Para Un Tiempo como Este, Octubre 18, 2026

[MUSIC] >> Good morning, Church. >> Good morning, sir. >> It's so good to be here this morning with you all. [FOREIGN] >> We're starting a new series. >> [FOREIGN] >> In the Book of Esther. >> [FOREIGN] >> For a time just like this. >> [FOREIGN] >> And this series is going to talk about an incredible time in the people of God. >> [FOREIGN] >> In the midst of the most powerful kingdom of the time. >> [FOREIGN] >> An empire full of power and riches and pleasures. >> [FOREIGN] >> That before the hand of God is completely insignificant. >> [FOREIGN] >> But before we begin our time in the Word this morning, why don't you join me in prayer? >> [FOREIGN] >> Lord, we ask you this morning. >> [FOREIGN] >> That you would open our minds and our hearts. >> [FOREIGN] >> That you, your Word, would make us see this world from a divine perspective. >> [FOREIGN] >> Lord, what's apparently so powerful here on this earth. >> [FOREIGN] >> That we would remember that it's insignificant compared to your power.

>> [FOREIGN] >> And that in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances. >> [FOREIGN] >> Your sovereign hand. >> [FOREIGN] >> He's always in control. >> [FOREIGN] >> In the name of Jesus we pray. >> Amen. >> Amen. >> [FOREIGN] >> The title of today's message. >> [FOREIGN] >> Is strangers in the land. >> [FOREIGN] >> And I think many of us here are going to feel identified with that title. >> [FOREIGN] >> Because the book of Esther presents the people of God under the rule of the Persian empire. >> [FOREIGN] >> And there was a challenge of how to live in a foreign empire with their Jewish customs. >> [FOREIGN] >> And we're going to see that many of these people that belong to the Israelites began to mix their culture and their customs with that of this pagan kingdom. >> [FOREIGN] >> But how can we live for God when we are in the midst of a culture that lives against the ways of God? >> [FOREIGN] >> And we have at least two positions or two opportunities before. >> [FOREIGN] >> Or two temptations.

>> [FOREIGN] >> One is to mix ourselves with the culture and the world and to just live how the rest of the world lives. >> [FOREIGN] >> And to assimilate to those customs even though they may not be pleasing to God. >> [FOREIGN] >> The other temptation that also means- >> [FOREIGN] >> Is to isolate themselves from the culture. >> [FOREIGN] >> To retract and step away and say I don't want anything to do it all with the culture. >> [FOREIGN] >> But what if the Lord has called us to something more relevant? >> [FOREIGN] >> To live within the culture. >> [FOREIGN] >> But different to the culture. (speaking in foreign language) - (speaks in foreign language) - To not go out and behave in the same way that those in the culture behave. - (speaks in foreign language) - And he gives us an opportunity. - (speaks in foreign language) - To represent among these empires. - (speaks in foreign language) - An empire that is so much greater. - (speaks in foreign language) - An empire that is eternal. - (speaks in foreign language)

- An empire where there is a king who never fails. - (speaks in foreign language) - And what if the Lord put us in the midst of these situations? - (speaks in foreign language) - (speaks in foreign language) - So that we could shine his light in the midst of the darkness. - (speaks in foreign language) - But we have to understand how these earthly kingdoms function. - (speaks in foreign language) - For us to not mix in or to just go with the flow. - (speaks in foreign language) - The first thing we have to understand. - (speaks in foreign language) - (speaks in foreign language) - Is that earthly kingdoms operate in contradiction to the kingdom of God. - (speaks in foreign language) - And that's why in the book of James, it says that friendship with the world is hatred towards God. - (speaks in foreign language) - Because many want to live submitted to the kingdoms of this world. - (speaks in foreign language) - Enjoying the system and the pleasures of this world. - (speaks in foreign language) - You do all that and believe

they're also living in a pleasing way before the king of kings. - (speaks in foreign language) - This first chapter in the book of Esther. - (speaks in foreign language) - It is going to show us all about this empire and the scene that is being developed in that time. - (speaks in foreign language) - Let's first look at chapter one versus one through four. - (speaks in foreign language) - (speaks in foreign language) - (speaks in foreign language) - (speaks in foreign language) - (speaks in foreign language) - Now in the days of Ahaswares, the Ahaswares who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces. In those days when King Ahaswares sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel in the third year of his reign, he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Medea and Medea and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. - (speaks in foreign language) - What is Ray Ahaswares doing? - The king. - What is the king, did I say Ray? Did I say Ray, my man, the king doing.

- (speaks in foreign language) - He's showing his power and his riches. - (speaks in foreign language) - And we're going to understand why it is that he does this. (speaks in foreign language) - But we have to understand that the Medo-Persian empire was over the majority of the world at that time. (speaks in foreign language) - In other words, it was the most powerful empire in the world. (speaks in foreign language) - 44 million people were under their government. (speaks in foreign language) - They represented 50% of the world's population. (speaks in foreign language) - And so the Persian empire was in an economic problem at that time. (speaks in foreign language) - They were having trouble with wars among the nations. (speaking in foreign language) - And what did the king decide to do? - Unafiesta. - A party. - Unafiesta. (speaking in foreign language) - And the slide that you'll see on the screen is going to help us understand the context of where we're coming from and where we are in the moment. (speaking in foreign language)

- Because there's a political tongue context as well as a religious context. (speaking in foreign language) - And so we see in 587, the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian Empire. (speaking in foreign language) - And so Israel is brought into exile because of their sin. (speaking in foreign language) - And in that time, Babylon was the most powerful empire in the world. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) - But in 539, the Persians conquered Babylon. (speaking in foreign language) - And so Babylon's no longer the most powerful but the Persians are. (speaking in foreign language) - And the Persians, (speaking in foreign language) allied with the Middle. - Okay, and they allied with the means. (speaking in foreign language) - And at that time, there was a king named Cyrus. (speaking in foreign language) - And he was very good with the nations they had conquered and the different religions. (speaking in foreign language) - And in Cyrus tells the Israelites when they were in exile,

go back to Jerusalem and reconstruct your temple. (speaking in foreign language) - And he was really good with the people of God. (speaking in foreign language) - And so in 515 BC, they reconstruct the temple. (speaking in foreign language) - But during that time, Cyrus becomes, he's no longer the king. (speaking in foreign language) - And King Darius comes in. (speaking in foreign language) - And he's known for a very famous battle called the Battle of Marathon. (speaking in foreign language) - Which King Darius lost. (speaking in foreign language) - And this happened because King Darius, he was so stubborn. He was so stubborn he wanted to defeat the Greeks so badly. (speaking in foreign language) - And so in that battle, what happened was the Greeks left Athens in these small but fast boats and they drew the Persians away. (speaking in foreign language) - And so the very large and powerful boats of the Persians were too slow to catch up to these smaller boats. (speaking in foreign language) - And at the end, the Greeks defeat the Persians. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language)

- And that's the famous battle where one of the Greeks ran back all the way to Athens, 26 miles, to let them know that they had defeated the Persians and then he fell over dead. (speaking in foreign language) - And that's where the idea of running a marathon comes from. (speaking in foreign language) And with that thorn in his shoe. (speaking in foreign language) - Is where King Ahasuerus comes and he wants vengeance upon those who had harmed his father, Derek. (speaking in foreign language) - And he says, we're gonna make the Greeks submit to us even though my father couldn't do it, we will do it. (speaking in foreign language) - But the king wasn't taking care of the economy. (speaking in foreign language) - He wasn't growing. (speaking in foreign language) - And so he thinks that this six month long party. (speaking in foreign language) - He's going to convince his people that hey, [ Speaking French ] And what you can see in the history books. [ Speaking French ] Is at the end of this chapter. [ Speaking French ] They fight the battle of Thermopylae. [ Speaking French ] Where they got that famous movie, "300."

[ Speaking French ] And they're also the Persians lose against the Greeks. [ Speaking French ] Because the Greeks make a deal with the Spartans. [ Speaking French ] And so even though the Spartans were 300 and the Greeks were 7,000. [ Speaking French ] And some people calculate that the Persians were between 50,000 and 300,000 soldiers. [ Speaking French ] They were not able to defeat the Greeks. [ Speaking French ] And that's how chapter two began. [ Speaking French ] And so let's come back though to chapter one. [ Speaking French ] And so why would I tell you all of these things that are going on behind the curtain? [ Speaking French ] Because this book is set in one of the most important time periods of human history. [ Speaking French ] And even though it's the only book in the Bible that doesn't clearly mention the name of God. [ Speaking French ] We can see that the hand of God is behind every single event that occurs. [ Speaking French ] And so even though the empire is throwing this big party for its entire kingdom. [ Speaking French ] I'm reminded of this saying that we have in Honduras where it's not everything that shines brightly as gold. [ Speaking French ] And so from the outside looking in you might think oh this empire will last forever. [ Speaking French ] Behind all of that it's dissolving and falling apart.

[ Speaking French ] And so what happens during these days? [ Speaking French ] As the party, the six-month-long party ends they begin doing another party for the whole. [ Speaking French ] Look at verses five through eight. [ Speaking French ] And when these days were completed the king gave for all the people president in Sousa, who got visited though, both great and small a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace. [ Speaking French ] There were white cotton curtains and violet hangs fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother of pearl, and precious stones. [ Speaking French ] Drinks were served in gold in vessels of different kinds and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king. [ Speaking French ] And drinking was according to this edict. There is no compulsion for the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired. [ Speaking French ] It's an opulent lifestyle we see. [ Speaking French ] It's a life that's out of control. [ Speaking French ] Could it be that there was no poverty in that whole kingdom at that time? [ Speaking French ] - Sometimes I think governments do this sort of thing to cause people to forget the real problems that exist. (speaking in foreign language)

- The idea of casting an illusion. (speaking in foreign language) - It's interesting that he passes a law. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) - It's an edict that says that everyone should drink without stopping. (speaking in foreign language) - And it's true that when a nation is, it's on the cusp of destruction when the laws that it signs. (speaking in foreign language) - Go against the will of God. (speaking in foreign language) - We're not so far away from that. (speaking in foreign language) - If we're honest. (speaking in foreign language) - We have laws that are worse than that. (speaking in foreign language) - With so much display of power. (speaking in foreign language) - We can see our second point. (speaking in foreign language) - And it's this, earthly kingdoms are not as powerful as they appear to be. (speaking in foreign language) - So often they can make us believe. (speaking in foreign language) - That if we participate in that culture

and in that society and in that power. (speaking in foreign language) - Then my life will be fine. (speaking in foreign language) - If I go after money and if I go after pleasure. (speaking in foreign language) - Then I'll be fine. (speaking in foreign language) - But the same thing happens to us that happens to the empire here. (speaking in foreign language) - It starts to destroy our lives. (speaking in foreign language) - It starts to consume every aspect of our life. (speaking in foreign language) - Even though we try to keep up appearances that we're just fine and that we're strong. (speaking in foreign language) - There are cars in our house and our jobs. (speaking in foreign language) - And maybe it's not quite like this where you have pillars of marble and cups of gold. (speaking in foreign language) - But in today's world it's your bank account and the car you drive. (speaking in foreign language) - And we look like we have power and stability in our life. (speaking in foreign language)

- But everything behind the scenes is falling apart. (speaking in foreign language) - It's that sin is never, ever going to give us what it promises. (speaking in foreign language) - It's always going to bring us to ruin. (speaking in foreign language) - And so even though there appeared to be power. (speaking in foreign language) - In verses nine through 12 we see that it wasn't as powerful as things would seem. (speaking in foreign language) - King Vasti also gave a feast for the women in the palace that belonged to King Ahasuerus. (speaking in foreign language) - On the seventh day when the heart of the king was married with wine he commanded Mehuman, Bista, Harbona, Bigza, and Babaktha, Zethar, and carcass the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus. (speaking in foreign language) - And for those of you that are maybe trying to pick baby names. (speaking in foreign language) - Here's a list for you to choose from. (speaking in foreign language) - And he commands these eunuchs in verse 11 to bring Queen Vasti before the king with her royal crown in order to show the peoples and their princes her beauty for she was lovely to look at.

(speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) (speaks in foreign language) and delivered by the eunuchs. At this, the king became enraged and his anger burned within him. The king is very drunk after seven days of doesn't translate back yet-- (speaking in foreign language) of getting completely wasted. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) He thinks it would be a great idea to bring his beautiful wife in front of a whole big group of other drunks so they can admire her beauty. And in this moment, we realized that true power-- (speaking in foreign language) Doesn't consist in how great your palace is. And it doesn't consist in how many people are under your command. (speaking in foreign language) But whether or not your wife listens to you. (speaking in foreign language) And that'll drop you straight down to earth real quick. And it's a, in sin. (speaking in foreign language) You have a tendency to lead people to places where they shouldn't be. (speaking in foreign language) Why would he bring his wife into a place like this?

(speaking in foreign language) And it's that oftentimes, the sin of a man can take his family into a situation that is unpleasing to God. (speaking in foreign language) Man, we have to be careful and see where it is that we're walking. (speaking in foreign language) Women, you need to look where the men are leading you. (speaking in foreign language) Are they taking the family into places that are displeasing to the Lord? (speaking in foreign language) We see that she didn't listen to him in this moment. (speaking in foreign language) But we can't blame her for that. (speaking in foreign language) And so what happens? What does the king do? (speaking in foreign language) Does he repent and does he go and say to the queen, "Oh, my love, forgive me, I shouldn't have done that?" (speaking in foreign language) No, it says he got very angry. (speaking in foreign language) Instead of recognizing the mistake. (speaking in foreign language) He becomes engulfed in rage. (speaking in foreign language) And it's that rage, anger, it's a bad counselor.

(speaking in foreign language) And in anger, that's a bad time to make decisions. (speaking in foreign language) So what does the king do? (speaking in foreign language) Instead of going and resolving this problem between he and his wife. (speaking in foreign language) He brings it to the public. (speaking in foreign language) And as I've already told you. (speaking in foreign language) If you have a problem in your relationship. (speaking in foreign language) Facebook is not the best place to resolve that issue. (speaking in foreign language) Don't put it out there. (speaking in foreign language) And even though you can say, "Oh, do you know these men that do this, that and the other?" (speaking in foreign language) We know who we've got to call. (speaking in foreign language) But he brings it out to the public. (speaking in foreign language) Versus 13 through 15. (speaking in foreign language) Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times, for this was the king's procedure toward all who were versed in law and judgment.

(speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) The men next to him being Karshenna, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshees, Maris, Marcenna, and Memukin, the seven princes of Persia and media who saw the king's face and sat first in the kingdom. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) For now, I am your friend, Almondato del Reyes, and I will see you in the next video. or the king asked, according to the law, what is to be done with Tiquin Vashti, because she has not performed the command of King Ahasuerus, delivered by the eunuchs? - And something that we have to learn here. - Is the intelligence is not wisdom. - I'm sure they understood the times. - Maybe they weren't the best marriage counselors. - And a lot of times, we confuse people who maybe have a lot of information. We confuse them with people who could help us out in life. - Especially in the time period of chat GPT. (speaking in foreign language) - Who is it that we go to when we need counsel? We can bring any of our questions to chat GPT and get a male voice or a female voice to respond back to us. - We've lost the idea of going to people who truly know us and aren't afraid to tell us things we maybe don't want to hear. (speaking in foreign language)

- And he went to people who were going to tell him exactly what he wanted to hear. (speaking in foreign language) - And what do they tell him? (speaking in foreign language) - First, they bring fear. (speaking in foreign language) - What are other women going to think of? (speaking in foreign language) - All of the other women in the kingdom are no longer going to listen to their husbands because of what you let your wife do to you. (speaking in foreign language) - And one of the problems we can have is we make decisions based on the opinions of others and what they are going to think of us. (speaking in foreign language) - What does it matter what other people think of us? (speaking in foreign language) - What's important is that God would tell us in our hearts what is it that we need to fix? (speaking in foreign language) - And so instead of correcting the problem which was the heart of the king. (speaking in foreign language) - A husband who is irresponsible. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) - Who is taking his wife into a situation that was displeasing to God.

(speaking in foreign language) - This is what they say to the king in verse 19. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) - If it pleases the king, let a royal order go out from him and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be repealed. That Vasti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. And some translations read more beautiful than she. (speaking in foreign language) - So when the decree made by the king is proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, all women will give honor to their husbands, high and low alike. (speaking in foreign language) - This advice pleased the king and the princes and the king did as Memukon proposed. (speaking in foreign language) - He sent letters to all the royal provinces to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language that every man be master in his own household and speak according to the language of his people. (speaking in foreign language) - Well, what a great piece of advice they-- (speaking in foreign language) - Here's what you need to do. Get rid of Vasti, have a beauty competition

and see who the most beautiful woman in the kingdom is and bring her to take Vashti's place. - And if there's somebody who gives you advice like that, run away from people like that. (speaking in foreign language) - Did you see how Memuka entreated the king? (speaking in foreign language) - I'm praising him. (speaking in foreign language) - What are they going to think of you? (speaking in foreign language) - You're so great. (speaking in foreign language) - He elevates him. (speaking in foreign language) - So that he can look down upon Vashti. (speaking in foreign language) - It's a complete disaster. (speaking in foreign language) - And this decision seems good to the king. (speaking in foreign language) - And so even though it's a disaster in the kingdom. (speaking in foreign language) - And even all of this, God is going to use for a greater good. (speaking in foreign language) - And that's gonna be clear to us in our final point. (speaking in foreign language) - Even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances, we can be certain that God is in control. (speaking in foreign language)

- Vashti being sent away and put aside by a king who didn't have self-control. (speaking in foreign language) - It's opening the door so that Esther can be in the position of Vashti. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) - And the fact that Esther comes to that position in a time such as that. (speaking in foreign language) - It's going to put Esther in a position that she can prevent Haman who we'll meet later on, prevent him who hated the Jews from destroying them all in the kingdom. (speaking in foreign language) - Even though the book of Esther doesn't present Christians that are the purists that we could imagine them being. (speaking in foreign language) - We see that God remembers them. (speaking in foreign language) - And that God uses them. (speaking in foreign language) - It's not like when we read the story of Shadrach, Neschach and Abednego and the fiery furnace or Daniel and the lion's den. (speaking in foreign language) - We'll see that Esther and Mordechai, to some extent, had mixed in with the culture there. (speaking in foreign language) - But there came a moment when they decided

to put their lives in God's hands. (speaking in foreign language) - That they were used for an incredible purpose. (speaking in foreign language) - What can we conclude this morning? (speaking in foreign language) - That even though we live in a culture that presents money and power and pleasure as the solution to our problems. (speaking in foreign language) - We should not fall into that trap church. (speaking in foreign language) - Listen to me, young people. (speaking in foreign language) - I know that many of you think that those things will give you something in your life. (speaking in foreign language) - But you're only going to get to live this life one time. (speaking in foreign language) - And it just takes a couple of decisions to lead to your life falling apart. (speaking in foreign language) - To destroy your life. (speaking in foreign language) - And so, think carefully. (speaking in foreign language) - Don't fall into that trap. (speaking in foreign language) - Maybe you've been victim of living in a family who's living that lifestyle.

(speaking in foreign language) - Or you've been victim of that type of person. (speaking in foreign language) - The type of parents. (speaking in foreign language) - I would ask that you would remain faithful. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) - Maybe you identify with the anger of the king. (speaking in foreign language) - And you struggle with anger taking control of your life. (speaking in foreign language) - Let's learn from this story. (speaking in foreign language) - Don't let anger take control of your life. (speaking in foreign language) Take your anger before the Lord. (speaking in foreign language) - Our king in heaven is completely different from this type of earthly king. (speaking in foreign language) - He invites us into pleasure, but it's a spiritual pleasure, a beautiful pleasure. (speaking in foreign language) - It's a pleasure that doesn't lead us into sin but leads us to live a holy life. (speaking in foreign language) - It's a king who doesn't force us to do things but rather he sacrifices for us. (speaking in foreign language)

- To be sure, it's not a paper kingdom. (speaking in foreign language) - It's a kingdom that remains forever. (speaking in foreign language) - A kingdom where if it looks like everything in this world is falling apart. (speaking in foreign language) - When your work is not working. (speaking in foreign language) - When your health is failing. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) - We can look to the future and know that the king of kings is in control. (speaking in foreign language) - But I wanna ask you a question, church. (speaking in foreign language) - Have you surrendered your life to king Jesus? (speaking in foreign language) - Have you left the kingdom of darkness and come into the kingdom of light? (speaking in foreign language) - If you haven't done that yet today, you can do that. (speaking in foreign language) - But also if you're living life with one leg in and one leg out. (speaking in foreign language) - I would ask that you would come to the Lord and repentance. (speaking in foreign language)

- Today we have the opportunity to celebrate communion. (speaking in foreign language) - And communion is for those who have taken the decision to surrender their lives to king Jesus. (speaking in foreign language) - But it's also a calling to all of us as children of God. (speaking in foreign language) - Because if there's anything in our lives that is not okay. (speaking in foreign language) - That we would examine ourselves. (speaking in foreign language) - And that we would come before the Lord asking for forgiveness. (speaking in foreign language) - Before taking the Lord's Supper. (speaking in foreign language) - This morning we're going to take the Lord's Supper a little bit differently. (speaking in foreign language) - The ushers are going to pass forward by rose. (speaking in foreign language) - But when you take the elements to your seat. (speaking in foreign language) - You may take it as a family or individually. (speaking in foreign language) - And you can pray before taking it. (speaking in foreign language) - And while you were doing that. (speaking in foreign language) - The worship team is going to guide us in a song.

(speaking in foreign language) - And we'll end our service in that way.