Disclaimer:
Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copied and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS
Esther 4:13-14, "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
We cannot always see the Hand of God in the midst of our situations but we must learn to trust Him and allow Him to have His will performed through us so that we will not miss accomplishing the work that He has called us to do for His Kingdom.
The story of Esther is one of the most well known stories of the entire Bible. It’s a short book of only 10 chapters but it records for all posterity the faithfulness of a young Jewish girl who was born into slavery. She was a slave to King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), the son of King Darius. Darius was the King who had Daniel thrown into the lions’ den. King Xerxes, troubled with distrust of his wife, Queen Vashti, had banished Vashti from Persia and then sought a new queen among the young women of his kingdom. This is when Esther was forced to become the Queen of Media-Persia and wife of King Xerxes I.
Esther was quite comfortable with her ordinary life and did not like the idea of being cast into the light of public life as a queen. She would rather have stayed at home and been an ordinary girl, but God had a plan for her life that she was only beginning to follow.
Does this sound familiar to any of you? Do you feel that you are being pushed, dragged or convinced to move on into unfamiliar territory? Is there a tug at your heart to do something different? Is there a stirring in your heart that says something has to change?
The Christian walk is a faith walk! God doesn’t always reveal His perfect will and allow us to see the destiny that He has set in place for our lives. He asks us to trust Him and take a leap of faith, allowing Him to guide our every step until we come to the end. Often, it is not until we have reached a milestone or accomplished a major goal that we can look back and see that God has been leading us all along.
I have often had those who would come to me and say that they just could not understand why God has placed them in the position where they are right now. Perhaps God has placed us in a job environment, or a school environment, or a family situation where we are overwhelmed by the powers of darkness all around us. Perhaps you are questioning God, Why am I here? Can’t I accomplish great things for your Kingdom at some other place? Isn’t there an easier, more productive field where I can work and bring an increase of the harvest of souls into the Kingdom of God?
Esther felt that same pain in her life too! She could not understand why God would allow her to be forced to marry a pagan King and be taken from her family to live in a palace where she felt more like a prisoner than a Queen.
According to the laws of Persian, she could not even go to her husband, the King, without prior approval. If Esther were to attempt to walk into the presence of the King, without permission, she would be instantly killed if he didn’t want to see her.
God is not forcing you to do anything because this is a volunteer army. At any time we desire, we can turn away from the place where God has us and do what we want to do. But, there are consequences to our disobedience!
We must stop to realize that God never allows anything into our lives by accident but that every circumstance that we face is there for a greater purpose than we can see at the moment.
So, your job is negative, too time demanding, not exactly what you think that it ought to be – SO WHAT! There are no perfect jobs out there – NONE! Every one of us must learn to listen to God and make the best of whatever situation we find ourselves in.
How many times have people come to me and said I just have to find a better job. I just have to find a better church. I just have to find a happier life! Oh friend, when are we going to realize that it isn’t the job, the church, our spouse or our circumstances that determine our happiness? It is our attitude in the midst of the trials that determines our happiness!
Abraham Lincoln said, “A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be!” You determine your own happiness by your own attitude. Don’t allow you circumstances to steal your joy! I know life is unfair! I know that life is hard at times! I know that we often can’t see the forest for the trees! But we must learn to trust God to bring into our path those things that He wills for our life and then help us to be victorious in whatever circumstances come.
God has some of you in unpleasant job situations – let your light shine that men may see Jesus in you. You just might be the only light in that dark place. You have the message of hope that no one else may have so don’t join in with the rest of the grumbling and complaining. Have faith in God, trust Him and let your life be a witness.
God has some of you in troublesome home environments with unsaved parents or unsaved spouses – live for Jesus anyway! He has promised to let all things work out to your good. That little phrase, “all things”, covers a lot of ground. Your trust in God and commitment to Christ may be the only chance that your family will ever have to see what the Love of God is really all about. Let your light shine! Even if they never change and come to Christ, your duty is to live for God and love them anyway.
Esther faced the possibility of death if she went to see King Xerxes unannounced. I want you to know that if you fail to carry out the will of God for your life, you may face the death penalty also. If we fail to live for God, we are in rebellion against God, and rebellion is sin, and the penalty of sin is death! We must be about our Father’s business! We must work where we are and do the best we can under every circumstance and then trust God for the victory!
The day came when Esther’s circumstances were proven to be according to God’s providence. Through under-handed methods and because of hatred for the Jews, some of Xerxes’ counselors had passed a decree that all of the Jews in the land of Persia were to be put to death because of a fear of rebellion against the king.
Understand that the Devil never stops trying to destroy the Jews and He will never stop trying to destroy Christians either!
Pharaoh of Egypt had tried to destroy the Jews and God stopped him at the Red Sea.
Haman of Persia in Queen Esther’s day was trying once again.
Adolph Hitler and the German Republic would attempt to annihilate the Jews in the death camps of WWII, but God would stop him.
The Antichrist in the last days will attempt to annihilate the Jews but Jesus Christ will stop him.
Just as Satan has attempted to destroy the Jews, he attempts to destroy those who are grafted into the family of God as Christians.
His job is to kill, steal and destroy every one of you and he never sleeps and never quits trying but he will not succeed because Jesus is greater in you than the power of the devil over you.
Esther came to realize that God had placed her in the palace of the King of Persia for this specific time and purpose. All of the hours of loneliness, separation from family and friends, questioning why God had allowed this to happen, wondering why she was destined to carry such a heavy burden all of her life, were now answered by the fact that God could use her to save her people and herself.
“For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place…” were the words of Mordecai to Esther. He knew that she was afraid to speak. Who would not be under the penalty of death! Mordecai also knew that if Esther did not do her duty, that God would still deliver the Jews, but Esther would suffer for being disobedient.
God isn’t limited by whether we obey Him or not. To obey Him, step up and be courageous in the face of the devil’s onslaught, and live for him in every circumstance is not easy, but to fail in doing so means rebellion and defeat. God’s work will still be accomplished but we will suffer great loss.
Have we missed God because we couldn’t trust Him in our job and walked away only to face financial disaster? Have we left our church for greener pastures only to find that the pastures weren’t any greener where we went? Have we rebelled in our circumstances and found that we missed God’s best because we didn’t see it through to the end?
When we face the difficulties, the hardships and the unfairness of life, lets not miss God by running away. Face your fears head on! Take that leap of faith! Trust in the Lord to guide your steps and He will see you through it all!
Has God placed you in your circumstances for a reason? You can stake your life upon the fact that He has it all under His control. There is nothing happening to you right now that God doesn’t know about and that He hasn’t already worked it out for your good if you are living for Him!
Perhaps, like Queen Esther, you have been brought to this place in your life:
This place of loneliness,
This place of fear,
This place of uncertainty,
This place of doubt,
This place of indecision,
This place of questioning God – all for a purpose!
Esther experienced every one of those same feelings – yet God had her in His perfect will. The feelings weren’t wrong or sinful but to be disobedient to the call of God would have been sinful. Her obedience overcame every one of her fears, doubts and uncertainty.
In the end, it is not these same feeling that are wrong for you and I to have. Action, obedience to God cures the fears, removes the doubts, gets rid of uncertainty, cures indecision, removes loneliness and answers every question. Step out by faith and watch God perform His word through us.
For such a time as this God has brought us to where we are now!
For such a time as this - there are souls to be saved in the work place.
For such a time as this – there are many in our family who do not know God
For such a time as this – God is calling men, women, and young people, all of His people to work in the fields and harvest souls for the Kingdom of God
For such a time as this – God has prepared you to teach a class, minister to the lost and dying, and hurting people all around you.
God has a purpose in your life and in every circumstance of your life. Put your trust in Him and Let go and let God use you to bless others. He will see you through to the end and you will be victorious!
