Scripture of The Week 09/21/14 The Story: Finding Your Story In Gods Story Act 4: The Suspense Builds (God Responds) Chapter 20: The Queen of Beauty And Courage For Sunday, September 28, Chapter 21: Rebuilding The Walls (*The last chapter of the Old Testament!) 12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS?--ESTHER 4:12-14 For every Christian Member of BFCOC, this weeks Sermon has a very necessary message: https://youtube/watch?v=EGim1O2o3BA&feature=em-uploademail *What is your for such a time as this moment? _______ -God puts us in the RIGHT PLACE at the RIGHT TIME. -Gods Upper Story will be WRITTEN even if we dont PARTICIPATE. (v 4:12-14) -God needs YOU to ACCOMPLISH His work. (*His work is NOT just for the Minister, the Elders, the Deacons, no, it is for each of us!) *MAKE NO MISTAKE, YOU ARE THE HANDS AND FEET OF GOD! YOU ARE THE HANDS AND FEET OF JESUS TO REACH, TO LEAD, TO COMFORT, TO FEED, TO CLOTHE THOSE IN NEED - IT IS NOT UP TO THOSE OF THE WORLD - IT IS UP TO YOU, IT IS UP TO US AS CHRISTIANS, AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST! MATTHEW 25:31-46 The Sheep and the Goats: 31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? 40 The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. 41 Then He will say to those on His left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. 44 They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you? 45 He will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. 46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.(AG) -We need EACH OTHER for SUPPORT. -God is always AT WORK in EVERYONE. (*Everyone, NOT just Christians, but even non-believers!) Scriptures Used in Todays Message: ESTHER 1:4-5 4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. ESTHER 1:20 20 Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest. ESTHER 3:1-2 Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews: 3 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. 2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. ESTHER 3:6 6 Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. ESTHER 4:13-16 13 he sent back this answer: Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. ESTHER 6:7-9 7 So he answered the king, For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor! ESTHER 6:13 13 and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin! ESTHER 9:1 9 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. JOHN 12:32 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. Personal Sermon Notes: -The 5 characters in the story of Esther can be referenced as playing cards: --King: King Xerxes --Queen: Queen Vashti --Queen of Hearts: Queen Esther --Joker: Haman --Ace: Mordecai --What character is missing in this story? No, not the Jack! Gods Name is not mentioned in the Book of Esther, but make NO mistake, His Presence is DEFINITELY here! -Esther is a Jew from the smallest tribe of Benjamin from the kingdom of Judah *The KEY VERSE in the story of Esther is: FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS! -your FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS is probably risky, God does not call the faint of heart -your FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS will probably bring you: --ridicule --time --commitment --rude, busybody gossips getting up in your face *WILL YOU BE A PART OF GODS FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS MOMENT? Or will you not commit and then allow His blessings to fall away from you and onto someone else? *Because GODS WILL WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED! *DONT YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIG?! *GOD WILL NOT CALL YOU AND THEN NOT EQUIP YOU FOR THE TASK(S) HE HAS SET BEFORE YOU *THIS IS A HOUSE OF WORSHIP! *ARE YOU NOT LISTENING TO THE MESSAGES THAT JEREMY PRESENTS TO YOU EVERY WEEK?! *AS CHRISTIANS THAT GATHER EACH WEEK TO WORSHIP GOD, WE ARE TO STOP THE GOSSIPING, THE CRITICISM, THE MEANNESS, THE DIVISION! *AS THE BODY OF CHRIST, WE WILL KNOCK IT OFF, CRUELTY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, NOT AT ALL!! MATTHEW 7 Judging Others: 7 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. *Have you NOT noticed who God has called, not only as Christians, but as Christians whom HE HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER AT BFCOC? God has not brought only singers and musicians, cooks and crafters, young and elder, artistic and organized... He has brought each and every one of us, WITH THE TALENTS, GIFTS AND SKILLS that He has bestowed upon each of us, TO COME TOGETHER AS ONE UNIFIED BODY OF CHRIST. We are not here by accident, we are are not here by mistake, we are here - each and every one of us - because GOD HAS BROUGHT US TOGETHER. Who are we to question His plan for His children? Who are we to judge one another when we ourselves have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God? We must find a way to come together as a united family, a united church of Christ, not one better than the other. We cannot rely on having always done something this way or that. We cannot rely on the mediocrity that every other church is this way. We must THINK better, we must SPEAK better, we must ACT better, we must DO better, we must BE better. We are called Christians - adjective: of, relating to, or professing Christianity or its teachings; noun: a person who has received Christian baptism or is a believer in Jesus Christ and His teachings - let us become Christ-like RIGHT NOW! ROMANS 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s Will is—His good, pleasing and perfect Will.2 1 CORINITHIANS 1:10-29 A Church Divided Over Leaders: 10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, I follow Paul; another, I follow Apollos; another, I follow Cephas; still another, I follow Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom: 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. 20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before Him. 30 It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: Let the one who boasts boast in The Lord. ROMANS 9:16-2116 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my Name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden. 19 One of you will say to me: Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist His Will? 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, Why did you make me like this? 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? --COLOSSIANS 3:12 Therefore, as Gods chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. *BE IN PRAYER THIS WEEK, FOR YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST, FOR YOUR MINISTER, FOR YOUR ELDERS AND FOR YOURSELF, THAT WE COME TOGETHER AS WE HAVE BEEN CALLED BY OUR HOLY FATHER, TO BE HIS HOLY PEOPLE, TO BE ONE, TO BE UNIFIED, AS ONE BODY OF CHRIST, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD. AMEN!
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 11:46:40 +0000
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