[0:00] Take your Bibles, if you would, and turn with me to Esther chapter 7. Esther chapter 7 and verse 4. We are honored today to have with us Cannon Bloom. Cannon and Nancy will be leaving tomorrow to return back to China.
[0:15] Where are Cannon and Nancy? Would you stand up, please? So pray for them as they fly back into China. They left a little bit nervous about what was going to happen. And then we also have Jonathan and Anderson and his family.
[0:28] Would you all stand up? There are missionaries. A lot of you do not know them very well. They are missionaries, our missionaries to the country of Mexico. They're back home on furlough. Glad to have them. This Thursday and Friday is a very special time.
[0:41] We're going to have Tony Howarth here to preach. Tony Howarth's a friend of ours. I've known Tony most of his adult life. And he is the pastor of Newton Baptist Church over in Covington, Georgia.
[0:52] He used to serve here at the church with us. And we're going to have something for Holy Week. And you probably don't know what that is, but that's Easter week. And that is Thursday and Friday we're going to have him preach.
[1:04] This is your chance to bring lost people, people who do not know Jesus. And they don't know Jesus and they need to hear the gospel. People get religious right about Easter when they don't do it any other time of the year.
[1:16] There's two days that are really special, Easter and Christmas. This would be your chance to bring somebody you don't know, that do not know Jesus. You know them, they don't know Jesus.
[1:27] And they can hear the gospel and they might be saved. We ought to be brokenhearted for our lost friends. If you agree with that, say amen. So Thursday and Friday is your chance to bring them and have them here.
[1:39] Also, you can get with Sam Wilson as he is helping you understand how to deal with Jewish people. He'll speak tonight in our men's meeting a little bit about that. But he is dealing with how to reach Jewish people in this special time of the Passover.
[1:52] So I hope you'll do that. Pray that God will save people. I want to see people saved. Amen. Last Sunday morning was a very special time for me, seeing somebody get saved, seeing God's Holy Spirit move and work.
[2:03] And I just pray that that happens more and more often. That's probably the thing I most miss about working here in Center Peru. In Peru, it was a regular thing. Almost every service, somebody was getting saved.
[2:13] We were bringing lost friends. I hope you'll help do that. And we'll see more and more people get saved. Turn in your Bible to Esther chapter 7 and verse 4. Esther chapter 7 and verse 4. Before we read this passage of Scripture, I need to remind you that you and I were sold unto sin.
[2:31] And we were on our way to hell. And there was absolutely nothing we could do about it. If you'll recall, if you'll recall Adam and Eve, they really messed it up for all of us. When given a chance to obey God, to obey God or to obey themselves, to sin against God, they chose to sin against God.
[2:51] And so they started this trend among human beings. But it's not just what they did. It's what I did. When I got old enough to make my own choices and my own decisions, I chose Austin over God.
[3:02] I did what I thought was right. I did what I wanted to do. I did what pleased me. And that made me a sinner. I went my own way. I chose to do what I wanted to do.
[3:13] That made me a sinner. Because I was a sinner, I needed help. I was on my way to hell. I had no one to help me. I needed somebody to step in and plead for my life.
[3:24] And you know who did that? Jesus did that. Before the world was ever founded, God loved us enough that God had a plan of salvation whereby Jesus would die on a cross so we could be saved.
[3:35] He gave his life so that I could have mine. He gave his life so you could have yours. And that's really the picture you're going to find in Esther chapter 7. You're going to see in Esther chapter 7 a beautiful picture of how condemned people were rescued.
[3:50] Read with me if you would in Esther chapter 7 and verse 4. The Bible says, We are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed. Look at these words. These words God chose to use.
[4:02] We are to be destroyed, to be slain, to perish. If we'd have just been sold for slaves, for bondmen and bondwomen, I'd have held my tongue.
[4:14] Although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage. But we are sold to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. God needs to step in here and help us.
[4:28] Now you know the story. The story starts off with the king choosing a new wife. And her name is Esther. And that's a girl we've been reading after for weeks now. And Esther becomes the queen.
[4:38] And she's a Jewish girl. But no one knows she's Jewish. And so she lives there in the kingdom. She has become the queen. And there's this guy named Mordecai. He's kind of like the hero of the story.
[4:49] His name's actually mentioned in this book more than Esther is. And Mordecai is a Jew also. And he's her cousin. He is her stepfather. And so Esther and Mordecai are Jews.
[5:03] And nobody knows about even Mordecai at the beginning. But slowly they find out Mordecai is a Jew. And he lets it be known. And there's this really wicked guy in the story. His name is Haman. He is just a jerk.
[5:15] He's just a horrible person. And he is like the second biggest guy in the kingdom after the king. And there's one guy that won't bow down to him. And that's Mordecai.
[5:26] Mordecai just simply won't bow down to him. Mordecai won't show him the respect he wants. And so Haman makes up a plot. And it's about nine months from where we are in the book now that the date has been set for every Jew to be killed.
[5:39] All of them are going to die. It's about nine months from where we are in the story here in Esther chapter 7. And when the word gets passed and the law is there and they're waiting on everybody to get all the gallows built and prepare all the ways they'll kill all the Jews, Mordecai says, we got to do something.
[5:57] Now everybody knows by now that Mordecai is a Jew, but they don't know about Esther. And he puts on these clothes that are for weeping and wailing and letting everybody know, you know, that he's torn up. He's got sackcloth on and ashes on his head.
[6:09] And they get word to Esther that he's out there and Esther's like, what in the world is going on with my cousin? Why is he dressed like that? So she sends out some good clothes and says, man, take a shower, put on some good clothes and quit acting sad.
[6:22] And he sends word back, impossible. We're going to die. All of us are marked for death. And he said, I'm beginning to wonder if the reason you've been allowed to become the queen is so you could save our people.
[6:37] I don't know. I just wonder if that's the reason you're here. He said, we need you to go talk to the king and tell the king what's going on. She said, if I talk to the king, he'll kill me.
[6:49] I hadn't even been invited to speak to him for 30 days. I might be his wife, but I can't go into his presence. And Mordecai said, well, listen, let me explain something to you. We're all going to die and you're probably going to die too.
[7:01] You're not going to escape. Somebody's got to do something. And Esther says these very famous words. Well, if I perish, if I perish, if he kills me, he kills me, but I'll do what I can.
[7:13] And so she puts everybody to fasting and they're fasting and begging for help. And two days have gone by or three days have gone by. And she decides it's time now to go in and see the king. And she gets all dressed up, puts all of her fancy clothes on, puts her crown on, puts her makeup on.
[7:30] She's not showing that she's been fasting. She's not showing that she's been crying and weeping. And she steps in there waiting to see what the king will do. And when she steps in, the king, all he has to do is not acknowledge her and the soldiers will kill her on the spot.
[7:45] But instead he lifts his scepter and points it and she walks over and touches the scepter. And he says to her, good to see you, queen. What can I do for you? I'll give you anything you want.
[7:55] You name it, you can have it up to half the kingdom. And she said, well, I'd just like to know if I could have a banquet with you. I'd like to prepare you a really fancy banquet. He goes, well, all right.
[8:06] I'll be glad to do that. Just make sure you got ribeye. Amen. Got some shrimp wrapped up in bacon, stuffed with cheese. Some of the stuff I like. She said, some jalapeno poppers and some of Lisa's banana pudding.
[8:18] I'll be there. Amen. And so she says, okay, we'll bring Haman. Haman's over going, whoa, I'm the man.
[8:29] I'm getting invited. And so off they go to this banquet. And so she puts on the dog. That's what we say in Tennessee, hillbilly. I mean, she puts on a dog. She puts on a show. She really does a good job.
[8:40] And at the end of the banquet, he's over. Man, he's eating. Man, that's been good. He said, just go ahead and tell me what you want. She said, well, I just wondered if you'd come back for another banquet tomorrow. Well, I'll show.
[8:53] Be glad to come back. Well, good. I'd like you to bring Haman and come back tomorrow. That night, I don't know if the king's too full or what. He goes to bed and he doesn't sleep well.
[9:04] And so during the middle of the night, sometime he gets up and he goes out and sits there and he calls for his readers to come. And they said, get me something to read there. And they pull off a book that's the story of what's been going on in his kingdom.
[9:15] And as they read the story, they tell about Mordecai saving him from two of his thugs that worked at his court. And he said, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. What did we do for that guy? That guy saved my life.
[9:25] What did we do for him? And they said, I don't think we did anything for him. He said, well, we need to do something. So he says, who's out there in my outer court that wants to talk to me?
[9:37] And they said, Haman's here. Now, the night before, Haman had had this discussion with his family, his wife and his best buddies. And he said, I'm so filled. I can't stand this. That Mordecai won't respect me.
[9:49] And no matter how good I got it until Mordecai's dead, I'm not going to be happy. And the family said, won't you kill him? Won't you build a gallows and just hang him? And he said, that's a great idea.
[10:00] So he put his guys to work and in 24 hours, they're going to build this 75 foot tall gallows. And he's early in the morning. He walks in and he's ready to talk to the king and say, king, I need you to help me kill Mordecai.
[10:11] And the king said, before you say what you got to say, I got to say, I need to ask you a question. If I was going to honor somebody, I really wanted to honor big time. What should I do? And Haman, being an egomaniac, thought, stink, man.
[10:24] You're going to be really nice to me. Here's what I do. Put him in vantus clothes, the nicest clothes you got. Let him wear your clothes, your crown. Put him on your horse and get one of the big shots to run him all the way up and down the main street going, this is how the king honors a man.
[10:42] And the king said, well, that sounds good. Go do that for Mordecai. I guess we'll have to hold off on hanging him.
[10:53] So they go out and do that. At the end of the day, he goes home, his head's covered up with, he's got his hoodie on. He's ashamed. He's scared. He goes home. He tells his wife and buddies, he says, this is what happened.
[11:03] They said, oh, buddy, you're cooked. You've already started falling to him. There's no way out. And he's sitting there, man, crying in his beer. And his life's not going too good.
[11:14] And about that time, somebody knocks on the door. And they invite him and say, the queen's waiting to see you. You're going to the banquet. So he washes his face, puts on his happy face and goes to the banquet.
[11:26] And they're eating at the banquet and everything seems to be going good. And the king looks at him and says, well, Esther, we're finally here. Banquet number two. What you want?
[11:38] I'll give it to you. Half my kingdom's yours. If you want it, you name it. She says, well, I was wondering if I might save my life and the life of my people.
[11:49] There's a guy that has set us up to be destroyed, me and all my people, to kill us, to destroy us. And by the way, if he was going to make us slaves, I wouldn't have said a word.
[12:01] Even if it hurt, even if it damaged your pocketbook, I wouldn't have said a word. But he wants us dead. He goes, who would kill my queen? She says, a stinking, wicked Haman right there.
[12:16] Now you can see Haman melting. Amen. I wish I had a cartoon up here for you. He's shriveling up into the prude of a man, the prune of a man that he is. And the king jumps up and he storms out.
[12:29] And he's pacing up and down in his garden. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know what I'm going to do. And about that time over in the room, Haman looks and he sees Esther left her room and she went and threw herself in her bed.
[12:40] I don't know, she's crying in her bed. You know how women do. You know, she ran in there. She popped down on her bed squalling. None of y'all's wives do that, huh? And so Haman thought to himself, I got to get help.
[12:54] So he runs into her bedroom and he jumps on the bed with her. Please don't let him kill me. And about that time, the king comes in. He walks in and he goes, and now you're going to rape my wife?
[13:09] And they grabbed old Haman and put a bag over his head and drug him out. And as they grabbed him, one of the guys that works there goes, old Haman had a gallows built to hang Mordecai on.
[13:22] And Mordecai's one that's been good to you, king. And the king said, well, hang him on his own stinking gallows. They took him out and hung him. And the king said, feeling good about this deal.
[13:33] And that's where our story ends today. You'll have to come back for more commercial break till next Sunday or the next, depending on what we do for Easter. Now I want to take you through the passage of scripture.
[13:44] You got your Bibles open? Isn't the Bible wonderful? Good night. Hollywood has not learned how to make a movie. And no writer knows how to do anything compared to how the word of God's written. You say, did you embellish that story?
[13:55] I really messed up on that story. I didn't tell it near as good as God wrote it. You need to read the book of Esther. Say amen. I want you to notice that God's warnings came before things got worse and while there was still time to repent.
[14:08] Haman had a time last chapter. He could have repented. Haman could have done anything to get ready instead of joy in what was going on. You see, the Bible says in Proverbs 16, 5, everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord.
[14:22] God hates pride. And God hates proud people. Though hand be joined in hand, he shall not be unpunished. You can hang on to your buddies. You can have other people that agree with you.
[14:34] You can get a whole coalition together against God, but you will lose, Mr. Haman. God hates pride. They will have you lift yourself up in your own ability.
[14:45] Pride is what causes you to not repent of your sin and be saved. No matter how many friends you have, no matter how much money you have, you can't stop your punishment that marches towards you.
[14:58] Your only hope is to humble yourself before God and receive his mercy while there is still time. Now, you need to understand, the problem is that God doesn't swat us immediately.
[15:10] You know, if a guy rose up in pride and God just dropped him dead, we'd all be like, I've got to get rid of pride. But God lets pride get away with it over and over and over until we begin to think it's okay to be proud, until TV programs are made about it, until everything's about being somebody and making much of you and nothing of God.
[15:27] But judgment's coming. In 2 Peter 3, 9, he said, God is not slack concerning his promises. It's not like what God said isn't true. It's not like, because some people were saying, well, if God's really true, why didn't he judge sin?
[15:41] Why didn't he stop that? Why didn't he make them quit? But he says, God wasn't being slack concerning his promises. As you count slackness, he said, instead, God was giving you a chance to repent.
[15:53] You think the Bible isn't true because you do not see it happen soon enough. You think God's words failed because you can sit in judgment on the word of God. God's just being patient.
[16:06] He is powerful. It will happen. What you judge as powerless is really patience. So some of you today are like, I've been getting away with it a long time and nothing's happened.
[16:17] I don't believe the word of God's at work. That's what Haman thought till tonight in the story. But God only wants to give you time to get your life right with him.
[16:28] Bible says in Ecclesiastes 8, 11, because sentence against an evil work is not executed quickly, speedily. Therefore, the heart of man, the son of man is fully set to do evil. You think you're getting away with it.
[16:40] You know, no immediate punishment. So you continue doing wrong. You think there are no consequences. You think the Bible is wrong. You decide to live like the Bible isn't true.
[16:53] The famous Southern Baptist preacher R.G. Lee said in a famous sermon called Payday Someday, the power and certainty of God carrying out his own retributive providence that man might know that his justice slumbers not.
[17:08] Even though the meal of God grinds slowly, it grinds to powder. You can't get away with it. I don't know who you are.
[17:19] I don't know where you're living. I don't know what's going on in your life. Ahab and Jezebel felt like they could get away with killing Naboth. Years went by. The prophet walked up to them and said, you will die and this is how it'll be.
[17:33] And it was years and nothing happened. But it happened. But it happened. They were eventually both killed. God's judgment did come and it will come in your life. Haman seems to be winning all through the story.
[17:46] We're six at chapters in. We're into the seventh chapter and he's winning, but he was never really winning because you can't win when you sin. You can't win when you sin.
[17:58] God's judgment is moving quickly now. I'd like to throw in something else before we work our way through the chapter. You can't violate one of God's promises. Remember God made a promise to Abraham all the way back in Genesis chapter 12.
[18:13] And I know some people may not understand what God's got a plan for Israel, but in Genesis chapter 12 and verse three, God said, I will bless them that bless thee and I will curse him that curses you.
[18:25] Oh, Haman was after the Jews. You don't mess with the Jews. You mess with the Jews, you're messing with God. That doesn't mean I condone everything and God condones everything Israel says or does, but it plays out in modern days.
[18:41] Pharaoh couldn't destroy the Jews. Babylon couldn't destroy the Jews. Nahum couldn't destroy the Jews. Hitler in Germany found out the truth of this verse.
[18:55] There's a great lesson for you today. Realize that God is at work in your life, bringing you to a point of decision. In this room, you've been getting away with sin, but you're here today and the message is coming at you again and you're hearing that you can't play with God.
[19:09] You need to know that God has brought you here and whether or not you realize or not, he has boxed you in. You will not continue to live in sin and get away with it. He loves you and he wants you to be saved.
[19:22] He loves you and he doesn't want to see you suffer the consequences of sin. If you persist in your sin, you will not escape no matter how smart you are and no matter how connected you are.
[19:34] If there's a story in the Bible, it is God wins. If there's a story in the Bible, it is that men must confess their sin and get right with God. If you understand that, say amen.
[19:45] Then why are you still doing it? Why are you still sticking around and thinking that porn problem is not an issue? Why are you still messing around with that other person that's not your spouse and you're flirting at work and you're playing around and you're acting like sin won't catch you?
[19:57] Why is it you're still stealing and lying and cheating and you think God doesn't know it? Hard to read the Bible and think you can live like you won't say, man. Hard to read the Bible and think there's not eternity coming.
[20:09] Hard to read the Bible. Three things I'll show you quickly. Number one, I'm not sure how quickly. That's why I didn't come up in the beginning because I might be here a while. But this chapter is just too good to move on quickly.
[20:22] Number one, she says, save my life and that of my people. Esther chapter seven and verse three. The Bible says, then Esther the queen answered and said, if I have found favor in your sight, O king, if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request.
[20:42] It's come down to it now. The story's been climaxing all the way. I mean, it's just, it's a crescendo. It's just keep rising and rising and rising and rising. The music's getting louder and stronger and more intense and everything is getting ready to come to a head.
[20:56] And she says, king, would you save us? She had set the table well. She'd had a banquet in Esther chapter seven in verse one, which is the, it says, so the king and Esther came to the banquet with, the king and Haman came to the banquet.
[21:10] And the order of events in Esther chapter seven in verse two, it's the second day they had the banquet yesterday. King couldn't sleep last night. King woke up this morning. Haman has had to honor Mordecai all day long.
[21:22] It's a rough time. Poor Mordecai is suffering bad. She went to the king. She invited him to a banquet. She had the first banquet. Mordecai couldn't, or Haman came home and plotted the death of Mordecai.
[21:34] The king couldn't sleep. They read about Mordecai. The next morning, very early, the king is trying to decide how to honor Mordecai. And Haman comes in to get Mordecai hung.
[21:46] And Haman tells him how to honor him and thinking that it's for him, but it's for Mordecai. And the king says, go take care of Mordecai and do all that. That day, Mordecai is honored. Haman is humiliated.
[21:58] And he goes home and tells his friends. And his friends say, buddy, it's over. Your goose is cooked. You're in a heap of trouble. What did she mean when she said, give me the life of our people?
[22:11] Look at Esther chapter seven and verse four. We are sold. I and my people to be destroyed, to be slain, to perish.
[22:22] She knows the king has been promised money for the Jews and their death. She said, if you'd have been willing, if I'd have sold us to slaves, I wouldn't have said a word. I'd have accepted that, but now they're going to kill us.
[22:35] And I just can't take that. I just want you to notice here. She asked for her people too. If you would look at verse four, I and my people, look at verse two, it shall be, excuse me, verse four, I and my people, she wants them saved.
[22:53] And I need to stop here and say to you, there ought to be a hunger in your heart to see your people saved. Esther could have played the card, I'm the queen. No one knows yet.
[23:05] She's a Jew. Maybe she could have had everybody who would have identified her killed. Maybe she could have bribed everybody. Maybe she could have told the king, uh, you know, uh, they're going to try to tell you I'm a Jew, but I'm not.
[23:16] Maybe she could have done all that, but she didn't. She went in there and said, I'm a Jew. They're going to kill me. And they're going to kill my people. Too many people live a selfish life. Too many people like, I got mine and I don't care about you and yours.
[23:30] I'm on my way to heaven. And I don't care if you go to heaven or not. I know my sins have been forgiven, but I don't know about yours. But she asked for her people. Reminds me of the apostle Paul in Romans chapter nine.
[23:41] He's praying for the Jewish people, but I just love what Paul says in Romans nine. I say the truth in Christ. I lie not my conscience bearing me witness and Holy ghost. I have a great heaviness and a continual sorrow in my heart.
[23:55] I am walking around with a burden. I am eat up with it. It weighs heavy on my mind. Continual sorrow.
[24:06] I could even wish in verse three that I were accursed, that God would even send me to hell. And save my brothers. I don't want them to go to hell. I think sometimes when I'm reading these stories, do we care?
[24:22] You got an aunt and an uncle that's not going to go to heaven when they die. You have a cousin that doesn't know Jesus. You have a family member has never been saved. You have children that don't know Jesus and you act like it's not a big deal.
[24:34] We ought to be walking around going, Oh, I can't take it. The weight on me is heavy. My children aren't saved yet. Oh, the weight on me is heavy.
[24:44] My cousin's not saved. Oh, I'm in continual sorrow. I may be saved, but I want them saved. She could have pledged just for her life. She could have hidden her ethnicity.
[24:55] She asked for herself and for the people. Are you concerned about the eternal destiny of others? If I could say anything about those Peruvian people, when I started seeing them get saved, I'd preach what the Bible said, just like what I'm doing here.
[25:11] They'd come up to me after church and they'd say, would you go with me to see my cousin? Did you go with me to see people? And I'd walk into house after house and I'd say, you get the door open and let me in and I will preach the gospel.
[25:21] I've sat in the homes of judges and lawyers and doctors. I've sat in the homes of poor people and rich people because family members cared. What's wrong with us? How can we be flipping about our people dying?
[25:36] I know that anybody died in your family in a long time. I know there hadn't been a car wreck that took out your family members. Like we had happened in our church family, four people in one car wreck. And so we are not worried about it.
[25:49] And when they get cancer and they're laying on their deathbed, you'll say, please do something. Time to care. Time to care. Time to pray. Time to use Thursday and Friday to bring people to church.
[26:02] Time to care about the people that work with you. That tomorrow morning may wake up in a Christless eternity in hell, burning in flames till the end of time. Forever. No stop. What will happen to your loved ones when they die?
[26:18] I think the church today and Christian people today don't believe there is a hell. I think we think of it as an illustration. I think we think of it as something, but we don't really believe in it.
[26:29] That's fine. We're not so concerned. But I think this first part of the scripture illustrates very much what happened to me. God wanted to save me before I ever knew him, before I ever knew I needed it. He died for me before I ever asked him to.
[26:42] He came to me and offered me the gift of salvation. He came to you and offered you the gift of salvation. We too were sold to be destroyed, slain, and to die. And Jesus rescued us from slavery and death.
[26:55] It was Jesus who saved all of us. Now we should be concerned about our fellow human beings that are in need of salvation. And if you're here this morning, you need to understand if you have not been saved, I'm not talking about joining the church.
[27:08] I'm not talking about getting baptized. But if in your heart you haven't realized you've sinned against the holy God, you are marked for hell. Your children are marked for hell.
[27:19] Your aunts, your uncles, anybody who has a trust in Christ, they're on their way to hell. This isn't religion. This isn't church. It's truth. You claim to believe the Bible, you hold it in your hands, act like it.
[27:31] Be saved. Chapter 7, verse 5, if you would. The king asked, who wanted to kill her? Then the king answered and said unto Esther, who is it and where is he?
[27:43] That would presume in his heart to do such. Chapter 7, verse 6, Esther said, the adversary and the enemy is this wicked Haman.
[27:54] Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. You know, the adversary only fears the king.
[28:05] He was the second most powerful person in the kingdom. I need you to know this morning that Satan's only afraid of one person. He's not afraid of you. Not afraid of water baptism.
[28:16] Not afraid of church membership. Not afraid of good deeds. Not afraid of anything you can do. He just stands there and jeers and laughs and says, you fool. Soon you'll be in hell with me.
[28:29] He's not afraid of you. Only one he fears. Now, Satan's a defeated foe because of Jesus' death on the cross, but he's only afraid of Jesus. You can have victory over sin and Satan, but the only way you'll do it is by submitting to God.
[28:47] The Bible says in James chapter 4 and verse 7, submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
[28:58] Now, you need to listen to this real quick. There's only one person who can whip the devil. I don't care how many charismatic Pentecostal preachers tell you they can throw the devil out. There's nobody stronger than the devil.
[29:09] Only he is. And here's how you get victory over the devil. You go to God and you fall on your face and say, I have sinned and I can't and I don't know what to do. Only you can save.
[29:20] And I humble myself before you. As a Christian, you can't have victory over sin because you won't obey God. Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee.
[29:31] Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Some of you think draw nigh to the church. You need to understand church people are going to fill hell up.
[29:44] Baptist people. I bet there's a Baptist corner in hell. You don't get to heaven because you're a Baptist. You don't get to heaven because you've been baptized. You don't get to heaven because you took the Lord's Supper.
[29:55] You get to heaven because you acknowledge you sinned. You sinned against the Holy God. Haman decides to beg the queen for his life.
[30:08] In Esther chapter 7 and verse 7. The king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden. And Haman stood up to make a request for his life to Esther the queen.
[30:20] He saw there was evil determined against him by the king. But it's now too late. Haman finally recognizes his mistake but it's too late.
[30:31] He didn't know the queen was Jewish. He'd have probably been a little smarter than that. He's allowed his anger and bitterness to blind him and now destroy him.
[30:43] His only hope would be for the queen to intercede for him. So he's going to beg her, please stand between me and death. Please stand between me and the king. Our sin and rebellion has taken us to the same point.
[30:57] There's no hope for us without someone to intercede for us. You need to understand none of you will go to heaven. I can't intercede for you. I can't ask God to save you and save you.
[31:07] I can't stand between you and death. I can't stand between you and hell. I can't stand between you and God and fix it. There's only one mediator. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2, 5, there's one God and one mediator.
[31:19] Between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.
[31:30] The king sees Haman on the queen's bed in chapter 7 of Esther in verse 8. At the banquet of wine. And he says, will he force the queen also right here in front of me?
[31:41] And before the words could get out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. Haman has definitely violated her private space. The king and his anger questions if Haman is about to rape his wife.
[31:55] The guards grab Haman and judgment has come. This is a picture of how we act once we realize we're caught.
[32:09] My daddy used to say, are you sorry for what you did or are you sorry you got caught? That's right before he whipped my rear. I'd be like, I'm sorry for both, but really more sorry you're about to whip me.
[32:22] My daddy lived before the days of three licks and done. My daddy lived in the day of till I get tired. And then I'll be done. I used to run circles around him wide open.
[32:33] He'd hold my hand and we'd play ring around the rosy. And when I got through my rear, it looked like a rose. Amen. Not everyone, Matthew 7, 21.
[32:48] Not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, will get to heaven. Do you know there's a lot of people going around talking about Jesus? I believe in my Lord, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. He that does the will of my father, which is in heaven.
[33:00] Verse 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, didn't we do a lot of good stuff? Have we not prophesied in your name and in your name have cast out devils and in your name have done many wonderful works?
[33:13] Didn't I get baptized? Didn't I take the Lord's supper? I was a tither. I was a giver. Didn't we do a lot of stuff? Then when I professed unto them, I never knew you.
[33:25] Depart from me, you that work iniquity. Nobody goes to heaven for what they do. There's two religions in this world. One is the grace of God and the other is what you can do.
[33:37] Works. There's one keeping rules and there's another one admitting you can't and accepting the free gift of God. If you wait too late, you'll remind me of Oesaw, who flippantly gave away his birthright and his blessing.
[33:54] And he cried after it was over. Oh, I wish I had my blessing. It was too late. It was too late. One of the saddest passages of Scripture you could ever read in the Bible.
[34:06] Proverbs chapter 1, verse 23 and following. I don't have time to go through all of it. But here's what he said. Wisdom said, turn at my reproof. Turn.
[34:17] Listen to me when I warn you and turn. Change. And I will pour out my spirit. I will make my words known to you. But you wouldn't do it.
[34:28] I called and you refused. I stretched out my hand and you ignored my hand. You threw my counsel away. You would not listen to any of my reproof. And she says, I will laugh at your calamity.
[34:40] Verse 26. I will mock when your fear comes. When your fear comes as desolation, your destruction comes in a whirlwind. Verse 28. You'll call on me, but I will not answer.
[34:53] You read that passage. I'll give you a hint. Today, he stands with arms wide open and wants to save you. Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden. I'll give you rest. Today's the day of salvation.
[35:04] Now is the accepted time. And he stands and said, I'll save you and I'll do it. But every time the invitation's given, you flippantly turn him off. You flippantly push it aside. You act like it doesn't matter. You push it away.
[35:16] And the day will come when Esther points at you and says, you are the wicked one. The day will come when you stand before a holy God and he says, your names are found written in the last book of life.
[35:26] And you'll start crying. I want to be saved. And he'll say, too late. Too late. Too late. Too late.
[35:37] How you been dealing with the warnings? Even in your heart right now, you're like, I need to get saved. I've been playing games with God. I play games every time I come to church. I listen to what this guy's got to say. But every time something burns in here and I know I ought to get right, but I'll do it next week.
[35:52] And you keep putting it off. Third thing. Haman falls into his own trap. In Esther chapter 7 and verse 9.
[36:04] Harbona, one of the chamberlains said to the king, hey, this behold also the gallows 50 cubits high, 75 feet tall, which Haman made for Mordecai.
[36:14] And Mordecai is the one that spoke good for the king. And is standing in the house of Haman. And the king said, hang him on it. The king's men knew about all of Haman's plot and his gallows.
[36:27] The king's men reminded the king of it. And he dies. And the king's wrath was pacified. Esther chapter 7 and verse 10.
[36:38] Look at it. They hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. And the king's wrath was pacified. What in the world?
[36:50] The king went from extremely angry to at peace. Did you know Satan has been plotting to destroy God's work and God's people from the beginning? In the garden, he tempted Eve and accused God.
[37:04] From the book of Job and all through the scriptures, he is the accuser of the brethren. He attempts to hinder the work of God on every front. And I need you to know something. Now listen to me.
[37:15] God is angry with sin. Somebody told you he's such a sweet God, no one will ever go to hell. They never read the Bible.
[37:28] The Bible says in John chapter 3 and verse 36, He that believes on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life. Look at the verse.
[37:39] They'll get it there to you in a minute. John 3, 36, the wrath of God abides on him. You can underline that in your Bible.
[37:52] You see, God's going to destroy you because of your sin and rebellion. But in the same verse, it says, if you believe, you have everlasting life.
[38:04] For God so loved the world, everybody, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whosoever, anybody, you, that believes on him should not perish. You need to know there is wrath on disobedience.
[38:20] I know you've been sold a bill of goods that God's a sweet and loving God that doesn't judge sin. The Bible says in Colossians 3, 6, are you ready? For which things sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.
[38:38] You know who the children of disobedience are, don't you? Those that have chosen not to trust him. Those that rather than trust him stay in their disobedience. Wrath. This verse is probably the hardest verse I'll read today.
[38:52] But here it is. Romans chapter 2 and verse 5. And I question you, are you treasuring up wrath? Are you laying aside wrath? Are you investing in the wrath that's going to fall on you?
[39:05] Look at this verse. After the hardness and impotent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.
[39:20] And some of us in this room are saying, no God. Tomorrow God. I've got to do some things before God. You're not as important as what I want to do. And just the wrath is just piling up.
[39:32] And just piling up. And just piling up. Do you know Jesus took your wrath?
[39:45] Jesus took your wrath so you wouldn't have to. Bible says in Romans 6, 23, the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life.
[39:55] The gift, you can't earn it. It's a free gift. Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. When Jesus died, he was paying your sin debt. Bible says in Isaiah 53, 5, he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities.
[40:14] The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And with his stripes we're healed. Sin brings wrath and death. And Jesus died.
[40:27] Thank God. Amen. If you're saved in this room, you're saved because Jesus took your punishment. Bore your punishment. You know what he said on the cross at Calvary?
[40:39] In John chapter 19 and verse 30, he said, It is finished. Listen to me. Sin is atoned for. Your sin has been paid for.
[40:52] You can know you'll go to heaven when you die. But if you choose to rebel against God and to tell God no and to push off the Holy Spirit and ignore the word of God, you are treasuring wrath.
[41:09] You're laying apart wrath for yourself. I love you. I tell you that you're going to die and go to hell without Jesus.
[41:22] Joining our church won't help you one bit. Being baptized won't help you one bit. Taking the Lord's Supper won't help you. Nothing helps but this.
[41:35] Submit yourself to God. Admit you have sinned against the Holy God. Admit you have sinned against the Holy God. Trust Jesus and what he did on the cross at Calvary.
[41:48] And you can be saved, every one of you. You're a teenager in our church. And you're here because your parents brought you. But you don't know you're saved. You're an adult and you're here because it's custom and it's a fun church to go to.
[42:03] But you're not sure your sins are forgiven. You must be born again. You cannot play with God. Would you be saved today?