WEBVTT

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 it is indeed a privilege to have this opportunity to share the infallible holy

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 word of god with you this morning i always tell people that they should excuse my african accent

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 but i am sure the holy spirit will help you understand what the lord want to communicate

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 to us this morning the passage has been read and i'm thankful for the reader was fluent and

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 i'm sure you understood it clearly as i was reading through this part of esther i come up with the

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 heading or my sermon topic embracing the purpose of god in you embracing the purpose of god in you

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 and the verse 14 according to me is a text verse or key verse let me also read it to us

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 for if you keep silent at a time at this time relief and deliverance will rise for the jews from another

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 place but you and your father's family for the house will perish and who knows whether you have

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 not come to the kingdom for a time such as this now a i looked at a few points that i want to focus on

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 from this passage to me it is send us on trusting god and if someone trusts god the person live faithfully

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 if a person trusts god look up to god even in times that are distrustful

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 with the hope that god will make it if someone trusts god the person fulfills the purpose of god in and

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 through him or her now i have got what i call the big idea we tend to summarize everything in case you may miss

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 what i want to say but this summary will be enough for you this is what that african guy was trying and

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 failing to say god has a purpose for you and for all of us in his mission we need to embrace it with joy

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 god has a purpose for for us in his mission so you and i need to embrace that purpose with joy

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 everything that we are doing is to cooperate with god in his mission with the peoples of this world that

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 they may all come to know him as the only god worth of worship and praise now if you look at the book of

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 esther it does not mention the triune god in any way god father son and holy spirit you don't find it in

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 any part of esther but the deliverance the hand of god is clearly seen and for the jews after this

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 deliverance they had a feast they were celebrating in susa which is called the parim

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 in remembrance of the remembrance of the deliverance that god had done to them so if we look a chapter

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 before that's chapter three and beyond we find that esther after the the queen disobeyed

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 the king the king was displaced and esther finally landed in the king king's palace as the new queen

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 so all those we may ask ourselves how can a foreign jew become the king in the queen in a foreign land

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 it's all in god's providence and design that she ended up being there and god has a purpose

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 which these people the jews were not aware of but we are aware because everything is now put together

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 for us to see but for them they didn't know otherwise they even asking why is esther ended up in the in

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 the kingdom of this foreign land uh in chapter three we are told that her man has been elevated above all the

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 the king's nobles and the king ordered that her man should be respected people should kneel before him

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 and honor him this was happening to everyone in susa including the royal um

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 um guys at the gate when her man was passing through they would kneel down in honor of him but there was one

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 one guy the jewish guy modekai could not do that his fellows talked to him

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 want to encourage him to respect her man the highest guy in susa but her man could not instead he told them

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 that he was a jew what was it important that he told them of his identity being a jew was separate

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 to to to him and to to modekai because a jew was were the people of god who only worship god and not any other

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 of god and to modekai kneeling for her man and owner him was idolatry which was forbidden and is

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 still forbidden for us as the church of god so he could not do that and was not even aware of the

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 consequences but could not go outside the guidance and the will of god

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 the word we can see also in babylon that there are some boys also from jude from judah daniel and his

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 three friends they faced almost the same scenario in the early days of exile they were supposed they

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 were cohesed to worship the king in daniel's case and for his friends the statue that the king

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 has put in place but they couldn't even if they were foreigners in the foreign land they kept their

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 identity otherwise it is an encouragement for us as christians who are foreigners in this land we are

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 sojourners on this world that we should keep our identity as christian no matter the challenges that

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 might surround us no matter what the world will say let us keep our identity even if it comes with a

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 challenge some of which is very painful but if we can listen to what the three friends of daniel says

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 they said god is able to save but even if you may choose not to save them they were not going to kneel

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 before an idol the jews who were faithful to god knew that idolatry was against god and they didn't want to

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 sin against god in the same scenario even in our in our time today there are some laws that are against

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 the will of god how are we going to respond to them as christians are we giving in because we are citizens of

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 the land are we going to live in the land are we going by the floor because everyone else is doing it

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 more the guy alone could not kneel before haman and it had the consequences when haman saw that

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 well haman was told that look this jewish guy is not respecting you as the king ordered that you should

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 and he was very very upset and he wanted to do away with modekai and the extent of his anger and hatred

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 also spelled off to the other jewish people he wanted to destroy the entire jewish people in the

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 127 provinces of susa so as the highest noble of the king it was easy for him to go and convince the

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 king that the jewish people that the jewish people dead should be told should be said that they should be

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 destroyed completely from susa and the king agreed and gave me him a signet ring to make that decree

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 or a law which was irrevocable in persia so in other ways the jews were meant to be destroyed completely

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 and he offered to give 10 000 talents to the treasury i tried to find out how much could it be in pounds

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 and it is around the three million pounds for the destruction of the jewish people we can imagine the

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 hatred that he had this came to note modekai and he saw the decree that they were as good as dead

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 because the deity was set for them to be destroyed modekai thought of a that esther could help but

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 surprisingly enough modekai did not go to esther straight he tore his clothes and humbled himself

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 before the lord putting sick clothes wailing loudly

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 and he was in ashes

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 the same thing applies to all the other jews who saw this decree they did the same looked up to god

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 they trusted god even if the irrevocable decree has been put but god has the power sorry to reverse it

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 so they did looked at god

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 after looking at god and the medicare was in the same clothes

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 the clothes esther's eunuch saw him and he reported to esther it did not go down well with esther why did

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 my cousin in the same clothes and ashes so she thought of an idea of doing away and bringing

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 modekai new clothes but that was not the answer to modekai instead modekai did to tell them that he could

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 not take the clothes then he attack attack attack was sent to go and find out the reason why modekai was in

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 say clothes

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 and modekai told

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 attack everything and he even gave a cup of the decree to make sure that esther could see that they

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 were really in danger they are about to be killed instead instead they were as good as dead as dead

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 because they're dead they were only waiting for the dead for them to be destroyed so they were just good

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 as dead people but when esther had this she had also a dilemma that no one could go to the inner court

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 without invitation doing so would result in someone being killed unless the king extends his

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 he saved them that someone is is said to leave otherwise going to the king without invitation

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 was calling for one's death also so esther sent back

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 to the king without a doubt to the answer but yeah even if she felt sorry and had seen the degree

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 but it is very difficult for her to go to the king fearing for her own life

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 but modekai did not back off he kept on pressurizing esther to go and stand in between in the gap for the

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 the jews to be spared of death

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 if we look to the key verse that i read

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 verse 14

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 there are two important things that modekai got clearly

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 that no nothing can stand in the plan of god with his people so he's telling esther that if esther could not

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 intervene god's plan to save the jews will come to pass in the other way which he might not even know

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 so but he was sure that god will save his people but how he was not clear about it

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 and he goes on to say and to talk about god's providence that esther's being in the palace was in god's

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 providence at a time as they were facing now god knew the end from the beginning so he had prepared

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 esther to be an object that he would use to save the jews god has done that before i just want to read

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 from exodus 3 verses 7 and 8a when god was talking to moses he said then the lord said i have surely been

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 i i have sure the lord said i have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in egypt and they have

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 heard their cry because of their taskmasters i know they are suffering and i have come down to deliver

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 them out of the hand of egyptians now the lord is talking to moses he said he has come down and he's

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 going to deliver them but who is going to deliver the israelite that the people see it is moses so god

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 works through people in his providence whom are his instruments to perform his purpose with the people

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 this was the same thing that mordecai was telling esther that you are in the office of the queen for a

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 time as this so if you don't go that being disobedient to god

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 because god had prepared you for a time as this we are trapped in death we are about to be killed but

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 you are the only person who can come to our rescue as you can reach the king as the queen but unfortunately

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 esther is saying 30 days has passed before she was invited into the palace so it was again a threat but

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 they could not back off i looked again in some parts of scripture and see the providence of god which is

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 timely like it is now with esther if we look at joseph joseph was sold by his brothers and it took quite

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 some time for him to go into the high post in egypt but he only got there at the appropriate time to save the people

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 also david his father sent him at the appropriate time to go and fight for the israelites so god is

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 the way of doing things is the way of doing things is timely

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 and he uses the people at the appropriate time if we look at genesis 50 verse 20 david is telling

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 his brothers that when they were selling him they used it for evil but usually god used the same thing

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 they used for evil for good that he would save the people from a hunger as the same as also with david

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 he had gone to the helpless uh israelites including saul the king and his brothers but god uses david to

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 go and help the useless and helpless people of god all this was pointing towards our lord jesus christ

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 who came to save the trapped sinner who was helpless to help himself or the other one

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 so jesus came to help us from death that is awaiting us because of sin we were all trapped in sin but jesus

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 came and showed and made a way for us back to the father because being away from the father is equal to

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 death if you can look at jim look 15 the parable of the prodigal son the father said let us make merry for

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 this my son was lost and is found he was dead and is alive so being away from the father is equally dead

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 so jesus came to make way for us back to the father and he demonstrated it to us through that love on the

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 cross when he was crucified and he did his part and what did he say as the father sent me i also

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 sent you as i said earlier on that god calls the people and prepared them for a particular time to intervene

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 and save the trapped people who are trapped in sin right jesus did it and he gave us the responsibility

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 from the great commission it is not the pastor's role it's every christian's role to participate

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 in the church in the church today what is happening today might not have happened because we were not

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 there you and me what is happening with the church today is happening because you and me are there whom

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 god has prepared to stand in the gap for the church what is happening in your family with regard to christianity

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 was not today but is happening today because you are there in your family what is happening in your

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 neighborhood is happening because you are there for god what is happening in scotland is happening

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 because you are there to stand for god of course there might be consequences but we should always

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 stand in the gap god wants you and me to fulfill the purpose yes with the people

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 normally people would say we don't have resources to reach out we don't have the capacity to go and share the gospel

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 but today you can reach the world from where you are there are people from different parts of the world next to you

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 they are different from different parts of the world at your workplace we cross paths from with

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 the people from different parts of the world who do not have christ but god's purpose is having all peoples

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 come to worship him and to realize him as the god worth of praise i was checking through the joshua project

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 on the number of unreached he said there are totally 17 446 people groups in the world of which 3 000

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 are unreached 3 000 is equal to 290 million people that are unreached by by by unreached they mean the people

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 that are unengaged these are engaged and unreached then the joshua project goes on to define the unreached also

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 as less than 2 percent of evangelical christians is also regarded as unreached in this amount to more than a billion people

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 so we have a responsibility brothers and sisters to share the gospel with the people in the different

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 ways that god lies on our hearts we are all properly positioned god has already done the groundwork in our lives

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 and we have a responsibility to take other people to the same savior through the proclamation of his word

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 and our lives as well the way we live should always reflect christ how much of christ do i show to the people

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 i i talk to how much of christ do i reflect in my family i was talking to the students one day and to say

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 if we want to go and evangelize who are comfortable that we go to the neighbor to their neighborhood and

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 share the gospel with they loved and they say i know the answer the people back there your life and

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 their life is just the same how can you go and evangelize somebody who sees you doing the other side

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 of the story than what you say you are

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 i was looking at a quotation which is presumed to be from saint francis of assist that we must always

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 proclaim the gospel and if possible use the words we must always proclaim the gospel of christ

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 and if possible use the words meaning to say our life speaks more than what we can do with our mouths

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 one day in korea i met somebody in a coffee shop and i wanted to share the gospel with

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 then she said to me what christianity are you telling me our neighbors are christians

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 she was buddhist she said they are life in our life there's no difference so what is i telling me

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 what difference is that christ going to do in my life which i'm not seeing in my neighbors

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 so we might be obstacles to taking peoples back to god we are having challenges in doing so

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 some of which can be even the constitution of the land some of which could be

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 material things which might not be having some of which it might be to keep friendship

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 because if you tell the truth to a friend the friend may not receive you well

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 so it comes with challenges and consequences but how are we going to deal with it

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 are we going to respond to the surrounding are we going to embrace what is within us and not and forget

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 to follow our our lord and his desire whom we are participating with in his mission to making the peoples of the world know him

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 just think for a moment the opportunities that the lord has for you to share his truth

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 the world

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 if his word is the truth as it is you and i have got a responsibility to do where we are at the moment

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 and god has given us the capacity to be his instruments to achieve that normally we look at other people and say this is the work of the elders

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 the elders can do this and look at this story

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 this is esther a lady who is saving the lives of the entire jewish people the example i gave with

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 um david his brother is when we undermining why did

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 with the woman with the woman with the woman to do live there's a little sheep of our father they wanted

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 him to go back but he didn't back off because he wanted to fulfill his mission

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 the man to do it joseph the same we could tell that the the route that david took until he gets the top position in egypt

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 but he followed it faithfully and made it the life if for david when he wanted to even um made king

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 the father did not invite him when samuel wanted to annoy the king because that young boy what can he do

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 so we may also take that for ourselves who am i in this congregation i am just a lady i am just a

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 student i am just a foreigner i am just i don't have any office in the church but you have christ

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 who wants who has come down on you to use you to get to the people that you want to get to you

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 may we consider as we are sitting there

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 what god is saying to you as an individual where god wants you to make a difference

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 which gap god wants you to stand in to connect him with these people to connect him with the people

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 who are still in the dark to connect him with the people who are trapped in sin

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 it is not about you or me it's all about him i was telling the people in the general assembly that when

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 i was made principal at dumissani in the situation that i was surrounding there i said this is too big

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 a task for me but the sermon that was preached by david marideth turned my perspective he preached from joshua

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 and as i was with moses my servant so i will be with with you so the same thing with you brothers and

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 sisters there is a need for you to take a step and reach to those people who need christ

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 christ some people do not even know christ some people say they are christians in court but they

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 are not evangelic evangelical we need to get to those people with the true gospel of god so that together

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 we become evangelical the people who people through whom people the world will see christ

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 christ

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 right i'm leaving you with this challenge that today try to identify

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 the purpose of god in you and you trust god with that purpose and take the first step

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 even if you may have challenges esther said if i perish i perish she had given it to

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 herself to die for the purpose of the jews

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 god's people you and i are god's people his instrument to reach out to the unreached

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 the truth his instrument to rescue those who are trapped in sin so that the world will be filled

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 with the knowledge of god amen

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 let me pray father god thank you for reminding us