Good morning. That's kind of half-hearted. Okay, good morning. Oh, that's better. See,
I've been at VBS all week with the kids, so I've had bananas thrown at me. I've had water poured
over me. So this feels a little bit tame now being up here. So Kevin's right on the front row,
maybe with some bananas at hand, but we'll see. My name's Chris. I'm one of the pastors here.
And we've been going through a series looking at Christ in the Old Testament. Sometimes we read
the Old Testament and we think, what's going on there? It seems to be very different from the New
Testament. But we've been seeing how from Abraham all the way through to David and Mephibosheth last
week, we've seen that actually the gospel message of the New Testament is in seed form throughout the
Old Testament. And so we've been looking at these different stories to show us what Christ is like.
And today we're going to kind of fast forward about 500 years from last week to 480 BC to the
Persian Empire. God has taken his people Israel out of Israel into exile into Babylon. Now Babylon has
fallen and a new empire has risen, which is the Persian Empire. Some Jews have gone back to Israel,
but now many of these Jews have settled down in Persia. And that's where the story, the true story
of Esther we're going to look at today comes from. We're going to close our series with this story.
So I'm going to introduce the story and then we're going to have the scripture reading and then I'll share
a little bit more about the scripture reading. But I want to introduce you to this amazing story
because it's a little bit like a Korean, the plot line is kind of like a Korean drama or like a
Brazilian soap opera. So, but the story of Esther is basically a story where the name of God is never
mentioned in the story. It's the only book in scripture because the author wants to show you that
sometimes even when God seems hidden, he's right there behind the scenes working through all the
action. So I want to introduce you to the cast of this story. Okay. We have, first of all, King
Ahasuerus or King Xerxes because Ahasuerus is a bit difficult to pronounce. He is impetuous. That's his
Greek name, by the way. He is impetuous. He's ambitious and he's the most powerful man in the known world.
He's the ruler of the Persian empire and he likes his drink. He, after his wife refuses to come out
at one party to be with his friends, he, the drunk king divorces her and then suddenly realizes,
oh, that was a mistake. And so what happens is his ministers come up with a plan. They come up with a
plan to hold Miss Persia competition. And basically they're going to find all the best looking young
women in the whole of Persia, bring them together for a competition and the winner gets to become
King Xerxes' new bride. And so we have the next character, grumpy, stubborn Jew Mordecai. I don't know if you can see that.
Now, he works as a bouncer at the palace of the king. He's a second or third generation Jewish guy
living as a minority person in this foreign pagan land. And he's a stubborn guy. But he's also got a
much younger cousin called Esther. And Esther was orphaned when she was young and he's brought her up
as his own daughter. Now, the thing you need to know about Esther is she is really good looking.
And she, she's like the, she's the diva. She's, she, but she's not really a very good Jew.
Because when the Miss Persia competition gets announced, she gets dragged in to be one of the
contestants. And do you know what happens? She ends up winning the competition. And, but in order to win
the competition, she has to spend a night with the king. She keeps her identity as a Jew secret.
And she plays this game so well that she goes from a nobody to the queen of the most powerful man in
the world. She's in the palace as the queen. So we have King Xerxes. We have Mordecai. We have Esther,
final character, final character, evil villain, Haman.
Haman, the Agagite, is his family are Canaanites. For centuries, they had been enemies of the Jews.
They'd made war against Moses, against Saul, against David. And now, Haman is going to make war
against the Jews again. You see, he gets promoted to prime minister, and he's got a bit of an ego.
And he wants everyone to know how great he is. So when he walks past in the morning,
he wants everyone to bow as low as possible to him. But Mordecai, the Jew, he will not do it. He's
not going to bow down to this guy's ego. And this really ticks off Haman. So much that Haman
doesn't just want to get back at Mordecai. He wants to get back at the whole Jewish people.
He gets the king, Xerxes, to sign a decree ordering the genocide of all the Jews.
This is like the Holocaust. And he is willing to pay for this out of his own pocket. That's how much
he's an enemy of the Jews. I'd like to invite Pui and Karen to come up and read today's passage for us.
The scripture reading comes from Esther chapter 4. Please follow along in your bulletins or on the
screen. When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth
and ashes and went out into the midst of the city. And he cried out with a loud and bitter cry.
He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate
clothed in sackcloth. And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached,
there was great mourning among the Jews with fasting and weeping and lamenting. And many of
them lay in sackcloth and ashes. When Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her,
the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he might take off his
sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Then Esther called for Hatik, one of the king's eunuchs who had
been appointed to attend her and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was.
Hatik went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate. And Mordecai told
him all that had happened to him and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the
king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree
issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command
her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people.
And Hatik went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. Then Esther spoke to Hatik and commanded him
to go to Mordecai and say, all the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if
any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law
to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live.
But as for me, I have not been called to come into the king these 30 days. And he told Mordecai what
Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, do not think to yourself that in the king's
palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and
deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place. But you and your father's house will perish.
And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this. Then Esther told
them to reply to Mordecai, go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa and hold a fast on my behalf.
And do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young woman will also fast as you do.
Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. Mordecai then went
away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. This is the word of God. Thank you guys.
Let me just pray for us as we come and think about God's word.
Father, this story from your word is a challenging and a powerful one.
And I pray that you'd speak to us this morning. I pray that we wouldn't just be here wanting to hear
a nice message, but we're here wanting to hear from you and to respond to what you want to say to us.
Lord, I pray for my words that anything that's not from you, just remove it. And I pray that you'd
speak with your spirit's power into our hearts, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.
So, Mordecai. We're going to pick up the story. Mordecai has heard this death sentence on his people.
And he tears his clothes and he puts on sackcloth, both of which tearing your clothes is a visible sign of the torn,
broken heart that you have inside. And putting on sackcloth is uncomfortable, coarse material,
is a sign visibly to show everyone, this is the pain that I'm going through.
This is the discomfort in my life that I'm experiencing right now because every Jew from Ethiopia to India is under threat.
And every one of them feels this pain and they follow suit and they put on sackcloth and ashes and they mourn together.
Their identity is under threat.
And yet Esther, who used to hang out with the other Jews, she's now moving in different circles.
She's networking with the elites in the comfortable palace.
And she's kind of cut off from the realities of what's going on with her people.
Now she's got her own issues.
You know, in the harem of the time, you would have lots of competition between the different concubines and wives.
And so they're all trying to get the king's attention.
But in verse 2, it says,
No one was allowed to enter the king's gate into the palace clothed in sackcloth.
Because in these circles, no one wants to be bothered by sad and depressed people.
So if you're like Mordecai wearing sackcloth, you can't come in to the palace.
But she gets a report from her beloved cousin Mordecai that he's in serious mourning and she wants to see him.
She's distressed.
So she sends him an extra set of clothes to help him be able to get into the palace so she can talk to him.
But she doesn't get the pain of what's going on in their lives.
And so he refuses to come.
Finally, Esther takes the initiative to send her PA, Hatak, to learn what this was and why this was.
Do you see?
Her people are about to be wiped out and she's oblivious to the whole thing.
Doesn't see what's going on.
And so Hatak comes back with a terrible report from Mordecai with a flyer advertising the genocide.
Verse 8 says,
Mordecai gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa, it's the capital city, for their destruction.
That he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, because she didn't understand,
and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people.
You see what Mordecai is saying?
He's saying, Esther, you're the only one who can stand before the king and plead our cause.
You're the only one who can stop this death sentence.
Help us.
That's kind of passionate appeal.
And Esther, living in the abundance of the palace, destruction of her people, just at hand, goes,
Oh, that's a little bit tricky.
She goes, I'd love to help, but you don't understand how it works in the palace.
Verse 11, she says,
All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman enters without being called,
and I'm no exception, I can't pull strings here, there is one law to be put to death,
except there's only one exception, the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter,
so that he may live.
But as for me, I haven't been called to the king for like these 30 days.
Do you see what she's saying?
She's saying, okay, I can send a check for victims of sport.
I could even send a grief counselor to you just to help you.
But what you're asking me to do is to risk everything for the sake of my people.
And that just doesn't sound very appealing at the moment.
Because you can't just enter in the king's court any old how,
because you might die if you go the wrong way about this.
The only exception is if the king puts out the golden scepter saying,
You're accepted, you can come in.
But she says, I'm not the flavor of the month at the moment.
This isn't good timing for me.
Okay?
Listen, if it had been a couple of years ago, we were great, me and the king, good terms.
But now it's not so good.
Timing's not great.
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
Don't you often find like we like being a hero?
We all kind of want to be a hero.
You know, when you daydream, who is the hero in your daydreams?
Me, I am, right?
Well, not in your daydreams, in my daydreams.
But when you face the reality of the real situations which require heroism, that's another issue.
Because there's a cost involved.
And Mordecai's response is, don't think to yourself.
Literally.
Don't imagine in your soul that in the king's palace, you will escape any more than the other Jews.
What he's saying is, don't live in this daydream that the palace is going to protect you.
Because it won't.
He says, for if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place.
But you and your father's house will perish.
He's saying, God wants to use you.
But if you don't step out into what he's calling you to do, you're going to miss out on what he has for you.
And in fact, it's going to be more serious than that.
The judgment's going to come back to you.
And then he says this famous line.
And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this.
He's saying, maybe God in his grace has brought you through this journey all the way where you can be in this position in the palace
for precisely this moment where you can do what no one else can do.
And will you turn your back on the very purpose and reason that God has placed you right here in this situation?
And so Esther is persuaded by his appeal.
But she's also scared.
And so she calls for a fast to appeal to God to bring deliverance for them.
And they pray as they fast.
And Esther begins to courageously accept the mission as a mediator, as a representative on behalf of her people.
And she says this.
I will go.
And if I perish, I perish.
Because this is what I'm called to.
Even if I lose everything, this is what I'm here for.
It's a pretty powerful story.
But let's, I want to just pull out a few things, three things from this story.
How does this actually connect with us in our lives?
So I've got three points.
First point.
God calls unworthy people.
This is extraordinary.
Because, you know, Esther has got where she is and Mordecai.
They're these minority in a pagan majority culture.
And she has compromised in many ways.
You know, a hundred years earlier, a guy called Daniel had been in a similar situation in the court of the king of Babylon.
And yet he had refused to compromise his own identity, even at the cost of his life.
You know, the story of Daniel on the lion's den, all of those kind of things.
But Esther, so Daniel is faithful to his God.
Esther is a completely different story.
You see, God's word required sexual purity.
Unmarried, she sleeps with the king to win the competition.
God's word said that Jews shouldn't intermarry with people of different religions.
Esther had married the pagan king.
God's word said that Jewish people should be distinctive in the sight of the nations around them.
Esther had hidden her identity so that no one would really know she was a Jew, just so she could get on in life, blend in, move up the career ladder.
Esther, in many, many ways, has compromised her identity, and she's been unfaithful.
She'd wanted and settled for the comfort of the palace, was content to ignore what God had called her to.
And this is where I find this challenging, because how many of us are sometimes like Esther?
You know, we're a Christian, but in our workplace, we've never told anyone that we're a Christian,
because if we're too out and proud about it, you know, sometimes it might cause more problems.
It's easier to stay quiet, because that can help you to move up the ladder and be liked by everyone.
You know, God calls believers to sex only within marriage relationship of one man and one woman.
And Jesus even says, lust in your heart is like adultery.
And yet, some of us regularly use porn.
We have masturbation to fulfill our own pleasures.
We sleep with our girlfriends or boyfriends.
We even have lustful thoughts about people who are not our spouses.
We compromise in so many ways.
And we could go on in so many areas of our lives.
Many of us, we want to live for God.
We want to live and be on mission for Him.
But our unfaithfulness to Him has destroyed a passion that we had to live for Him and His glory.
The joy that we had seems to have been snatched away by just so many decisions that we've made
where we know we have a guilt and a guilty conscience.
Sometimes you don't feel you can share the gospel with other people,
because frankly, we feel like we're a terrible witness.
Sometimes we feel like we can't pray, or sometimes even come to the church,
because we know we've not been as faithful as we should have been.
Anyone like me?
And just, you know, like a person who's decided to come off a chocolate addiction,
and stupidly they eat one chocolate and they go,
well, I've already failed with one, therefore I might as well eat the whole box.
Like Esther, we settle from the failures that we've made
to then just pursuing the comfort and compromise at the palace,
where we just chase after our career, our studies, our kids' education,
and that is central to everything we do.
But we have denied the calling that God has got on our lives.
And if we go on a long time living like that,
you know what happens?
God's voice can become so dull that we don't even hear Him,
don't even hear what He's calling us to.
And you know, we have a thousand excuses,
just like Esther did, for why we're living that way.
But if you're like that,
what we need is what John Piper calls gutsy guilt.
Because it's precisely Esther the unfaithful,
Esther the compromiser,
that through Mordecai, God is calling her again
to stand up for her people,
to identify herself as a Jew,
and to live out her calling.
She was Jewish in name,
but not in behavior.
But God had not given up on her.
He was calling her again to be who she was.
You know, there's this verse in Micah,
which I've just been just really challenged by
and encouraged by,
which if you know that your own guilt
and unfaithfulness holds you down,
you need to memorize this verse.
Micah 7 verse 8 says this,
He's saying,
if you were a Christian
and you have fallen in different ways
and there's that guilt that comes on you,
there's that sense of you just compromised
because you don't know,
you don't hear the call that God has on your life.
God says,
I'm calling you again to rise up again today
to follow me.
Your past compromise doesn't disqualify you
from God's call on your life today.
Yesterday was yesterday.
Today is a new day.
God calls you to rise up with gutsy guilt
because he's got a call on your life.
And he says,
if you turn back in repentance and confession,
you shall rise again
because God is your light.
Because God is your light.
And if you're just religious,
you come to church as fire insurance,
you know,
in case God's real
or because you hope
he'll make you a little bit better
and your kids a little bit better.
God is not interested
in just making you religious.
He's got a call on your life
and he wants you to start
by turning to him in surrender
because he's got something greater for you
than just living for the comforts
of your own life.
God calls unworthy people.
Isn't that amazing?
Secondly,
we are called for the sake of others.
Called for the sake of others.
You know,
the Jews are in mourning.
They're oppressed from the palace
because from the palace
has come this decree of destruction.
And yet Esther has truly flourished
in the palace.
She's received all the benefits
while others are experiencing
the oppression and pain.
And yet Mordecai comes to her
and he calls her to plead
on behalf of her people.
And he says that famous phrase,
maybe you have come to the kingdom,
to royalty,
to the palace
for such a time as this.
What is he saying?
He's saying you are blessed, Esther,
to be a blessing.
Esther,
you may have been disgruntled
because the king seems to have left you
behind for 30 days.
Maybe he's with other women
and he hasn't been a faithful king
because he wasn't.
You focus on all the blessings
that you don't have
but you fail to see
all that you are
and who you are
and where you are
is not an accident.
Do you know that?
Who you are
and where you are
is not an accident.
Because don't think
that you've got
all these blessings, Esther,
in the palace
simply because you made yourself beautiful.
Your beauty is a gift.
Don't think you got to this place
where because you were so smart,
because you were better
than everyone else,
because actually God
has weaved you
to this place.
It's not from you.
Sure, you've worked hard
but all that you have
is a gift from God.
There is purpose
behind your place
in the palace
and that purpose
is bigger than yourself.
God has brought you here
to be a representative
of his representative
on behalf of his people
to use your position
for his purposes,
not just for yours
and for those
who are in pain around you.
That's what he's saying
to Esther.
And I've just been
very challenged by this
because if I'm honest
and I've just been
thinking about it,
I think I
and I think many of us
in this church,
we live in the palace.
You know,
as a white Westerner,
I get respect
just from the color
of my skin.
Isn't that ridiculous?
Like,
people in England
are trying to go brown.
People in Hong Kong
are trying to get white.
It's ridiculous.
But many of us
have good educations.
Our kids go to good schools.
We have good job prospects.
We have opportunities.
We speak English.
We have access
to financial resources.
We have flats.
Some of us.
We have cars.
Some of us.
Even just living
in the peace and security
of Hong Kong
is a place of blessing.
Many places
don't have that.
We live in the palace.
But don't we often
get into comparing
ourselves
just with our other colleagues,
just with our other classmates
in the harem
of our workplace,
in the place
of our schools
or playgrounds,
and it blinds us
to see
the hurting
and the broken people
around us.
Because I know
so well for myself,
I shut myself
in this little bubble.
You know,
we have similar kinds
of friends
who live in similar areas
with similar problems,
right?
Don't we,
if we're honest?
But we don't see
that we're blessed
to be a blessing.
You know,
my dad has a PhD.
If you have doctor
before your name,
that carries weight.
But I've only ever seen
my dad use,
say,
Dr. Thornton
very few times.
Do you know
when I've seen him use it?
It's when he's writing letters
on behalf of asylum seekers.
Because that doctorate
was never meant
to be purely for him.
That doctorate
was for that Iranian
asylum seeker
who was being unfairly treated
and had no voice.
That doctorate
was for the defense
of those who had no power.
Sure,
did he get a job through it?
Yes.
Did he get blessings
through it?
Yes.
But it was never meant
to be solely for him.
There was a purpose
beyond it.
And so we have to look
at all the things
that we have
and say,
if you've got a flat,
is your flat
just for yourself
and your family?
Or are there other people
that you are blessing
through that blessing
God has given you?
Are the hurting
and the needy
and the broken?
Are you using that
for them?
And if we come
and say,
well,
not really,
then we have to come
before God
and seriously ask ourselves,
God,
am I just living
in the palace
for the palace?
And it doesn't matter
whatever it is
that we have.
Have you ever thought
you might be educated
for a greater purpose
than just your own
career advancement?
Have you ever thought
you might have a job
for more than just
paying the bills?
If you're a domestic helper,
you're not just
a domestic helper.
You're God's kingdom representative
to mediate his love
and blessings
to the family
and the people
and your employer
around you.
If you're a businessman,
you're not just
a businessman.
You're God's representative
to mediate
with the resources
and the gifts
and the talents
you have,
God's blessing
to people around you.
If you're a lawyer,
you're not just a lawyer.
You're God's kingdom representative
to mediate his blessings
to the people around you.
If you're a homemaker,
you're not just a homemaker.
You are God's kingdom representative
to mediate his blessings
to your family,
to those at the school gates,
to the helpers,
to the mums,
to the dads,
whoever it is around you.
If you're a student,
you're not just a student.
You're God's kingdom representative
to mediate God's blessing
to the needy,
the people around you
who need to know
that Jesus loves them.
That's what we're called for.
And you know,
if you're like me,
sometimes we come with
a thousand excuses
like Esther.
Well, it's not good timing.
You don't know
what it's like here.
But God says,
do you not know
that maybe I have brought you
to where you are
for such a time as this?
Will you see that God
calls unworthy people,
but he calls us
for something bigger
than just ourselves,
for those who are
outside the palace?
You know,
I think this is,
I've just been praying
about this.
And I think,
you see what Esther does,
because this is actually
really tough.
When you've lived
with a habit
of living in the palace,
like I think many of us,
it's difficult.
It's difficult.
But I think what Esther does,
she realizes
how difficult
her calling is.
And so she starts
at a place
of fasting and prayer.
And that's where
I think all of us,
I don't know
what it means for you,
but if in our CGs,
if as a church,
if as individuals
and as families,
we just start
and get on our knees
and say,
God,
thank you for everything
you've given us,
the blessings
that we have.
Show us how we can use these
for your glory
and for those around us.
God is going to
show you
and he will call us
out of the palace.
Called unworthy people.
Use our positions
to be representatives
for others.
Thirdly,
we have a need
for our own mediator
like Esther.
You know,
the story of Esther
Esther ends up
with Esther saving
the whole of the Jewish people.
The king listens to her.
Her life is spared.
All the Jewish people
are saved and delivered.
And so I can leave you
with a kind of
inspiring story
of just be like Esther.
Live out your call.
But there's a problem.
Because every single character
in this story
is flawed.
Deeply flawed.
And even Esther,
even though I think
she made one right decision,
I think she still struggled
to live out her life
in the palace
after that decision.
I don't think
she was just
suddenly,
miraculously,
everything was suddenly better
and she was perfect.
I don't think so.
Does anyone else
struggle to live out
this sense of call
that God has on us?
Am I the only one?
You see,
sometimes,
you know,
when you listen to talks
which inspire you
and you're like,
okay,
I'm really going to do that.
And then by lunchtime,
it's kind of,
you just got distracted
and you're back thinking
about being in the palace.
And yet,
Mordecai
comes and says,
if you keep silent,
deliverance will come
from somewhere else
but you and your family
will perish.
Just think,
how many times
have I kept silent?
How many times,
how many people
have I actually kept silent
when God had called me
to reach out to them?
I mean,
it's countless people.
How many times
have we hoarded
our blessings
for ourselves?
How many times
have we stolen
the blessings
that God meant
for other people
and just tried
to keep them?
And yet,
God is a king
who also has a law.
He's not like
the other king.
But he has a law
which says thieves
of his blessings
should be judged.
And the judgment
of death
that was upon
all of the Jews,
actually,
he says,
that's what every single
one of us is under.
There's a real reason
why sometimes
we feel guilty
and condemned.
Because when you break
God's holy law,
there is judgment.
But Micah 7
continues like this.
Rejoice not over me,
O my enemy.
When I fall,
I shall rise.
When I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be
a light to me.
I will bear
the indignation
of the Lord
because I have
sinned against him
until he pleads
my cause
and executes
judgment for me.
He will bring me
out to the light.
I shall look upon
his vindication.
God is a holy king
not like King Xerxes.
He's not impetuous.
He's not easily angered
like Xerxes.
But before him,
none of us
can enter in
to that inner room
of the throne room
of his presence.
We are shut out
like Mordecai
and no amount
of tearing our clothes
or religious duty
can ever get you
into the palace.
We bear the indignation,
the righteous anger
that God has.
The sentence is passed.
Our only hope
is if there is one person
who has access
to the king,
who can plead
our cause before him.
We don't need
Esther to save us.
We don't need
a human being
who is flawed
to save us.
We need a greater Esther.
Esther was tempted
in many ways
and sinned.
Hebrews tells us
Jesus was tempted
in every way
yet was without sin.
Esther stayed
in the palace
and brought deliverance
from there.
Jesus left
the palace
of heaven
and came down
to where we were
and brought deliverance
for us
because God the king
desired relationship
with us that much.
Esther risked
her life
and said
if I perish
I perish
and yet she lived.
Jesus risked
his life
and said
if I perish
I perish
and he died.
God's righteous
judgment
has been executed
but not on us
but on him.
There's no condemnation
now
which means
we have a mediator
an advocate
a representative
constantly
before the throne
of God
who intercedes
for us
who's got your name
written on his heart
which is why
God can call
an unworthy person
like you
and me
and say
when I fall
I shall rise
because like the hymn
says
when Satan
tempts me
to despair
tells me
of the guilt
within
upward
I look
and see him
there
who made
an end
of all my sin
because
the sinless
savior died
my sinful soul
is counted free
for God the just
is satisfied
to look on him
and pardon me.
you know you can
spend millions
on getting a good
lawyer to try
and defend you
God spent his
only son
spent his only
son's life
on a cross
that we might
have Jesus
the best lawyer
in the universe
pleading for us
in heaven's courts
and do you know
what
Jesus wins
every single case
so we can
enter in
and see the
golden scepter
of God's
approval
you can come
into the
throne room
of grace
this is the
gospel
this is what
it says
in Hebrews
let us then
draw near
with confidence
to the throne
of grace
not a throne
like Xerxes throne
but a throne
where God is
longing to bring
grace to you
regardless of
what you have
done
that we may
find mercy
and grace
to help
in time of
need
in time of
need
even with the
calling that
God has placed
on us
because we
cannot do it
by ourselves
and if you
see that you
have Jesus
what happens
is this
if your vision
gets captured
by who he
is
the reason
we stay
living for our
palaces
our tiny
little puny
palaces
is because
they capture
our hearts
but ultimately
the palaces
of the world
of our career
of our job
of our reputation
they're fragile
if you want a
bigger flat
you get the
bigger flat
suddenly it
feels like
it's not big
enough
you get a
job
you want a
job
you get the
job
then soon
afterwards
it's like
you want
another job
and whatever
it is
in our
palace
it never
is enough
but if
you realize
that you
can enter
into the
palace
of the
king
of the
whole
universe
and you
have
relationship
with him
and it
will never
be taken
away
because that
scepter is
always coming
down saying
approved
that means
we confidently
enter him
and I can
risk my
own
little palace
because I
have a
greater one
Esther
faced with a
choice
to give up
the palace
to give up
her entire
life
to save
the people
or to hold
on to the
palace
and give up
her entire
people
and she
chooses the
greater calling
Jesus said
if anyone
would come
after me
let him
deny himself
take up his
cross and
follow me
whoever seeks
to save
his life
will lose
it
whoever loses
his life
for my
sake
will find
it
he's saying
there's a
greater palace
so that
means for us
you can take
a risk
to reach out
to those
in your
office
that maybe
are not
like you
that you
feel scared
to reach
out to
to go
and talk
to that
person
who you
may have
like no
idea what
to say
to them
to invite
a student
a single
or someone
else from
a different
background
into your
flat
even though
it seems
scary to
you
to join
sons and
daughters
of young
lives
to reach
out to
risk
whatever it
is that
God calls
us to
and if
I perish
if I'm
embarrassed
I'm
embarrassed
if it's
awkward
it's
awkward
if it
doesn't
work out
it doesn't
work out
if
people
laugh
at me
they
laugh
at me
and that's
okay
because the
palace of
my puny
reputation
and my
comfort
is nothing
compared to
the palace
that Jesus
has guide
and is
reigning
and is
interceding
for us
that we
may enter
into
that's
what this
series is
all about
the whole
of the
Old
Testament
is
trying to
give you
a glimpse
of a
vision
that a
saviour
Jesus
Christ
is
coming
it's
pointing
us
to the
only
righteous
one
who
can
make
us
righteous
it's
pointing
to the
one
like
Jacob
who
is
willing
to
wrestle
with
us
and be
defeated
so we
may
get
blessing
he's
the
one
who
shows
his
power
in
weakness
like
Gideon
he's
the
one
who
we
come
to
with
nothing
in
our
hands
like
Naaman
he's
the
one
who
welcomes
enemies
to
his
table
like
Mephibosheth
and he's
the
one
who
pleads
for
us
like
Esther
this
is
Jesus
Christ
that's
why
we
worship
him
from
the
beginning
of
the
Bible
to
the
end
it's
all
about
him
Folk
át
he
through