage rooted in faith.
• Trusting God doesn’t mean we’ll always be safe, but it means we’re never alone.
• Whether it’s a risky decision, a leap of faith, or a season of waiting, courage comes from knowing God holds the outcome.
CORRIE TEN BOOM QUOTE
• Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian, hid Jews during the Holocaust, risking her life. She once said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
• That’s the courage Esther modeled—trusting God when the outcome was uncertain.
CONCLUSION
• Esther’s story still speaks. It’s not just history—it’s a call to courage today.
• Will you face the obstacles, even when they’re intimidating?
• Will you get involved, even when it costs you?
• Will you trust God, even when the outcome is uncertain?
CLOSING SLIDE
• Who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this?
• Let me close by reminding you: courage is not found in our strength—it’s found in God’s faithfulness.
• Who knows, maybe God has you in the place you are for such a time as this.
