Today’s message summary from Pastor Gus Brown:
God does not expect you to build yourself. When God builds, He builds you on the inside, and He provides direction for you. If we are doing the building, then the Holy Spirit is not active in it.
In this building, you need to take Scripture seriously. Our fellowship as a body sharpens us and builds us up when God is doing the work.
You are being built to be able to handle problems that come every day. We are strengthened through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to be able to stand firm in the midst of difficulty.
When we gather together in a church that prays with each other, we actually strengthen each other. We build each other up in The Lord. He is the one that provides the strength and the energy within the body of Christ.
Today we will look at an example of strength that God provided to one of His people…Esther.
As we look at Esther, consider what position you are in as you live today. It is very important to keep your focus on life. Consider that God has kept you through any difficulty. Esther may have had a right to be bitter about the turn of events in her life because she lost her father and her mother at a very young age.
Esther 2:7
Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she didn’t have a father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.
God provided the strength to Esther to be able to withstand grief and difficulty. Consider that allowing bitterness, anger and an unforgiving spirit to prevail when things are difficult will take away from your enjoyment of life.
How was Esther strengthened through this relationship by Mordecai’s presence. Mordecai loved and cared for Esther as if it was his own daughter. He was God’s provision to her, and she accepted it. She was content in it, and built her life upon it. If she didn’t accept it, her life would have spilled into misery.
Philippians 4:11
I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
Note that when you are content, you can learn and focus upon God and His provision. When you are distracted, you are unable to learn and see how God is blessing and keeping you. God knows what you have need of, and He cares, but it starts with contentment.
Esther learned how to win people to her cause. She was most likely born in captivity along with Mordecai under the Babylonians. The Persians came along and overtook the Babylonians and established a capital in Sousa. Esther’s nationality was kept secret throughout much of what we see in Scripture.
She was able to win the favor of others.
Esther 2:8-9
8 When the king’s command and edict became public knowledge, many young women gathered at the fortress of Susa under Hegai’s care. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 The young woman pleased him and gained his favor so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem’s best quarters.
Esther 2:15, 17
15 Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter. When her turn came to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, suggested. Esther won approval in the sight of everyone who saw her.
17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She won more favor and approval from him than did any of the other young women. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
Esther 4:4
Esther’s female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her, and the queen was overcome with fear. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so he could take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them.
Esther’s example of having favor with others should give you the desire to seek God in how you can win people to your cause and help you, even in the midst of your enemies.
Job 10:12
You gave me life and faithful love,
and Your care has guarded my life.
Proverbs 13:15
Good sense wins favor,
but the way of the treacherous never changes.
Luke 2:52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.
Acts 2:47
…praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.
Are you busy winning favor amongst others to reach the lost? Are you winning favor to be able to minister in your job or other areas amongst people where there is a presence of God within the relationship?
God will place people in your life in order to teach you. Do you push them away, or do you win their favor by listening to instruction? Remember, God is the one who is ultimately giving you favor and strength in what you are doing with your life as you remain sensitive to His presence.
God will put people in your life that will build you up, strengthen you and empower you.
It takes the favor of God, through the Holy Spirit, to help you work with others and witness to them, especially with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Esther listened and learned from others.
Esther 2:10, 15, 20
10 Esther did not reveal her ethnic background or her birthplace, because Mordecai had ordered her not to.
15 Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter. When her turn came to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, suggested. Esther won approval in the sight of everyone who saw her.
20 Esther still had not revealed her birthplace or her ethnic background, as Mordecai had directed. She obeyed Mordecai’s orders, as she always had while he raised her.
Esther was obedient to the one who raised her with good counsel. She had already received the crown from the king; yet, she followed Mordecai’s and remained true to him. She trusted in his advice even though she was in a position far greater than where she came from.
Esther also realized when the circumstances were too great for her, and it was then when she asked for help and prayer. God will sometimes weaken us or humble us in order that we will ask Him for help.
Esther 4:12-16
12 Esther’s response was reported to Mordecai.
13 Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace. 14 If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”
15 Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, day or night. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.”
Esther learned to trust in what God had given her. God placed her in her position at that time for an important reason–the preservation of her people, the Jews.
Esther trusted in her upbringing and in her natural beauty. She knew that she was loved and cared for. She recognized the new and old friends she had in life, and she recognized that the God of Israel was always present throughout it all–from her childhood to her adulthood.
Psalm 139:14
I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well.
God put you in your position where you are today for a reason and a purpose.
Esther learned how to face her enemies.
Esther 7:1-8
1 The king and Haman came to feast with Esther the queen. 2 Once again, on the second day while drinking wine, the king asked Esther, “Queen Esther, whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you seek, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”
3 Queen Esther answered, “If I have obtained your approval, my king, and if the king is pleased, spare my life—this is my request; and spare my people—this is my desire. 4 For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and extermination. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept silent. Indeed, the trouble wouldn’t be worth burdening the king.”
5 King Ahasuerus spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?”
6 Esther answered, “The adversary and enemy is this evil Haman.”
Haman stood terrified before the king and queen. 7 Angered by this, the king arose from where they were drinking wine and went to the palace garden. Haman remained to beg Queen Esther for his life because he realized the king was planning something terrible for him. 8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the house of wine drinking, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually violate the queen while I am in the palace?” As soon as the statement left the king’s mouth, Haman’s face was covered.
Stand and face your enemies. God will strengthen you.
Ephesians 4:12
…for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ.
God builds people of strength to live a life as a conqueror.
Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than victorious
through Him who loved us.
Akron Alliance Fellowship 