Pivot

Intro

• What Pleases God? What causes us to experience his joy over us?  
  • In discussing last weeks sermon in Community Group, we talked about this experience. Jake mentioned studying Romans 6 together, Diane talked about serving others at Showers of Blessings. Where and when do you feel the pleasure of God in your life? 
• Faith is the obvious one, if you have been around the church for long you might have heard this. 
  • without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6
  • try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Ephesians 5:10
    • Is it enough to simply believe in Jesus to have the pleasure of God over you?
• Please turn to Esther 5, page 413 in the pew Bibles 

Review

• #1. Providence: The protective care of God.
  • Nothing happens in life outside of God’s 1. Permission, but for those who are his he 2. Protects and when it seems like God is silent, we can hold to his 3. Promises
• #2. Sinful means, Ester 1-2:14
  • 1. Drunken Debauchery, 2. Male Pride, 3. Abuse of authority, 4. Degradation of women, 5. Fornication (the bachelor Persia) 
  • Introduced the tension between Human responsibly and God’s sovereignty. Is man responsible for his actions? Is God in control? 
• #3. Sovereign Grace– That everyday, and every time, and in every way when God shows us grace, it should drive us to worship and utterly decimate all entitlement we could ever have.  God is Sovereign, but he’s graceful. And for those who call upon his name it’s grace upon grace… 
• #4. Is life simply a “Roll of the dice”?  How free is our will? When we are wills are set free from sin how do we then make decisions? 
  • Read 4:14
  • Mordecai knew the Jews were to be saved, the question is, would Esther be involved.  That’s the question to us. God will save his people, but will he use you, or another? 
  • Context- Esther agrees, encouraged by Mordecai’s faith, She calls for prayer and fasting for three days and says (vs. 16b) If I perish, I perish. 

The text

• Read Esther 5:1-2
  • Sustaining & an Opportunity of Grace
  • She didn’t die. One miracle down
• Esther 5:3-4
  • Acrostic of “YHWH”, Interesting to note all references to God’s name mysteriously in the text make a reference to the king.
• Esther 5:5-8
  • Why did she wait? The table had not been set yet!
  • God was still preparing justice for Haman and salvation for his people.
• Esther 5:9-14
  • The beginning of the Pivot.
  • This is where we like justice.
• Esther 6
• This is where the story “pivots” and even his wife foreshadows his demise.
  • What pleases the true King? 
    • True saving faith.
      • Notitia: Knowledge, the first element of saving faith.
      • Assensus: Assent, the second element of faith.
      • Fiducia: Trust, the third element of faith.
        • Easy way to remember: Believe, agree and trust.
• What we learn from Mordecai and Esther is that true saving faith produces courageous action. 
  • Knew it, approved it and acted.
  • What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  James 2:14–17
  • Do not be fooled. This is a life and death question. Does your faith produce obedience? 
• #1. Start with true faith 
  • Romans 10:9
• #2. Remember the Gospel
• For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.  2 Peter 1:5–10
  • In CG we asked, what are some things that that keep us from experiencing the joy of God in our lives. Sin makes us calloused and the first thing it attacks is the Gospel. 
• #3. Be Encouraged by the Gospel
  • Have courage! Are there things that are stopping you from obedience to what you know God has called you to? 
    • Through the Gospel, God is already pleased with us
    • Story of daughter in honors English and the you have an A, she then produced A plus work. 
• Lead into Communion 

What God decrees, child of His love, Take patiently, though it may prove The storm that wrecks thy treasure here, Be comforted! thou needst not fear, What pleases God.

The wisest will is God’s own will; Rest on this anchor, and be still; For peace around thy path shall flow, When only wishing here below, What pleases God.

The truest heart is God’s own heart, Which bids thy grief and fear depart; Protecting, guiding, day and night, The soul that welcomes here aright, What pleases God.

Oh! Could I sing, as I desire, My grateful voice should never tire, To tell the wondrous love and power, Thus working out, from hour to hour, What pleases God.

The King of kings, He rules on earth, He sends us sorrow here, or mirth, He bears the ocean in His hand; And thus we meet, on sea or land, What pleases God.

His Church on earth He dearly loves, Although He oft its sin reproves; The rod itself, His love can speak, He smites till we return to seek, What pleases God.

Then let the crowd around thee seize The joys that for a season please, But willingly their paths forsake, And for thy blessed portion take, What pleases God!

Art thou despised by all around? Do tribulations here abound? Jesus will give the victory, Because His eye can see in thee What pleases God.

Thy heritage is safe in heaven: There, shall the crown of joy be given; There, shalt thou hear, and see, and know, As thou couldst never here below, What pleases God.