Luke 19:28-40
The Triumphal Entry
This of course is Palm Sunday. A day that Christians around the world celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This is the start of the final week of Christ’s earthly life. The disciples knew something was up.
For the past 3 years, their teacher had been walking around the country or at times taking a boat to cross the sea. Never had he ridden a donkey. No doubt they remember the account of Solomon’s inauguration.
In 1 Kings 1:33, King David told his advisers to have his son Solomon ride on his mule to the local spring where the high priest and prophet will anoint him king. But even beyond this example, there are many Messianic prophecies regarding the King and his inauguration.
The people see their Messiah riding into Jerusalem on a donkey and become overwhelmed. They have their King who will conquer the holy city and rule over the Romans forever. The crowd starts to sing and shout and praise God.
We need to remember this was the Passover and this was and is a spiritually charged event. People from all over the country came to Jerusalem at this time to celebrate and to worship. But this time they came and saw their King ready to take the throne of His Kingdom. Or so they thought.
See, they saw what they wanted to see. They were tired of the Roman control. They were oppressed. They wanted to be a free nation again. They still felt like they were in captivity. They wanted their King to rule over the Romans.
As Jesus climbs the Mount of Olives the people are singing and shouting praise to Him. Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!
The people were laying down their cloaks and palm branches for Him to ride over. They were prepared to make Him King. But if you remember, they wanted to make Him King a year before this when Jesus fed the 5,000.
These people wanted a King and here was the best candidate ever. He could provide for their physical needs and their spiritual needs. And when they saw Him riding the donkey, they knew this was the King!
As Jesus approaches the top of the mountain the crowd is at its loudest. Once over the crest of the mountain the temple is plain view. No doubt the priests that were at the temple preparing for the celebration saw all the activity and commotion of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.
The priests enter into panic mode. They look up and see their worst nightmare. There is Jesus, with the support of His people, acting like a King. They understand the implications of Jesus’ actions and the praise of the crowd.
The priests demand that Jesus stop the crowd from doing this. Jesus replies, “Their praise is accurate and inevitable.” The battle lines are drawn.
Not only would it surprise and anger the priests, but it would worry the Roman’s as well. Since this was a big festival, the Roman military had extra forces there to keep the crowd under control. They too are watching the same thing and are wondering what is going to happen.
We can’t blame the crowds for their ignorance about the true meaning of this event. Even the disciples who had been with Jesus throughout His ministry didn’t fully understand what was happening until after Jesus ascended into Heaven.
Today, we often say that Jesus came to be a spiritual ruler, not a political ruler. We also accuse the Jewish people of only wanting a political ruler. And both of those statements are true. Jesus was certainly a spiritual ruler and is also a political ruler.
Christ’s church is more than just a spiritual, religious institution. This is true today and this was true from the beginning. Many times in the book of Acts we see disciples of Christ come before political and religious rulers. They are beaten and executed for their beliefs.
The Church should create social and political tension. The issue is how the church operates in the social and political realm. Christ came not to set up a physical political kingdom. Rather He setup His Kingdom in the hearts of his followers.
Our agenda’s as Christians are carried out with love for others and are based on the truth of God’s Word. We do not come with muscles bulging and fists flying to get our way. We accomplish our goals with the cross of Christ, not with a sword of war.
Christians rule with their love for each other. We bring together all types of people. We break down the socio-economic barriers so that we may all become one with each other and one with Christ.
Sadly, by the end of the week, the people had rejected their King. They rejected the things that Jesus stood for. They rejected God’s offer of salvation. They rejected God Himself.
How about you? Do you reject the things Jesus stood for? Jesus stood for love, peace, joy, righteousness, and truth. While you may not outright reject those ideas, do you take them to the next level?
Do you live for those things and display those attributes in your life? Do you reach out to others who may not be on the same social or political wavelength with you? Do you reach out to them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Christ will return again someday to judge those who have rejected Him. And not only those who have rejected Him but those who have rejected His ways and those who follow Him. Christ rules in the hearts of all believers today.
Is He ruling yours? When He returns again, He will rule over you one way or the other, so you better make sure you know what side you are one.
Many will cry out to Him saying, “Lord, Lord, we have done many things in your name. But Jesus will say to them, depart from me for I never knew you.” Those are words you do not want to hear.
Think about that this Holy week as you take time to rediscover Christ in your life.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. We thank you for the lessons that you have taught us. We thank you for being our ruler. Help us to more fully understand the things that you want from us.
Help us to focus on you this Holy week and help us to carry out your will for our lives.
AMEN
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Faithfulness
Esther 8:1-8
Faithfulness
We finish up our study of the book of Esther this morning by looking at the events of chapters 8, 9, and 10. Last time, we left off with Esther presenting her request to the King, which was simply to save her people.
The king becomes angry, leaves the scene to cool off for a few minutes, but when he returns it looks to him as if Haman is assaulting the Queen. Haman, is actually begging and pleading with the Queen for mercy.
The king sees what he sees though and has Haman executed and hung on the gallows that Haman prepared for Mordecai. Haman was considered a traitor, so his assets were seized by the king and given to Esther and Esther gave them to Mordecai.
Mordecai was essentially promoted to Haman’s position in the kingdom. He was now the king’s right hand man. We don’t know what happened to Haman’s wife or friends, but we do know that his sons were killed in the battle with the Jews, the very battle that Haman had the king write a decree for.
Esther once again comes before the King and asks what he can do to stop the murder of her people. The king pretty much responds by saying an order is an order, even he cannot over turn it, but she can make her own order.
Mordecai wrote a decree for his people in the King’s name. The decree gave the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against any enemy that might attack them, including women and children.
This sounds bizarre to us. God doesn’t want us to kill our enemies does he? But when you look at some of the things in the Old Testament we see part of God’s justice and Holiness is through His wrath. We also see His wrath in the New Testament, especially in the book of Revelation.
A perfectly just and right God must punish sin. There is a price to be paid. Thankfully, for us, the price has been paid through Jesus Christ. Those who do not accept that payment will suffer the penalty for themselves.
So, the people get this message from the king and they rejoiced. In chapter 9, the day arrives for the battle to take place and the Jews destroy their enemy. 810 people were killed in the area and 75,000 were killed around the country.
As I mentioned, Haman’s sons were killed in the battle. God’s people came out on top. God kept His promise to Abraham about blessing those who bless him and cursing those who curse his descendants.
After the battle, Mordecai sends a letter out to his people to remember this day and establish a feast called Purim. This is an annual feast to commemorate what the Lord did for them on this day and the story of Esther is typically read.
What can we learn from this story? Like most Biblical accounts, faithfulness is an important lesson from God’s Word to us. As we see, when God’s people are faithful, they prosper, maybe not immediately, but it is part of God’s long term plan.
When His people are not faithful, they suffer. Again, maybe not in the short run, but over the long term they do. The same holds true for us today as well. God wants us to be faithful followers of Christ. He wants us to live by faith.
Hebrews 11:1 give us a great definition of faith. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Faith is being sure and certain of the right things. The things of God. The promises of God. Faith is the confidence that God will do what He says He will do.
To apply our faith is to live as if God will keep His promises. That is the question for you, Do you believe that God will keep the promises He has made to us in His Word? If so, then live your life accordingly.
If you aren’t sure about all of His promises, then read His Word, study it, pray about it. He will show you what He wants you to see.
No doubt, some of your are sitting there thinking, “I believe, I believe, but it just doesn’t seem like God comes through for me sometimes. I am struggling, why doesn’t He help me out?” Or maybe there is a past hurt that you have experienced and God didn’t come through like you thought He would.
There are some people that become maybe disappointed with God. They feel as though God let them down. He did not answer their prayers the way they expected. Maybe they even gave up on God, stopped praying, going to church, or even reading the Bible.
That is a bad road to take. Our faith is tested all the time. It is tested to prove if our faith is real or is it something we just say we have. Our faith is tested to help us grow and to strengthen us. And of course, our faith is tested to give God the glory when we persevere.
God doesn’t always answer our prayers in the way we expect. We need to remember that He has a plan and He knows what He is doing. Things will work out. Just because He doesn’t give us what we want, doesn’t mean He doesn’t give us what we need.
God loves us, make no mistake about it. That is not the question. But sometimes part of love might involve discipline.
So be faithful, like Mordecai and Esther. They were sure and certain God would hold to His promises and they were right because God is right.
If you find yourself disappointed with God, ask Him to strengthen your faith. Read though the story of Esther, or Ruth that we looked at a few months ago, or any of those Old Testament Characters, Job, David, or Daniel and His friends.
Look at their lives and see how they lived out their faith even when times were rough for them. And remember that God is there with you through it all.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank your for our time in your word this morning. We thank you for those examples of faith in Esther and Mordecai. Help us to be people of faith. Forgive us for those times when we fail and strengthen us again to give you the glory and honor.
AMEN.
Faithfulness
We finish up our study of the book of Esther this morning by looking at the events of chapters 8, 9, and 10. Last time, we left off with Esther presenting her request to the King, which was simply to save her people.
The king becomes angry, leaves the scene to cool off for a few minutes, but when he returns it looks to him as if Haman is assaulting the Queen. Haman, is actually begging and pleading with the Queen for mercy.
The king sees what he sees though and has Haman executed and hung on the gallows that Haman prepared for Mordecai. Haman was considered a traitor, so his assets were seized by the king and given to Esther and Esther gave them to Mordecai.
Mordecai was essentially promoted to Haman’s position in the kingdom. He was now the king’s right hand man. We don’t know what happened to Haman’s wife or friends, but we do know that his sons were killed in the battle with the Jews, the very battle that Haman had the king write a decree for.
Esther once again comes before the King and asks what he can do to stop the murder of her people. The king pretty much responds by saying an order is an order, even he cannot over turn it, but she can make her own order.
Mordecai wrote a decree for his people in the King’s name. The decree gave the Jewish people the right to defend themselves against any enemy that might attack them, including women and children.
This sounds bizarre to us. God doesn’t want us to kill our enemies does he? But when you look at some of the things in the Old Testament we see part of God’s justice and Holiness is through His wrath. We also see His wrath in the New Testament, especially in the book of Revelation.
A perfectly just and right God must punish sin. There is a price to be paid. Thankfully, for us, the price has been paid through Jesus Christ. Those who do not accept that payment will suffer the penalty for themselves.
So, the people get this message from the king and they rejoiced. In chapter 9, the day arrives for the battle to take place and the Jews destroy their enemy. 810 people were killed in the area and 75,000 were killed around the country.
As I mentioned, Haman’s sons were killed in the battle. God’s people came out on top. God kept His promise to Abraham about blessing those who bless him and cursing those who curse his descendants.
After the battle, Mordecai sends a letter out to his people to remember this day and establish a feast called Purim. This is an annual feast to commemorate what the Lord did for them on this day and the story of Esther is typically read.
What can we learn from this story? Like most Biblical accounts, faithfulness is an important lesson from God’s Word to us. As we see, when God’s people are faithful, they prosper, maybe not immediately, but it is part of God’s long term plan.
When His people are not faithful, they suffer. Again, maybe not in the short run, but over the long term they do. The same holds true for us today as well. God wants us to be faithful followers of Christ. He wants us to live by faith.
Hebrews 11:1 give us a great definition of faith. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Faith is being sure and certain of the right things. The things of God. The promises of God. Faith is the confidence that God will do what He says He will do.
To apply our faith is to live as if God will keep His promises. That is the question for you, Do you believe that God will keep the promises He has made to us in His Word? If so, then live your life accordingly.
If you aren’t sure about all of His promises, then read His Word, study it, pray about it. He will show you what He wants you to see.
No doubt, some of your are sitting there thinking, “I believe, I believe, but it just doesn’t seem like God comes through for me sometimes. I am struggling, why doesn’t He help me out?” Or maybe there is a past hurt that you have experienced and God didn’t come through like you thought He would.
There are some people that become maybe disappointed with God. They feel as though God let them down. He did not answer their prayers the way they expected. Maybe they even gave up on God, stopped praying, going to church, or even reading the Bible.
That is a bad road to take. Our faith is tested all the time. It is tested to prove if our faith is real or is it something we just say we have. Our faith is tested to help us grow and to strengthen us. And of course, our faith is tested to give God the glory when we persevere.
God doesn’t always answer our prayers in the way we expect. We need to remember that He has a plan and He knows what He is doing. Things will work out. Just because He doesn’t give us what we want, doesn’t mean He doesn’t give us what we need.
God loves us, make no mistake about it. That is not the question. But sometimes part of love might involve discipline.
So be faithful, like Mordecai and Esther. They were sure and certain God would hold to His promises and they were right because God is right.
If you find yourself disappointed with God, ask Him to strengthen your faith. Read though the story of Esther, or Ruth that we looked at a few months ago, or any of those Old Testament Characters, Job, David, or Daniel and His friends.
Look at their lives and see how they lived out their faith even when times were rough for them. And remember that God is there with you through it all.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank your for our time in your word this morning. We thank you for those examples of faith in Esther and Mordecai. Help us to be people of faith. Forgive us for those times when we fail and strengthen us again to give you the glory and honor.
AMEN.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Anger
Esther 7:1-10
Anger
Last week we saw God’s hand at work for his people once again. The king got a sudden case of insomnia, so he asks his servants to bring a record book of his kingly deeds. The servants read the story about Mordecai discovering the plot to kill the king.
The king decides to reward Mordecai. At that exact moment, Haman enters the king’s court, seeking permission to hang Mordecai. But he never gets a chance to ask the king. The king initiates the conversation by asking Haman what a good way would be to honor someone.
Haman, of course, believes the king is referring to him, so Haman comes up with this grand honor for this person. The king agrees and tells Haman to carry out the honor on Mordecai. To his credit Haman does obey the king and parades Mordecai around the city giving him honor.
After the parade, Haman returns to his own home and tells his family and friends about his humiliation. They realize Haman is in trouble because Mordecai is a Jew. The servants then come and take Haman to the banquet the Queen has prepared.
At the banquet, the king reaffirms his interest in the matter that is bothering Esther. Again, he pledges to do whatever she wants. Esther once again displays humility and courage as she presented her request to the king.
Esther answered and said, “if it pleases the king, save my people from destruction.” She could have asked for anything, even the death or torture of Haman, but she simply presented the facts and asked the king to spare the life of her people.
Of course, the king wants to know who came up with this plan to kill her people and Esther responds it is Haman.
The king is filled with wrath, but notice what he does. He leaves. He doesn’t start yelling, swearing, kicking, screaming, crying, or whatever. He leaves the scene, presumably to cool off in the garden. To slow down, collect himself, count to ten, or whatever he needed to do.
People handle their anger in different ways, think about some of the ways you have handled your anger and think about some ways in which you have seen others handle their anger.
It seems as we mature, especially as Christians, we handle our anger differently. Anger is no doubt a normal part of life, it is a normal response to a difficult situation.
When we see injustices done in this world we should be angry. When God’s name is trashed we should be angry. When the cable or satellite goes out during a movie, we might be disappointed, but that really isn’t something that we should blow up about.
The king is mad, because of the injustice that occurred. He promoted this man Haman, gave him authority, trusted him and Haman abuses that power, that trust for his own purposes, for his own revenge.
While the king is cooling off in the garden, Haman approaches Esther to beg for mercy and plead for his life. When the king returned it looked to him as though Haman was assaulting Esther.
The other guards grab Haman and one of them mentions Haman’s plan to execute Mordecai. The king thought that would be a good punishment for Haman, so they hanged him.
If Haman were to have been tried, he would have three charges against him. First, he manipulated the king so he could exact revenge upon the Jews. Second, he would be charged with assaulting the Queen, although I believe this charge would have been dropped. Lastly, he planned to use the king to kill a man that the king just honored.
No wonder, the king was so upset with this guy. We all get upset and angry sometimes as I mentioned. But we all need to learn to deal with our anger.
As you might have guessed, the bible has a lot to teach us about anger and how to deal with it. First, we must realize that anger is sin if it is unjust or uncontrolled. Being angry at abortion clinics is justified, but blowing them up in anger is not.
Even with righteous anger, we must remember that we as Christians are representing Christ and we are still to treat others with love and mercy. We are to love our neighbors. We are to love our enemies.
Anger is a work of the flesh and is characteristic of fools, of prideful people. Anger brings about its own punishment, Job 5:2 states, “For wrath kills a foolish man.” When you think about it, that is exactly what happens.
Did you ever get mad at your car for not starting or something? Did you jump out and kick it as hard as you could? What happened? Did the car magically start up and run or did you just hurt your foot and dent the car!
Psalm 37:8 tells us to “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath Do not fret, it only causes harm.” Our best defense against anger is prayer, talking to God. Allowing Him to take control of the situation.
Anger is not good for us physically, mentally, or spiritually. Anger management and conflict resolution are some of the most important things that we need to learn in life. Especially, when others are trying to provoke you to anger. Don’t let them win.
We often find ourselves dealing with people who don’t play by the rules. We find underhandedness, deception, dishonesty, and self-serving attitudes in this world today. It is nothing new though. Those traits pretty much describe Haman, doesn’t it.
When we choose to abide by God’s rules and deal with situations according to His will, then we know that we are under His protection and guidance. He has promised to take care of us, and He will.
When our lives are guided by biblical principals, it gives us the ultimate advantage. Think about that the next time you feel angry, think about what God would want you to do.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. Sometimes in our anger and frustration we do indeed sin. We ask for your forgiveness for our weaknesses and we thank you for that forgiveness that you provide to us.
Help us respond to others in our daily lives in ways that honor and glorify you.
AMEN
Anger
Last week we saw God’s hand at work for his people once again. The king got a sudden case of insomnia, so he asks his servants to bring a record book of his kingly deeds. The servants read the story about Mordecai discovering the plot to kill the king.
The king decides to reward Mordecai. At that exact moment, Haman enters the king’s court, seeking permission to hang Mordecai. But he never gets a chance to ask the king. The king initiates the conversation by asking Haman what a good way would be to honor someone.
Haman, of course, believes the king is referring to him, so Haman comes up with this grand honor for this person. The king agrees and tells Haman to carry out the honor on Mordecai. To his credit Haman does obey the king and parades Mordecai around the city giving him honor.
After the parade, Haman returns to his own home and tells his family and friends about his humiliation. They realize Haman is in trouble because Mordecai is a Jew. The servants then come and take Haman to the banquet the Queen has prepared.
At the banquet, the king reaffirms his interest in the matter that is bothering Esther. Again, he pledges to do whatever she wants. Esther once again displays humility and courage as she presented her request to the king.
Esther answered and said, “if it pleases the king, save my people from destruction.” She could have asked for anything, even the death or torture of Haman, but she simply presented the facts and asked the king to spare the life of her people.
Of course, the king wants to know who came up with this plan to kill her people and Esther responds it is Haman.
The king is filled with wrath, but notice what he does. He leaves. He doesn’t start yelling, swearing, kicking, screaming, crying, or whatever. He leaves the scene, presumably to cool off in the garden. To slow down, collect himself, count to ten, or whatever he needed to do.
People handle their anger in different ways, think about some of the ways you have handled your anger and think about some ways in which you have seen others handle their anger.
It seems as we mature, especially as Christians, we handle our anger differently. Anger is no doubt a normal part of life, it is a normal response to a difficult situation.
When we see injustices done in this world we should be angry. When God’s name is trashed we should be angry. When the cable or satellite goes out during a movie, we might be disappointed, but that really isn’t something that we should blow up about.
The king is mad, because of the injustice that occurred. He promoted this man Haman, gave him authority, trusted him and Haman abuses that power, that trust for his own purposes, for his own revenge.
While the king is cooling off in the garden, Haman approaches Esther to beg for mercy and plead for his life. When the king returned it looked to him as though Haman was assaulting Esther.
The other guards grab Haman and one of them mentions Haman’s plan to execute Mordecai. The king thought that would be a good punishment for Haman, so they hanged him.
If Haman were to have been tried, he would have three charges against him. First, he manipulated the king so he could exact revenge upon the Jews. Second, he would be charged with assaulting the Queen, although I believe this charge would have been dropped. Lastly, he planned to use the king to kill a man that the king just honored.
No wonder, the king was so upset with this guy. We all get upset and angry sometimes as I mentioned. But we all need to learn to deal with our anger.
As you might have guessed, the bible has a lot to teach us about anger and how to deal with it. First, we must realize that anger is sin if it is unjust or uncontrolled. Being angry at abortion clinics is justified, but blowing them up in anger is not.
Even with righteous anger, we must remember that we as Christians are representing Christ and we are still to treat others with love and mercy. We are to love our neighbors. We are to love our enemies.
Anger is a work of the flesh and is characteristic of fools, of prideful people. Anger brings about its own punishment, Job 5:2 states, “For wrath kills a foolish man.” When you think about it, that is exactly what happens.
Did you ever get mad at your car for not starting or something? Did you jump out and kick it as hard as you could? What happened? Did the car magically start up and run or did you just hurt your foot and dent the car!
Psalm 37:8 tells us to “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath Do not fret, it only causes harm.” Our best defense against anger is prayer, talking to God. Allowing Him to take control of the situation.
Anger is not good for us physically, mentally, or spiritually. Anger management and conflict resolution are some of the most important things that we need to learn in life. Especially, when others are trying to provoke you to anger. Don’t let them win.
We often find ourselves dealing with people who don’t play by the rules. We find underhandedness, deception, dishonesty, and self-serving attitudes in this world today. It is nothing new though. Those traits pretty much describe Haman, doesn’t it.
When we choose to abide by God’s rules and deal with situations according to His will, then we know that we are under His protection and guidance. He has promised to take care of us, and He will.
When our lives are guided by biblical principals, it gives us the ultimate advantage. Think about that the next time you feel angry, think about what God would want you to do.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank you for our time in your word this morning. Sometimes in our anger and frustration we do indeed sin. We ask for your forgiveness for our weaknesses and we thank you for that forgiveness that you provide to us.
Help us respond to others in our daily lives in ways that honor and glorify you.
AMEN
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Earning Rewards
Esther 6
Last time we saw Haman’s pride. He was bragging to his wife, family, and friends about how great he was, how many children he had, about his great wealth, about how the king promoted him, and how even the queen invited him to a special banquet.
He also told his friends the story of Mordecai not bowing down to him and paying him the respect he felt he deserved. His friends encouraged him to make a gallows for Mordecai and have him hung on it the next day.
Our Scripture picks up this morning with the King having a sleepless night. So he tells his servants to read the book of records of his kingship. The servants start reading and they come to the part about the plan to assassinate the king.
Once again we can see God’s hand at work. The king “just happen” to have insomnia and the servants “just happen” to read about Mordecai’s good deed. This isn’t just chance. This is God at work.
The king asks his servants what reward was given to Mordecai for discovering this plot. The servants reply, “nothing.”
The king married Esther in the 7th year of his reign. The plot to kill the king occurred shortly there after. It is now the king’s 12th year of his reign. So about 5 years had past since Mordecai exposed this plot to kill the king.
No doubt by this time, Mordecai had long forgotten about his role in saving the king. More than likely Mordecai wasn’t even ever looking for a reward. He was simply doing what he felt was right.
The king wants to reward Mordecai for his actions. The king calls for whoever is in his court to come. Again, it just so happens that it is Haman, who is actually coming to ask the king to execute Mordecai!
Chance? No way! This is God at work yet again. The king asks Haman what is the best way to honor someone. Haman, of course, thinks the king is planning to honor him, so Haman comes up with this wonderful and extravagant plan to honor this person.
As we know, the king is referring to Mordecai. The king likes the plan and tells Haman to go and prepare the honors for Mordecai. Haman is quite shocked, but obeys the king, even though it humiliates himself.
After Haman parades Mordecai around and honors him, he returns to his house to tell his family and friends about the events that took place.
It is interesting to note that Haman must consider these people true friends because he is willing to tell them of this embarrassing story. Most people wouldn’t do that unless they were true, close friends and family.
At the end of the chapter, we read of Haman’s friends telling him that if Mordecai is a Jew, then you will not win this battle. Apparently, they were familiar with the God of the Jews and knew the history and the stories of how they prevailed.
So who earned their reward here? It sounds like both Haman and Mordecai are going to get what they deserve, right? As we shall see next week, that is indeed what happens.
But what about us? Are we rewarded for our good deeds? No doubt we are sometimes. We are rewarded sometimes, if you want to call it that, for our earthly good deeds. Maybe we get a monetary reward for finding a lost dog or helping to capture a criminal or something.
Sometimes we get a thank you or an atta boy for doing an outstanding job. And that is ok too. We must not let that effect us or our ego’s, but it is important on a human, earthly level to give thanks to others and show our appreciation to them for the things that they do not only for us but for others as well.
We also need to remember the reward of believers is from God. Our reward is eternal life through Christ. We will reign with Christ because we are joint heirs of Christ. We will receive a crown of righteousness, of glory, of life and an imperishable crown.
We do what we do for God, not for ourselves, not for our own ego. We do it to honor and glorify God.
As I mentioned we should always give thanks to the people that do things for us. We need to remember that it is God working through them to bless us. We should never take our blessings for granted.
How many times have you thanked God for the blessings of our forefathers, like George Washington, John Adams, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin and other signers and supporters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?
Think about it! What a blessing it is to live in a free country.
How about the teachers that taught you to read and write or the many soldiers that fought and sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and the freedoms of others.
We are to give thanks to God for all things and everyone. 1 Timothy 2:1 says, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.”
Let us remember to not only thank each other for the things we do, but to thank God for all that He does for us. Especially, that great and wonderful reward of eternal salvation.
Try to create a spirit of thanksgiving in your life this week. Thank the people that are good to you and encourage others to gives thanks to God for the things that he has done.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank you for that wonderful gift of eternal life. We thank you for the many blessings in our lives. Often times we take for granted the freedoms we have here in this country.
Help us to remember where all of these blessings come from and help us to use the blessings you have given to us to be a blessing to others. We do this all for you and your glory.
AMEN
Last time we saw Haman’s pride. He was bragging to his wife, family, and friends about how great he was, how many children he had, about his great wealth, about how the king promoted him, and how even the queen invited him to a special banquet.
He also told his friends the story of Mordecai not bowing down to him and paying him the respect he felt he deserved. His friends encouraged him to make a gallows for Mordecai and have him hung on it the next day.
Our Scripture picks up this morning with the King having a sleepless night. So he tells his servants to read the book of records of his kingship. The servants start reading and they come to the part about the plan to assassinate the king.
Once again we can see God’s hand at work. The king “just happen” to have insomnia and the servants “just happen” to read about Mordecai’s good deed. This isn’t just chance. This is God at work.
The king asks his servants what reward was given to Mordecai for discovering this plot. The servants reply, “nothing.”
The king married Esther in the 7th year of his reign. The plot to kill the king occurred shortly there after. It is now the king’s 12th year of his reign. So about 5 years had past since Mordecai exposed this plot to kill the king.
No doubt by this time, Mordecai had long forgotten about his role in saving the king. More than likely Mordecai wasn’t even ever looking for a reward. He was simply doing what he felt was right.
The king wants to reward Mordecai for his actions. The king calls for whoever is in his court to come. Again, it just so happens that it is Haman, who is actually coming to ask the king to execute Mordecai!
Chance? No way! This is God at work yet again. The king asks Haman what is the best way to honor someone. Haman, of course, thinks the king is planning to honor him, so Haman comes up with this wonderful and extravagant plan to honor this person.
As we know, the king is referring to Mordecai. The king likes the plan and tells Haman to go and prepare the honors for Mordecai. Haman is quite shocked, but obeys the king, even though it humiliates himself.
After Haman parades Mordecai around and honors him, he returns to his house to tell his family and friends about the events that took place.
It is interesting to note that Haman must consider these people true friends because he is willing to tell them of this embarrassing story. Most people wouldn’t do that unless they were true, close friends and family.
At the end of the chapter, we read of Haman’s friends telling him that if Mordecai is a Jew, then you will not win this battle. Apparently, they were familiar with the God of the Jews and knew the history and the stories of how they prevailed.
So who earned their reward here? It sounds like both Haman and Mordecai are going to get what they deserve, right? As we shall see next week, that is indeed what happens.
But what about us? Are we rewarded for our good deeds? No doubt we are sometimes. We are rewarded sometimes, if you want to call it that, for our earthly good deeds. Maybe we get a monetary reward for finding a lost dog or helping to capture a criminal or something.
Sometimes we get a thank you or an atta boy for doing an outstanding job. And that is ok too. We must not let that effect us or our ego’s, but it is important on a human, earthly level to give thanks to others and show our appreciation to them for the things that they do not only for us but for others as well.
We also need to remember the reward of believers is from God. Our reward is eternal life through Christ. We will reign with Christ because we are joint heirs of Christ. We will receive a crown of righteousness, of glory, of life and an imperishable crown.
We do what we do for God, not for ourselves, not for our own ego. We do it to honor and glorify God.
As I mentioned we should always give thanks to the people that do things for us. We need to remember that it is God working through them to bless us. We should never take our blessings for granted.
How many times have you thanked God for the blessings of our forefathers, like George Washington, John Adams, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin and other signers and supporters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?
Think about it! What a blessing it is to live in a free country.
How about the teachers that taught you to read and write or the many soldiers that fought and sacrificed their lives for our freedoms and the freedoms of others.
We are to give thanks to God for all things and everyone. 1 Timothy 2:1 says, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.”
Let us remember to not only thank each other for the things we do, but to thank God for all that He does for us. Especially, that great and wonderful reward of eternal salvation.
Try to create a spirit of thanksgiving in your life this week. Thank the people that are good to you and encourage others to gives thanks to God for the things that he has done.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank you for that wonderful gift of eternal life. We thank you for the many blessings in our lives. Often times we take for granted the freedoms we have here in this country.
Help us to remember where all of these blessings come from and help us to use the blessings you have given to us to be a blessing to others. We do this all for you and your glory.
AMEN
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