Standing for the Faith, Literally - Audio
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Heavenly Father, Lord, we need to hear from you, and so we just invite you here right now. We know you're already here. We don't have to extend the invitation. Lord, you are the Creator. You are the Sustainer. You are in and through everything in our lives. And for that we're grateful, God. But we especially ask that you'd be with us here this morning with our community, with our family, and we ask that you would speak to us in ways that only you can. We commit this time to you in Jesus' name. Amen. Imagine the scene. Those of you who are students, you need to imagine it too. You're sitting in class, and as you are sitting there listening to a lecture from your teacher, from your professor, a gunman walks in the door. A crazed madman walks in the door. There's panic in the room, and no one knows what is happening. And the gunman lines everyone up in a straight line at the back of the classroom, and he walks up to the first person in the line in the class, and he asks them, "Are you a Christian?" And the person says, "Yes." Last Thursday in Oregon, in a little town called Roseburg, this very thing happened. A gunman entered a community college classroom. He lined everyone up in the back of the room, and one by one, he asked them, "Are you a Christian?" In another report, he went into a classroom where everyone was still seated, and he asked, "Would all the Christians please stand in the classroom?" The title of the message today is "Standing for the Faith." Literally. What happened on Thursday in Roseburg, Oregon, at Umqua Community College, we need, as a community, as a people, we need to recognize and see it for what it is. We need to recognize that today in churches in Roseburg, they're missing people in their church today. They're missing young college students who were attending last Sunday, and today they're not there. What we saw as a nation on Thursday were Christians who stood for their faith, and literally stood for their faith, and literally received the consequence of that action. Ironically, it is not unlike what will happen today in the Book of Esther, as Mordecai stands in a way not unlike the Christians stood in Roseburg, Oregon. Let us stand together as we read from the story. We're going to be in Esther chapter 2, beginning in verse 19. When virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai sat within the king's gate. Now Esther had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her. For Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him. In those days while Mordecai sat within the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigton and Teresh, doorkeepers became furious, and they sought to lay hands on King Ahasuras. So the matter became known to Mordecai who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name. When an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows, and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king. Chapter 3. After these things, King Ahasuras or Xerxes, he promoted Haman. Here's a new character. Haman, the son of Hamadatha, the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him, and all the king's servants who were within the king's gate, they bowed and paid homage to Haman. For so the king had commanded concerning him, but Mordecai, Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. He remained standing. Verse 3. "Then the king's servants who were within the king's gate said to Mordecai, 'Why do you transgress the king's command?' Now it happened when they spoke to him daily that he would not listen to them. Mordecai would not listen. They told it to Haman. They got so fed up, they went to Haman and said, 'Look what he's doing.' They told it to Haman to see whether Mordecai's words would stand. For Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath, but he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. For they had told him of the people of Mordecai instead. And so instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasaurus, the people of Mordecai. You may be seated. Verse 19 again. "When virgins were gathered together a second time, Mordecai sat within the king's gate." We'll stop right there for just a moment. The second time mentioned
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Teaching through Esther 2:19-3:6, Pastor Neil relates the decision made by Mordecai to stand for his faith to similar decisions being made by people of faith today, encouraging us to trust in the Lord for strength and wisdom should such a decision be required of us.