W.A.R. READY: The Life and Times of Queen Esther!

we pray [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] my beloved friendship west family and all who comprise our larger global family i can't tell you how much i miss you god i do i miss you a whole lot and we've really been looking forward i've been looking forward to our reopening and man i miss you all so much i miss fellowship that is unique to friendship west the love that we share and exchange and engage in when we are in each other's presence i miss the kids oh my god i miss the kids so much i miss all of you unfortunately we're not going to be able to because of the numbers sadly we see what's happening in school districts and we are in a state texas that is one of the worst in the country which means we're one of the worst in the nic in the world when it comes to [Music] persons contracting the virus not only that but when it comes to a person's dying because of the virus the virus is is is spreading and people are dying steel people are getting sick steel and i just felt it would be irresponsible to make a decision to reopen at this time when we are still in the fight of our lives and this is a decision that is literally a matter of life or death and so it hurts because i was really looking forward to this reopening but the more i study the stats most importantly the more i listen to the spirit the more it convinced me that this is not the time for us to reopen i do promise that we will continue to listen to the spirit pay attention to the science and the stats and as we do that we will continue to re-evaluate and make a decision that will be healthy for all of us so in the meantime please mask up don't fall for this political okeydoke where it's a political issue in the meantime please maintain social distance in the meantime do what is necessary to protect yourself yeah the vaccine yeah keep your immune system strong do what is necessary to keep you safe i've been to too many funerals in the last 19 months i've had to do too many virtual hospital visits this is serious and so part of my job description as a pastor is a shepherd i try to feed you this sunday and subsequent sundays but also have to protect and there's a wolf of a virus out there that we have to be protected from in the meantime i'm praying for you i love you god bless you peace [Music] [Applause] [Music] the lord for yourself evening good evening we do thank and praise god for this is the day that the lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it we do thank him praise god for your presence this evening those who are part of the fwbc family and those who are part of our extended family and maybe even friends on this evening we pray that your day has led you to this space where you are now open and prepared to hear that which the lord will share with us on this evening we're going to be in the book we you know we're in our third trimester we're in the book of esther tonight we're gonna be looking at esther chapter seven verses one through four and i'm gonna give you just a little sneak preview based on the title the title is war ready the life and times of queen esther now again don't think you know what it is but maybe you do know what it is but you got to tune in to see how we're going to deal with what that whole thought means as it pertains to be in war ready so let's look to the lord in prayer on tonight let's get ready to hear from this wonderful praise team and then i will be back to try to share with you that which god has shared with me on tonight shall we pray god we do bless you we honor you we thank you we extol you we thank you for the gift of this day and god we are grateful even in the midst of a world of volatility uncertainty and violence a world filled with death and the threat of death we thank you on tonight for you are a god of life you are a god that gives us the victory you are a god who loved us enough that you are willing to sacrifice in order that we might have the right to the tree of life so we come right now today god asking that you touch our hearts touch our minds i ask that you anoint me a fresh from the crown of my head to the soul of my feet don't hold your people hostage for my faithlessness or foolishness and allow us to experience your word allow your word to go forth with power with clarity with creativity with compassion and conviction and as a result of what we will have experienced together allow us to lead this time a lot better than we came in jesus name now let's prepare to worship our great god on this evening hello [Music] the day will be [Music] the best day [Music] the best day the best day of my life [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh yeah [Music] today will be the best day the best day of my [Music] the life day of my life [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] today [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] this is my favorite part y'all [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] today [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] [Music] me [Music] [Applause] [Music] hey [Music] [Music] how many of you all are so grateful and you're so glad for what god has done in your life that you can't do anything but to love him and to praise his name and to give him thanks i just want to say [Music] i love you jesus i were and adore you [Music] just wanna tell you that i love you more than anything [Music] i love you jesus i worship and adore you i just want to tell you that i love you more than [Music] until [Music] alone [Music] come on and sing it with me y'all i lived [Music] for you god and god alone because of you my clowns [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] just one to tell you more [Music] just want to that i love you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] love is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] i [Music] [Applause] [Music] that sounds so sweet right there [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] hey man amen if you're at your kitchen table or even on your way home from work that's one of the ones sometimes you have to pull over if you was driving you may have to pull over and get your worship on or if you're possibly in traffic thank you praise god for our praise team on this night leading us into the presence of the lord and we thank and praise god for that opportunity to reflect on how much we love value and appreciate and again that's one of those songs that allows us to not ask god for anything but just to love on god just to reflect on the way in which that love has penetrated our hearts and captured our minds and strengthened us right fortified us empowered us liberated us healed us delivered us comforted us and gave us the strength to run when we didn't even think we could stand so we want to prepare to hear that which the lord has to share but you know before we do that we have to hit you with our motivational moment and again as we uh read through the book of esther and of course we're in the third trimester it's esther and the mind of prophets but could not help but to look at a companion text as i read through esther and reflected on esther so i'm ready for that first slide please i want to encourage you and admire you we've mentioned of course this text before and of course she's even been here to share with us none other than dr brittany cooper who wrote again a powerful seminal work called beyond respectability the intellectual thought of race women but as i'm reading through esther and even thinking about how vashtai responded to the king in chapter one and then looking at what esther does even on tonight is we're going to explore could not help but thinking about this amazing work that of course highlights number of women but of course one uh none other than annie anna julia cooper again writer sociologist civil rights activist mother and just phenomenal woman and i just want to offer you just this little piece from the text that i think frames some of how we're going to move on tonight but then also just provides clarity and specificity even in the times in which we live and this is what dr cooper says cooper made clear she's talking about again anna julia cooper cooper made clear that her primary social goal was not the achievement of racial respectability but rather the achievement of undisputed dignity oh i like that the call for dignity and the call for respectability are not the same though they are frequently conflated demands for dignity catch this are demands for fundamental recognition of one's what inherent humanity again made in the image and likeness of god so again just demanding dignity as one who is made in the image enlightenment of god but then she says demands for respectability assume the unassailable social propriety will prove one's dignity in terms of respectability in terms if i dress well enough if i work here if i drive that then ultimately i'm respected but she is saying that again one could still not have their dignity and one could still be treated a particular way because one's basic humanity has not been recognized she said though dignity unlike respectability is not socially contingent and she goes on to say that dignity is non-negotiable because it is what you acknowledging one being made in the image and likeness of god but again just a powerful text that continues to frame the amazing work of anna julia cooper while also framing the work of other race women that did so much work again valuing and appreciating their mind so on tonight as we talk about esther right because i want to deal with esther's mind on tonight and i want to deal with her wisdom i want to deal with her insight and i want to deal with the way she moved so i want to call you attention on tonight to esther chapter seven and we're just going to look at verses one through four as far as our subject text but as you already know keep your bible lab up keep your bible open because you know we gonna have to walk all up to chapter 7 of course the way we like to do it ezra i mean esther chapter 7 verses 1 through 4. so the king and haman went in to feast with king with queen esther on the second day as they were drinking wine the king again said to esther what is your petition queen esther it shall be granted you and what is your request even to the half of my kingdom it shall be fulfilled then queen esther answered if i have won your favor o king and if it pleases the king let my life be given me that is my petition and the lives of my people that is my request for we have been sold i and my people to be destroyed to be killed and to be annihilated if we had been sold merely as slaves men and women i would have held my peace but no enemy can compensate for this damage to the king ooh the word of god for the people of god and again want to deal with our subject theme on tonight war ready the life and times of queen esther war ready the life and times of queen esther unquestionably this month pastor haynes as well as pastor magruder have done a phenomenal job in framing for us the historical arc of the book of esther as well as the minor prophets and giving us the specific historical narrative that lends itself to the to the reality that esther was facing again facing a world that was again dominated to a great degree by power as well as patriarchy we know the book of esther where god's name is not mentioned a front in the text however the actions that are demonstrated by those in the book of esther unquestionably reveal the power and the purpose and the plan of god going forward and again that's a that's a that's a significant word for many of us because we know sometimes people use the name and god of people sometimes escape goat god but then there are ways in which if we really love god and if we ultimately are an allegiance and an obedience to god then again you will know my disciples not by singing you will know my disciples not by preaching you will know my disciples not by how much they give but you will know my disciples by what the love that is demonstrated so our relationship has always been based upon not just what we say but ultimately what we do and what we see throughout the book of esther are the ways in which god is uniquely navigating things and the ways in which god is uniquely not only putting esther in position for one moment but putting esther in position to help secure not only her life but to help her secure the future of her people and again getting to that position in some ways that are challenging in some ways that are controversial in some ways that people possibly do not agree with however once she's in position god does something through her in her response to the power of god in her response to that which god has called her for and her response to mordechai her family ultimately reveals her being in the right position at the right time to do the right thing so that god ultimately will get the glory and the people right will ultimately be blessed as a result of her actions and so when we think about the book of esther it's critical to begin to kind of you know you know how i do i got to give you some context because that's critical to understanding before we get to chapter seven it's critical to think through the ways in which when we talk about war and i'm not again going to be talking about war in the sense of death and violence i'm going to be talking about war in a sense of life and victory let me say that one more time when i'm talking about war as it pertains to tonight i'm not going to be talking about death and violence and loss i'm going to be talking about life and victory and gain and that's what it means again to be hooked up linked up with the holy a particular kind of way that we would remix those things that have been used in ways that maybe were death dealing that they maybe were violent and that maybe were not life affirming the god that we serve again demands and commands from us to engage in war but to engage in war a particular kind of way and so what we see throughout the book of esther is strategic insightful moves that are made and what esther ultimately will demonstrate to us on tonight is what that same radical subversiveness that anna julia cooper represented and other women again who represented that particular reality as well but for before we get to chapter seven it's critical to look at what took place that led up so that's the chapter two mordecai right uncovers first right and there's so much in the book of esther i'm gonna have i'm gonna have a good time enjoying this for the next couple of months mordecai what fools the plot of the king give me that first give me that next slide so esther chapter two when mordecai uncovers a plot esther chapter two verse twenty says now esther had revealed her had not revealed her kindred or her people as mordecai had charged her for esther obeyed mordecai just as when she was brought up by him in those days while mordecai was sitting at the king's table big fan and taresh two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the threshold became angry and conspired to assassinate the king but the matter came to the knowledge of mordecai and he told it to queen esther and esther told the king in the name of mordecai when the affair was investigated and found to be so both the men were hanged on the gallows it was recorded in the book of the annals and the presence of the king so again those who would find themselves marginalized those will find themselves ostracized are still uniquely positioned again mordecai is hustling hearing what the eunuchs have planned in terms of what a hostile takeover of the kingdom mordecai again relays that information to esther esther again then relays that information back internally and what that assassination attempt was again foiled as a result of mordecai again and catch that consider this real quick and i'm i'm promised i'm gonna get in i consider mordecai again being one who is oppressed and being one who is on the death block or on the chopping block but yet looking so again god not mentioned but look at mordechai's sensitivity because mordecai could have said i ain't going to tell them nothing let them go ahead and run at the king because that's possibly going to work out for our benefit but i think mordecai just might be a child of god because mordecai decides to what not return evil for evil but what respond in a way that shows what i operate different i'm in the world but i'm not of the world i'm going to operate with a different ethic right because there is a reaping and a sowing right and some folk don't believe that god is not mock whatever one souls that shall one also reap so there is this foiled attempt right that mordecai demonstrates but you already know that if mordecai heard that and then if mordecai relayed that information mordecai is a little different mordecai is built a little different mordecai has something else in him right again and and that was also poured into esther as we are going to see how esther manifests that so mordecai again uncovers the plot but then this is critical first six verses of chapter three what ultimately happens after that plot has now been unveiled after these things the king promoted haman son of hamitha and the agathite the aggite and advanced him and set his seat above all the officials who were with him so again at this point haman now we always we hear about haman haman becomes what is known as a as the chief advisor which is known as kind of the prime minister right he's promoted and all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and did obscene to haman for the king has so commanded concerning him but here it is here it is mordecai one more time and again you're gonna understand why esther is the way she is because look at how mordecai is but mordecai did not bow down then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said the mordecai why do you disobey the king's command when the when they when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them they told haman in order to see whether mordecai's words would avail for he had told them that he was a jew when haman saw that mordecai oh did not bow down right and did not uh what fall in line ultimately haman was infuriated but he thought it was beneath him to lay hands on mordecai alone so having been told who mordecai's people were came and plotted to destroy all the jews the people of mordecai throughout the whole kingdom so again there is this mordecai demonstrating what this willingness to tell the truth so that he could stop the assassination attempt but then mordecai again haman is promoted and understand that clarity and courage can create challenges he had the clarity and courage to ultimately tell the truth then but he also had a clarity and courage that gave him a disposition that would not allow him what to engage in idolatry in his mind right possibly engaging in bowing down and worshiping haman and as a result of him not what willing to fall in line as a result of him what not willing to follow what empire would dictate he now finds himself the object of not just rage but the object of hate and now haman being in a position to leverage and use his position of power because he's upset right that mordecai did not fall in line he's upset that mordecai would not bow he's upset that mordecai like everybody else right would not kind of engage in some form of worshiping him a particular kind of way and now as a result of that there's a price to be paid right he's upset and now he's going to take that anger out and again that's the danger with making some folks upset right it's one thing for us to be upset personally it's another thing for you to have a personal issue with me but because of your position and your power you can now use your your emotions right how you feel to ultimately leverage that in a way that could be detrimental not only to me but detrimental to everybody that's connected to me so so this is again just part of the context that that's the climate that ultimately puts esther in this particular situation but it becomes critically clear clear and powerfully relevant in terms of how esther is going to respond so after all that mordecai has done and now haman responding to that in a way that's saying look look there's going to be a price to be paid for you not bowing and then there is a exchange of funds right where he goes heyman goes to the king and there's an exchange of funds so you so haman can go ahead and execute a plan what to annihilate all of the people but look at what esther does and this is where the war starts this is this is our this is our entry point into this notion of being war ready in terms of what esther does at this particular moment in time in response to what she now knows is what an imminent threat not only on her life but an imminent threat and a dangerous threat his pastor unpacked so brilliantly on sunday to the lives of her people and now we catch up with esther in chapter four so again you know esther chapter four next slide so esther chapter four everything that is told mordecai tells esther and then when you go down to chapter four verses 16 it says then esther said and reply to mordecai go gather all the jews to be found in susa and hold a fast on my behalf and either eat or drink for three days night a day and i and my maids will also fast as you do after that i will go to the king though it is against the law and if i perish i perish mordecai then went away and did everything that esther had ordered him initially esther is war ready why because esther reveals and demonstrates a wisdom why because she is wise in her approach to a volatile situation again haman wants blood haman has issued now public policy that has gone out to all the provinces as it pertains to destroy and kill all the jews and again when you read chapter three in your quiet moments he doesn't just say you're going to destroy the jews in general going to kill them all in one day right it's supposed to be on the 13th day of the 12th month is what it says in chapter three kill them all in one day but esther is wise because esther says to mordecai she doesn't say go rally up the army and see if they can find some good fighters go see if they can possibly get some weaponry go see if they can possibly get some artillery sheet uh she takes it to another level understanding that the battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness in high and low places powers and principality so she is wise because esther uses the spiritual weapons at her disposal which are what they are tools and weapons prayer and fasting and no matter how long we've been a christian no matter how long you've been coming to church no matter how long you've been reading the bible no matter how long you've been serving communion no matter how long you've been singing in the choir no matter how long you've been serving in general we can never get away from the powerful game-changing uplifting transformative tools known as prayer and fasting and esther understands that this this thing has to be elevated to another level and some of you all already know you didn't try to go back at somebody on twitter you didn't whip back at somebody on the ground you then went back at somebody on facebook or you just went back with them on text or dm or you just called and you're having a fight after some of that you begin to realize sometimes guess what i'm not gonna win this so i need to take this to a higher authority i need to maybe shift the atmosphere and engage in what some spiritual warfare and sometimes it's not war in the sense that it's gonna be a fight and sometimes it is war that you what fighting trying not to cuss them out trying not to cut them off so sometimes you're really praying and fasting for your own benefit so you don't do anything that ultimately what upsets the equilibrium of what god has shared with you and what god has showed you and then other times you're praying and fasting on their behalf because they possibly don't know who they getting in a rumble with they possibly don't know who they are messing with and esther understands that i need to appeal and i need us to appeal to a higher court and my belief in god see again god's name ain't mentioned but the actions that are taken reflect the fact that i believe that god can i believe that god will i believe that god has the capacity and the ability to do what exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask think and to imagine and although the situation is uncertain although the situation is volatile although it's a situation that i cannot control i do know the one thing that i can do i may not have money i may not have the internet i may not have access but do i have a connection and if i got a connection that's why we say what call him up tell him what you are we always that's that old school jesus is on the main line ain't you glad that that's a line that ain't what confined to 365 or cut off at a certain time it's available to you whenever you need it so we know right and and that that uh that magnet that you see on people's refrigerators something that said what seven days without prayer makes one week w-e-a-k right so you want to make sure that you get like i tell you all the time make sure you get your gosh pills in every day and make sure you are praying and we know what ephesians says and pray in the spirit on some occasions pray in the spirit on a few occasions pray in the spirit on a couple of occasions dawn the word says and pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests so catch that it says all kinds of prayers and requests so some of those prayers are those quick lord have mercy some of those prayers of jesus be offense some of those prayers that jesus helped some of those prayers don't even have words they just crying and just trying to make sure that you what lord help you so you know it says all kinds of prayers and requests with this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the lord's people now you do know that's verse 18 you knew you do know the previous verses talk about putting on the armor because this is this is at the end of that right it's saying put on your breastplate of righteousness put on your helmet of salvation make sure you're free to shout with the gospel truth make sure you i mean make sure you're free to shout with the gospel make sure you got the belt of truth on and then it says now after you then got yourself covered right in the spirit now you go in to pray on all occasions and all requests right with this in mind be alert right because see now that you got your armor on look at what the text says you got to be alert because you know what you could be you can have your armor on and you you uh you're a little slow you can have your armor on and your response time is a little weak you can have your armor on and you can't move as swiftly as you need to so it says with this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the lord's people so esther understands right these are different weapons that have to be used and her wisdom and knowing that and at the same time saying not only me and my maids going to pray mordecai you go tell all of us all our people that they need to engage in and we know that if folks get together right when we i think it's insane if my people which it would call by my name would humble themselves right and then get uh oh seek my faith uh oh and do something so as a result of now all that spiritual power right being leveraged in this situation so that the people will be spared and so that god will get glory so esther demonstrates this wisdom that ultimately is the first piece of that war spirit but then look at what happens in chapter five versus one through eight on the third day esther put on her royal robe she know where she's facing right i'm facing a volatile uncertain situation haman won us gone haman didn't use public policy to issue an edict that we gonna all be destroyed so on the third day look at look at this system on the third day esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of king's palace opposite of the king's hall the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the palace opposite of the entrance to the palace as soon as the king saw queen esther standing in the court she won his favor and he held out the golden scepter that was in his hand then esther approached and touched the top of the scepter the king said to her what is it queen esther not again much respect now the king again is continuing to address her not just as esther but as queen esther right he said he touched the king said to her what is it queen esther what is your request it shall be given to you even even if it's the half of my kingdom then esther said if it pleases the king let the king and haman uh-oh come today to a banquet that i have prepared for king look at this esther is wise because she uses what is already familiar ooh now catch catch the trajectory this time in chapter one the issue with vashta and the king was because the king wanted her to come out there and parade herself around for all the drunk men that were there and that style refused at a banquet now esther understanding the nature of who she's dealing with she uses that which is already familiar can i help you understand this brilliance is not being able to make something more complex brilliance is being able to take something that's complex and make it simple and sometimes when you think about wisdom wisdom is not you possibly being innovative it's not you finding something new sometimes wisdom is you using what's already familiar in a new way that's why you again know us is right all the time i was making some copies of the black inventor's list today as i'll be giving out some copies this weekend so wisdom is what being able to use what's already familiar what you already got access to what you already know has possibly worked before or what you already know you didn't get all out of last time you did it you only did it out of five now you're gonna use the same thing and do it at eight so esther says why don't y'all come look at it why don't y'all come to this banquet that i have prepared for you all and then look at what happens verse five then the king said bring haman quickly so that we may do as esther desires it seems as though the king is falling in line with what what what the queen is what requesting so the king and haman came to the banquet that esther had prepared while they were drinking wine the king said esther what is your petition it shall be granted to you and what is your request even right to the half of my kingdom so this is the second time he didn't said it it shall be fulfilled then esther said this is my petition and request if i have won the king's favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request let the king and haman come tomorrow to the banquet that i will prepare for them and then i will do as the king has said now catch this esther is wise because she operates strategically in dealing with the opposition she already know heyman is a hater she already know what haman wants to do to her and her people so she brings them to a banquet to talk to them about a banquet oh my goodness catch them she brought them to a banquet that which is familiar now again i'm just reading the text the text said that they were sipping a little bit i'm just saying that's what the text say you know the text say now i don't know more than likely it possibly was man of chevis i don't know if it was a cabernet i don't know if it was a malbec i don't know if it was a merlot i'm not exactly sure exactly what they were sipping on but we both know oh it called what liquid truth or what it lets down inhibitions a little bit because the king already said before he had drank wine whatever you want esther you've got it even if it's half my kingdom now they didn't got what sipping just a little bit right then esther says you know what y'all come back tomorrow right look look at how strategically she is working the situation i'm talking about her mind i'm talking about her wizard i'm talking about her insight i'm talking about her knowing the kind of men she dealing with and so as a result of that she moved strategically help me bible bible says matthew 10 see i am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves so be wise as serpents and harmless ass doves and y'all to heard me get that whole breakdown on snakes and doves beware of them what for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me as a testimony to them and the gentiles jesus of course offering that word to his disciples but can you see the way esther is moving can you see her strategically engaging that she brings them to a banquet so it's a feast there already drink there already to tell them about coming to another banquet y'all come in today right somebody said why was she why was she gonna do something like that because she know who she's dealing with and see sometimes some of us want things done right then and there and sometimes and i know we live in an instagram tic-tock short time short attention span but when you strategic you got to be playing a long game sometime right so it can't be just about you see you functioning in the right now because god has allowed you to understand what the not yet could be so when you when you're in the present and one foot in the president one feeling in the future you function with that in mind because you realize right if reaping and sewing is weird i'm gonna function in the right now because i'm trying to usher in a particular not yet and that not yet for external people is life that not yet faster than the people is abundance that not yet lester and the people is what triumph right and peace some of it that not yet is peace and she knows right in this war that she has to fight she has to be strategic and she's what pushing for pieces and she's also pushing for a particular result so so just look at her strategic maneuvers and how she knows who she's dealing with because she has studied them right she's been around no one else so again that's just a word for somebody when we understand when we think about the reality that it's hard to defeat the enemy if you ain't doing your homework you know that's the other thing sometimes right it's really it's really difficult sometimes to defeat the enemy if you're not doing your homework you have a thought about the fact now again they're not enemies but you think about what happens in pro sports is that usually the day after the game or two days what are they doing they watching film they watching film one to see what they possibly did wrong in the last game but what are they usually doing getting prepared for the next opponent right they're getting prepared for the next opponent right there's reading that goes on there's analysis that goes on there's strategy that has to be enacted that goes on in order for them to ultimately what be victorious but they engage in deep deep study and sometimes you know we didn't been studied by a lot of other folks sometimes it would do us well right to engage in and we know sometimes they can't take the truth that is produced from our studies because some of us have engaged in such deep thorough analysis and study and then we come out and producing stuff like the 1619 project because of the what the kind of black brain power that was brought to bear that ultimately studied those who ultimately thought that they would have the last word but thanks be unto god that we serve a god who loves us enough who has empowered us enough or who has given us that third eye understanding enough where we can be in the midst of circumstances that were meant to destroy us and we got a smile on our face we can be around people that again working what to stab us in the back and we still have joy in our hearts we can be in the midst of wolves and we can still walk with our heads held high and our back straight up why because they didn't make us and they cannot break us and esther uses some wisdom and bringing them to the banquet because she got a plan she got some intentionality right she got some strategies right i know that's bad my english for right so but she got some significant strategy right so now by the time we get to chapter seven right in chapter six is a whole piece i got to come back and do soon enough because chapter six is such a powerful reality of what happens with mordecai but now we we get to chapter seven as a result of everything now that has taken place right and we're going to see the esther move from being wise to esther being what extremely well attentive so look at what it says in verse three right after haman has made clear right that it says in verse one so the king and haman went into the feast with the queen esther on the second day so this is the second banquet now as they were drinking wine the king again so again they haven't they business right the king again said to esther what is your petition queen esther it shall be granted you and what is your request even right to the half of my kingdom it shall be this the third time the king then told her but now esther is not only wise but what esther is attentive why she's attentive through a bold assertion for personal and communal life you don't believe me look at what the text says look at how esther responds when the king says in verse three then queen esther answered if i have won your favor o king and if it pleases the king let my life be given me that is my petition esther is attentive why because esther asserts her desire to take responsibility for her own life i like that look at what esther says let my life be given me she's unapologetic and clear about wanting to take responsibility for her own life and again that's a word for somebody again and sometimes i know that can be a difficult transition particularly as those again are getting ready to go off to college or those of us who are just reaching a particular kind of age but because at some point hopefully again all of us don't come from again two-parent households all of us don't come from stable environments but sometimes some of us have had to realize we got to a point where you realize guess what i'm gonna have to take responsibility for my own life i'm going to have to take responsibility for my future i'm going to have to take responsibility for my dreams that's on me and by praying and fasting god can give us what the courage sometimes to cut some of those ties god can sometimes give us what the courage to what to say it to ourselves and sometimes you got to say that to myself i want my life i love my life god i thank you for my life and i'm going to take responsibility and try to what show that i'm accountable to you and be a good steward over the life that you have given me so esther does not hesitate and she says first right let my life be given me but then look at what she goes on to say to the king let my life be given me that is my petition and uh oh the lives of my people that is my request so esther is attentive not only because she takes responsibility for her own life as esther is attentive because esther asserts her desire uh oh to secure the future of her community and the lives of my people that is my request because what she realizing the whole notion of mbutu i am because we are because i right so this whole notion of being accountable and connected to her people knowing that now she has a what an audience with the individual that can stop what haman has already put in place while at the same time knowing that haman is what blood thirsty for their death and esther is unapologetic about what she desires she's unapologetic about what she wants she's unapologetic about the future that she wants for her people and even for herself because she is saying at that moment that i'm not separating myself from my people and i'm not gonna let my people separate themselves from me so yes king i want my life but i also want the life of my people because she is concerned about the future of her community that's how you know she was a sister that's how you know she was a sister right there because we know with our question who has been not only concerned about their own lives or who has sometimes what has depleted their own lives what trying to secure the future of our community nothing but the black sister so we think and praise god that's why you know esther was a sister because esther don't go just for what she can give for herself she's concerned about her people and we are here today because somebody prayed for me some grandmama right somehow some mother right somebody my sister johnson who used to give you that peppermint right take it out that take it out that handkerchief and you got a little lint on it and you just eat it anyway thank you silly johnson and then a couple years later sister johnson moved from the peppermint to the assistant johnson you can ready go to school same sister johnson put a little something in your pocket by about 300 lord have mercy on john i know you had it like that but the same and that's because you ate that peppermint with that lint on it praise be to god see if you hadn't ate that peppermint sister johnson said oh they ungrateful sister johnson bless you because she knew you represented the future i'm just saying esther i'm just saying this i gotta i'm just saying that's the esther understands right that is bigger than me right but i'm a part of something and see that's the significance see when you're not disconnected to nothing right that's a dangerous person when you don't have the right allegiance to be shaken sometimes folks connected to all kind of networks that are deaf dealing but when you connect it to the right community when you're connected to the right aggregate of people you'll find yourself not wanting to leave folk behind you'll find yourself making sacrifices so other folks could have you'll find yourself doing and going the extra mile because you realize you wouldn't be in the position that you were in if somebody had not done the same for you and if somebody did not have a particular allegiance to what it meant to be a part of community so again look at what she's demonstrating right all the characteristics of what a spirit fed in a spirit-led life looks like so then we'll look at what happens in verse four so not only is that's the wise not only is esther attentive but esther is responsive verse four for we have been sold i am my people to be destroyed to be killed and to be annihilated if we had been sold merely as slaves men and women i would have held my peace but no enemy can compensate for the damage of the king esther is responsive right to the threat of the future of her community being destroyed but she's responsive by what naming the plot the plan and the intention of the enemy because esther says right and she's saying that can you just just in your sanctified imagination consider the scene haman may be sitting next to the king or haman maybe at the opposite end of the table of the ki the king and esther may be in the middle but haman is the one who has hatched his plan and he has to now sit in the presence of the queen as well as the king but he already know whose side that the king is on as the king has expressed not once not twice but three times as to whatever you want you can get right whatever your request of your petition is even if it's half of my kingdom so haman already know he in trouble but now heyman has to hear her unapologetically and unashamedly tell the truth as it pertains to the fact that we have been sold and there is a plan to what but catch what she says i want to be specific what the word says she said there is a plan for us to be destroyed a plan for us to be killed a plan for us to be annihilated right right in the enemy's face she is telling the king the truth right i think the old folks say something like well tell the truth and shame the devil write something about when truth is told and when truth is shared and when it's unvarnished when it's unapologetic it ultimately can what create a different atmosphere and shift the dynamics of what those who again are working against us or those who are working what to try to do something to stop us right to change the dynamic of how they now have to deal with us and esther names that but not only is she responsible because she names the plot the plan and the intention esther is responsive because catch what catch what she says she says if we have been sold merely as slaves men and women i would have held my peace but no enemy can compensate this damage let me let me just let me just let me help you understand what she meant by that real quick if you look at chapter three after chapter three verse 10 this is after haman uh launches the plot this is what esther is referring to here verse 10 says so the king took his signature ring from his hand and gave it to haman and haman again who was the enemy of the jews the king said to haman the money is given to you and the people as well to do with them as it seems fit then if you come down to verse 13 letters were sent out by couriers to all the king's provinces giving orders to destroy to kill and to annihilate all jews young and old women and children in one day the 13th day of the 12th month right so that's that's what esther is saying and esther is saying that if we had just been sold right as men and women she's talking about a different kind of transaction but now she's also knowing that what now there's a policy that has gone out it's one thing again it's problematic in general right when we talk about human trafficking when we talk about having human bodies so it's one thing in general she said if we've been sold but no no there is a larger plan that be that's beyond this trend this toxic transaction right that heyman is engaged in and that you the king gave the signal ring for right there is a toxicity to the transaction itself when we talk about enslavement but then she said that if that's not enough then you want to kill you want to destroy and you want to annihilate all you heard what the text says right young and old women and children right wanting to what now completely destroy their future but thanks be unto god that esther look at what she does right she says right she said if it was just we were sold merely as slaves men and women i would have held my peace but no enemy can compensate for this damage to the king esther is responsive by refusing to be silent because of the impending injustice she refuses to keep her mouth shut and allow me to suggest this to you your response to some of the things that are problematic doesn't always again everybody's not a protester everybody's not gonna be on a bullhorn you can also let your voice be heard with your dollars you do know that as well right who and where you decide to give your resources to is sometimes you speaking more than if you possibly marched for 10 days or more if you stood up and said something verbally sometimes it takes all kinds but also don't relegate the fact that you ain't gonna hold your peace to just saying i have to because everybody again that's not everybody's forte and god didn't call everybody for that per se but there are ways in which you can still use your voice that's why we talk about voting right void and that's why they trying to take it away right because your vote has been your voice and voices had been raised right to a high cacophony and as a result we see what's taking place in the manipulation but esther is not going to hold her peace esther refuses to be quiet in the midst of her enemies sitting there esther refuses to be silent esther refuses to be docile esther refuses to take what has been issued by haman and just go sit down because she she could have said well i'm a woman and i ain't gonna speak she could have said i don't know i may wan i'm jeopardizing my position and my queendom and the future i'm jeopardizing my own livelihood if i say something but thanks be unto god that esther being one who prayed and fasted see she's only doing what she doing in chapter seven because of what she did in chapter four she's only able to have this kind of courage she's only able to have this kind of audacity she's only able to have this kind of temerity in the midst of a toxic situation because she had already been in the presence of the lord and as a result of that she now has the ability right and the strength and the fortitude huh to square up and offer what i work so i ain't gonna hold my peace i'm almost done i ain't gonna hold my peace but then let me keep going next slide esther reminds us of what zechariah told us about zechariah chapter eight these are the things that oh that you shall do speak the truth uh oh esther talk to me i'm just saying look at speak the truth to one another render in your gates judgment that are true and make for peace do not devise evil in your hearts against one another and love no false oath for all these are things that i hate says the lord i'm gonna be hit you gonna be hearing that one for a long time cause i ain't gonna let it go but when i see what esther does in this moment esther is just like what she was in a pantheon with anna julia cooper just like mama ella baker and just like that civil rights activist from durham north carolina and atwater and if you don't know who ann atwater is you probably if you haven't seen the movie the best of enemies with taraji p henson off the chain that's giving you a perspective of another bold amazing strong unapologetic sister in the south who stood for right who stood for truth risked her life right on behalf of right bringing justice and ushering justice in so esther is in a what a lineage there's a lineage right of sisters right and that's just the few we can't get them all on one slide anyway that's just a few of the sisters who demonstrated this same kind of courage who demonstrated this same kind of unapologetic audacity and refused to be quiet so when we talk about being war ready we're talking about being well-worthy because we're wise we talking about being roar-ready because we attempted we talking about being war ready because we are responsive last slide and i'm done last slide if we're also going to be already oh let me leave you with this and then i'm done i'm trying to close it out when we are war ready when we won like esther when we seek and use the spiritual tools and weapons that give us divine wisdom oh see it's the prayer and fasting that what gives us the divine wisdom to learn how to be wise as serpents and harmless as dogs to know when to speak and when not to speak to know how to navigate as i told you a few weeks ago when you tell the truth the timing the tone and the intention of the truth that is told so we were ready when we like esther when we seek and or use the spiritual tools and weapons that give us divine wisdom but we also wore ready when like esther we remain attentive to acknowledging the value of our own lives and our connection to others right we were ready right when we realized again this this this wave of mutuality that dr king talked about so much right that we are caught up in this thing together and esther realized that and was unapologetic about defending that but then lastly we are war ready when we like esther are responsive by refusing to remain silent in the midst of gross injustices we were ready right so see again like i told you i ain't talking about fighting in the traditional sense that's that westernized eurocentric savage mentality of divide and conquer and destroy and bloodshed no i'm talking another level okay i'm talking another level i'm talking another level of wisdom i'm talking another level of anointed attentiveness and i'm talking another level of radical responsiveness and what queen esther demonstrates for us on tonight is a woman who had her dignity and as a result of having her divine dignity she was wise as a serpent harmless of the dove as a result of her having her divine dignity she was attentive to the opposition that she was dealing with and what used strategic approach to ultimately get that which she desired and because esther was well ready right she was responsive now what i admired you to do all right and i did it on purpose what i admired you to do is read the rest of chapter seven to see what happened after she told the king what she wanted and then see what happened to the hater to see what happened to the one who had to sit there and listen to her say that see how god dealt with him be careful how you deal with folk that the lord has touched and that the lord is called for such a time as this so we hope and pray on tonight something was said so you can continue to remind yourself or so that you can what as we move to the fall season let's get war ready let's get wise let's get attentive and let's get responsive so that we like queen esther can be ready to do battle so that god will ultimately get the glory there may be someone who is tuned in on tonight and you know what it's like right to be dealing with fighting through navigating wars but some of us been navigating wars by yourself well guess what you don't have to continue to fight by yourself we would love to continue to what work with you we would love continue to walk with you we would love to continue to be soldiers who go to war with you as we exchange divine wisdom as we exchange what it means to be attentive and as we continue to consider what it means to be responsive we would love to be your family we would love to be a part of your community you can call 469-498-0210 [Music] someone's there to pray with you and walk with and then somebody else right you you just tired right you've been you've been in wars right serious wars whether they're on this job whether they oh at the house or whether they within your own body right we've we wore sometimes with our own body our own appetite right we you you just tired and you need some prayer our gap ministry continues to be prompt and ready got minutes someone is waiting to pray with you and pray for you again dial the number on the screen but again want you to realize more than anything else no matter where you are on the spectrum in terms of not possibly having a relationship with christ or tired as a result of having a relationship with christ because you've been fighting and you just need some extra fuel we want to be here for you and walk with you and provide you with the opportunity right to share so that god can continue to use you in a powerful and tremendous way as we all continue to get ourselves war ready in the times in which we live and of course guess what we could not uh continue but to engage in the battles that we engage in as a faith community as born-again believers without your generosity without your kindness without your continued support so again we ask that you continue to support this ministry you can text to give you can use the giveaway app or you can go to www.friendshipwest.org and again it's your gifts that allow us to remain wise attentive and responsive to the issues that continue to plague our community and to the ways in which we continue to see the weaponization of policy as they are seeking to what shift the whole landscape knowing the imminent is coming and on their last breath but again it's your resources that continue to allow us to do the work of ministry in the sanctuary in the suite as well as in the street and speaking of giving and sharing you know as we kicked it off last week a hundred days of buying black so again we want to encourage you to continue to share as you support black businesses again you see on the screen please remember of course to bookmark friendshipwest.org buying black 100 want you to log your purchases post when you support a black owned businesses and use these hashtags hashtag 100 dbb friendship west hashtag blackwall street hashtag greenwood so again we want to continue this is all a part of our responsibility this is all a part of how we work wise attentive and responsive when we do this for black businesses we continue to what circulate the resources also want to remind you to we are starting or i think albany is working with a new black directory so we we're talking about one supporting black businesses but then also being able to what know where these businesses are and have access to those businesses as well so again that information will be forthcoming as it pertains to how you can again make sure that you are in the black directory right so we can continue to what cycle and circle those resources in our community and again it's god that has given us and you have to really think and i'm done but you have to really consider all that we have been through i told you a few weeks ago when jarvis gibbons talked on fugitive pedagogy when he said that between 1846 and 1876 six 630 schools was burned so not only did they lynch us not only did they burn our churches but they then burned our schools we supposed to be crazy we ain't supposed to have no love we're supposed to be out of our mind we ain't supposed to be business owners we ain't supposed to be millionaires we're not supposed to have any sanity but yet because of the grace of god we got that so please continue to support black businesses but at the same time if we are black business make sure that we what give each other that five star service right as black business owners as well so let's make sure that we stay war ready on both sides we do thank and praise god for you your kindness your generosity thank all of you for your birthday love wishes cards and all of that thank you praise god for another year we pray that you were blessed tonight and we pray that god continues to strengthen you and keep you received now the lord's been addiction may the lord bless you and keep you may the lord lift up the light of god's countenance upon you and be gracious to you and may the blessings of god revealed in jesus christ be yours this day now and forever god bless you we praise god for this impactful experience and for your joining us during it for all of you who joined as visitors you can share that you were here please do that by taking time to text f w v i z to the number two eight nine five zero and for those of you who are saying hey i want this time that i'm visiting to be the last time i'm a visitor you can join us here's how you do that join us by calling the number 469-498-0210 [Music] or email us at join us at friendshipwest.org when you email email your first name your last name and your cell number and we will get back with you we are so excited that you are here until next time blessing's on [Music] [Applause] [Music] for yourself [Music]

Channel: Friendship-West Baptist Church

Views: 990

Keywords: Friendship-West Baptist Church, FWBC, Dallas, Oak Cliff, Friendship West, Dr. Haynes, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, Church, Baptist, Haynes, Christian, Community, Christ, God, Jesus, Justice, Bible based, Pastor Haynes, David Malcolm McGruder, Dr. McGruder

Id: WGud4kgn3pc

Length: 69min 56sec (4196 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 29 2021