It’s a Gift of God to Celebrate

Notes:It’s a gift of God to celebrate.
Pastor Mike Jonker
Harvest OC
May 1, 2018
Esther 9 and 10

There’s an urgency to be obedient to God. Time moves on.

Esther 9:1 NKJV
[1] Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.

Esther, a Jewish girl, became the queen of Persia.

Haman tried to genocide the Jews. That never happened, what man meant for evil. God meant for good.

Esther 9:2-3 NKJV
[2] The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. [3] And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king's work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

1. God can turn things around.

As believers we are instructed to love God’s people.

Sometimes there is an unnatural hatred towards God’s chosen people.

Israel has been attacked even in recent history. Just recently Israel shot down Iranian drones. Just in the last couple days, Israel has proof that Iran is violating their peace treaty.

God is the redeemer, He will turn things around.

Ephesians 1:7 NKJV
[7] In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV
[19] Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? [20] For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

God wants to be glorified through our lives.

God will always do his part, we need to do our part.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV
[14] if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

That’s a promise.

Joshua 24:15 NKJV
[15] And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NKJV
[5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. [6] "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Ephesians 5:25-28 NKJV
[25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, [26] that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, [27] that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. [28] So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

Malachi 3:10 NKJV
[10] Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Honor the Lord, God’s way.

James 2:17-18 NKJV
[17] Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. [18] But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Esther 9:4-5 NKJV
[4] For Mordecai was great in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. [5] Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.

2. God will be strong on our behalf

God has the power.

We have the greatest power protecting us.

1 Peter 1:5 NKJV
[5] who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

2 Peter 1:3-4 NKJV
[3] as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, [4] by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Acts 1:8 NKJV
[8] But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

We need God’s power in our live.

3. There is a judgement

Esther 9:5-10 NKJV
[5] Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them. [6] And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. [7] Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, [8] Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, [9] Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha- [10] the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews-they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

Isaiah 51:5 NKJV
[5] My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust.

There will be a judgement.

Revelation 22:12 NKJV
[12] "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

Colossians 2:16-17 NKJV
[16] So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, [17] which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Esther 9:11-17 NKJV
[11] On that day the number of those who were killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to the king. [12] And the king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done." [13] Then Esther said, "If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows." [14] So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman's ten sons. [15] And the Jews who were in Shushan gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. [16] The remainder of the Jews in the king's provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. [17] This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth of the month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

4. There is a time to enjoy and celebrate 

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 NKJV
[12] I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, [13] and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor-it is the gift of God.

It’s a gift of God to celebrate.