Trust That God Is Working | Made for the Moment | Dave Stone

Hey what's up everybody? How are we doing today? Doing alright? Okay, alright, that's good. Yeah, there we go, there we go. Hey, we're gonna have a total group participation worship set today, so we need you to bring that energy, have some fun. We're stripping it back just a little bit today. We want to hear your voices loud and proud. We have so much to be grateful for. Let's thank Jesus for who He is, for what He's done, for what He promises to continue to do. Come on, let's have some fun today. Here we go. One, two, three, and... When all I see is a mountain, you see a mountain, Lord. And as I walk through the shadow, your love surrounds me. Yes, it does, Lord. There's nothing to fear, for I am safe with you. All right, now let's hear you. Come on, all you got. Tell it, sing. And if you are for me, who can be against me? Nothing can stand, for Jesus is nothing, impossible for you. Come on. Oh, God, the battle belongs to you. Everything I lay at your feet, I sing through the night. Oh, God, the battle belongs to you. An almighty fortress, you go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. Because you shine in the shadow, you win every battle. Come on, tell it. That nothing can stand. Yeah, oh. An almighty fortress, you go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. You shine in the shadow, you win every battle. Nothing can stand against the power of our God. So when I fight, I fight on my knees, with my hands in fear. Oh, God, the battle belongs to you. Everything I lay at your feet, I sing through the night. Oh, God, the battle belongs to you. Yes, it does. Oh, God, the battle belongs to you. One, two, yeah, yeah. Yeah, come on. But hasn't he made a way for us? And didn't he part the waters And didn't those walls come crashing down Yes he did And wasn't he in the fire And hasn't he kept his promises A thousand generations Hasn't he made a way Didn't he make a way And won't he make a way for us He's working, he's working, he's working He's working, he's working, he's working everything for good Hasn't he been so good to us And didn't he heal the broken Yes he did And didn't he freely give his life Thank you Lord Wasn't no veil torn open

And doesn't he call the dead to rise Awake new creation Hasn't he been so good Working it all for good And won't he be so good to us He's working, he's working, he's working He's working, he's working, he's working everything for good He's working everything for good He's working everything for good He's working everything for good He's working everything for good He's working everything for good He's working everything for good He's working everything for good He's working everything for good But He's still working miracles Right here in this moment So we pray for the impossible And believe that He will do it But He's still working miracles Right here in this moment So we pray for the impossible And believe that He will do it Hasn't He made a way? And didn't He make a way? And won't He make a way for us? Yes He will Hasn't He made a way? And didn't He make a way? And won't He make a way for us? We know, we know He will make a way for us He's working, He's working, He's working everything for good He's working, He's working He's working everything for good dragon. Oh oh oh, He's working everything for good dragon. Oh oh oh, He's working everything for good dragon. He is working. He's working everything for good dragon. He is working. He's working everything for good dragon. He's working everything for good dragon. He's working everything for good dragon. Oh, you're always working. We can trust you.

We can trust you. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. And He's been my foreman in the fire time after time. Born of His Spirit and washed in His blood. And what He did for me on Calvary is more than enough. So I trust in God, my Savior, who will never fail. Oh, we know He will never fail. And I trust in God, my Savior, who will never fail. He will never fail. Perfect submission, all is at rest. Because I know the author of tomorrow has ordered my steps. So this is my story. And this is my song. Praising my risen King and Savior all day long. I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. Oh, we've seen your faithfulness. We're living in it. Oh, we're living in it. Thank you for hearing our prayers, Lord. We remember. Sing, I sought the Lord. I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered. I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered. I sought the Lord, and He heard. Oh, say, that's why. That's why I trust Him. I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered.

Every time. I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered. I sought the Lord, and He heard. This is what we trust Him. That's why I trust Him. That's why I trust Him. He's my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail. I trust in God, my Savior, the one who will never fail. He will never fail I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered me I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered Say that's why, that's why I trust Him That's what we sing And I sought the Lord, and He heard Oh, He hears our every prayer I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered I sought the Lord, and He heard, and He answered That's why I trust Him That's why I trust in God He is faithful CCB, as you take your seats The song that we just sang is called Trust in God And trust in God, if you think about that That saying for a moment, that sounds easy, right? Just trust in God Well, I wanted to read from the book of Proverbs Chapter 3, verse 5 What happens when we do?

And it says this, trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own understanding And in all your ways know Him And He will make your paths straight Isn't that easy? We just trust God, regardless But here's where it gets difficult Let me ask you another question If I were to ask you, like, hey How would you lose weight and build muscle? The answer is actually pretty simple It's just eating a caloric deficit and lift weights But is that easy? Some of us know because we've tried And it's the same with our faith Okay, trust God, but it might sound like this I trust you, Lord, but not this way Because this way requires me to give up that one thing Where I find comfort, even though it hurts me Or maybe it sounds like this Lord, I trust you, but not this way Because this requires me to forgive that person And I'm just not ready to do that I just want to be mad at them Or maybe it sounds like this You know what, Lord, I trust you, but not this way Because when I'm driving on the one-on-one And someone cuts me off You're telling me that I have to roll up my window and pray for them When all I want to do is go off, yes

Roll up your window, you have a CCV sticker on your car Be an example, okay But trusting God Trusting God is It's a posture of obedience That we're called to do Despite how comfortable Or uncomfortable it makes us feel I mean, take the disciples, for example They spent time with Jesus in the flesh They walked with him, they talked with him They ate with him, they saw the miracles and the promises But In an instant, things got real Then came the persecution And the scourging And the nailing to the cross And the voice that was louder than trust To the disciples was fear And grief You know, it's Memorial Day weekend And some of us are celebrating the freedoms that we have today Because of a few brave men and women But for others of us We're grieving And we're mourning Because those brave soldiers, they didn't come home to you And if that's you, you're here today You're joining us online We remember them

But we also remember you We remember you And we love you as a church And we just wanted you to know that And we also remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross Every week here at CCV We take communion to be reminded of that The piece of bread symbolizing his body that was beaten The cup of juice symbolizing his blood that was shed For the forgiveness of sins What looked like the end Was resurrection What looked like defeat was victory And communion reminds us that so as long as we trust God He is always faithful Regardless of what the destination looks like Heavenly Father, we just thank you so much for who you are Father, we thank you That despite the past Despite the destination How scary or uncomfortable they look Father, you're there And you're always faithful And we love you for it We pray this in Jesus' name Amen Amen Amen Thanks for watching the video. If you like this video, please give me a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel.

Thank you for watching. See you in the next video. One of my closest friends is a pastor, his name is Kyle, and when he was in high school, he got kicked out of a high school soccer game because he punched an opponent. And this is kind of out of character for Kyle. He was a committed Christian, and strangely, it was a tournament for Christian high schools. And so after the game, Kyle's coach asked him, what enraged you that caused you to react this way? And Kyle said that one of his opponents kept taking the Lord's name in vain. And Kyle told the coach, I just kept asking him to stop doing that. And basically, this guy kept doing it, and every time he would come up close to Kyle, he would cuss in some way, but it wasn't just that. He would cuss in such a way that he would drag Christ into it in some really filthy and strange ways of cussing. And finally, Kyle had had enough, and he said, you say that again, and we're going to have a problem. And the guy did, and Kyle punched him, and he got kicked out of the game for fighting. But afterwards, the irony of the story is, at the end of the tournament, when everybody found out what had taken place, Kyle received the Christian Sportsmanship Award, right? I didn't see that coming, right? Evidently, John McEnroe and Conor McGregor were runners-up for that. Now, I'm not recommending that you punch somebody every time that they cuss. That's not what I'm saying, but what a reversal. There's actually a literary term that is used by authors when they write, and it's called peripety. And peripety is an unexpected plot twist, a redirected storyline, a total reversal. It's that moment in the book that causes you to stay up later than you should because you can't believe what you just read. You never saw it coming. And today, we're wrapping up our three-week study of the book of Esther, and in the final

chapters of this book, it's going to feel like a peripety parade because it's going to happen more than once. And we're in this study of that Old Testament book, Esther. Now, remember that Ashley taught us that it's the only book in the Bible that never mentions God by name. Yet, even though God seems invisible, his outcome will be undeniable. His purposes will prevail. And we've been learning from someone who faced their, will I stand up for God moment, and she passed with flying colors. Esther is a young Jewish orphan being raised in Persia. by her godly cousin, Mordecai. And Xerxes is the king at the time. He rules with arrogance and with excess. The Bible tells us at one time he had a party that lasted over six months. That's how much the guy loved to party. And he had all of his buddies there, all the guys, and he asked for Queen Vashti, his wife, to come before them wearing her crown. Now the Bible doesn't tell us that he asked for her to wear anything but the crown. And she refuses this humiliating request and he banishes her from the kingdom because of it. After that, there's this Iranian version of The Bachelor that takes place. And Esther is chosen as queen, though the king does not have any idea that she is Jewish. Now her cousin, Mordecai, later uncovers an assassination plot against the king and saves his life. Around that same time, another man rises to power.

He's bad news. His name is Haman. And Haman becomes Xerxes' right-hand man. And Haman is a ruthless narcissist. And he demands that everybody that he comes in contact with, they're supposed to bow down to him. But Mordecai, being a good Jewish man, won't bow down to him and he refuses to because he worships only the one true God. And consumed with hatred, Haman convinces King Xerxes to sign a decree ordering the destruction of every Jew in Persia. An ancient genocide, thousands of years before Hitler. He's just gonna wipe out all of the Jews. And suddenly Esther is placed in an impossible position. She alone has access to the king, but approaching him and making a request without the invitation to come and talk with him could cost her her life. And he hasn't called for her in a month. So by way of messenger, Mordecai, her cousin, sends a challenge to Esther in the palace. Look at Esther 4, verses 13 and 14. Mordecai minces no words with this girl that he's raised. Do not think that because you're in the king's house, you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, Esther, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place. But you and your father's family will perish.

And who knows, but that you have come to this royal position for such a time as this. It's decision time for Esther. How will she respond? Well, look at verses 15 and 16. Esther sends back this reply to Mordecai. Go gather together all the Jews who are in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. I don't want you to miss what's happening here. Mordecai's challenging words awaken a warrior inside of Esther. But Mordecai's challenge does something in Esther's heart that she wasn't expecting. She knew she didn't have the courage to do this on her own without a host of others praying and fasting over this predicament. She was inspired to look upward rather than inward. And that's why here at CCV, we close out every worship service by having prayer warriors at the front at every campus and online in the chat so that you don't have to leave this place without having someone pray with you if you need prayer. We believe that there is power in prayer. Back then, the queen was more of a showpiece

and not an equal partner whose opinions were valued. And to go to the king uninvited could mean death unless the king extended his golden scepter. And she was fearful. And she thought she might be put to death. And this was a male chauvinistic world on steroids. She's realizing this is not some physical battle. This is a spiritual battle. And the only escape for the Jewish people and my family is if God intervenes and softens the king's heart. And I guess I'm the person that can maybe do that. So let's learn some lessons from Esther and see how God specializes in peripety. Lesson number one, be shrewd in difficult situations. Be shrewd in difficult situations. Some of you don't like that word shrewd because it sounds kind of worldly. But that's the very word that Jesus uses over in Matthew. Chapter 10, verse 16, he says, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. And Esther displays wisdom, but it goes much further than that and deeper than that. She's shrewd. Esther says, pray and fast and I'll approach the king. She's inviting the entire Jewish community to join her. She can't do this alone. Queen Vashti had been banished for not appearing when invited by the king.

How much worse to just show up uninvited. So all the Jewish people, they pray and they fast. And on the fourth day after the fast, Esther begins her walk into the palace where King Xerxes is. I can't imagine what's going through her mind. Physically, she's spent. She hasn't had a bite to eat in three days, but spiritually she is strong. She has been communing with God. She has been asking for his strength. Every hunger pang underscored her dependence on the Lord. And so she walks up to the throne, hopeful that he will extend the scepter and not his sword. I wonder if she spent a little bit more time on her makeup that day. I wonder if she wore his favorite outfit. I wonder when she walked up if she walked confidently or if she walked humbly. I don't know, but this is what I do know. She was made for this moment. And you have some moments each week where God is counting on you to rise to the occasion. It may be in a conversation with your boss when you share with your boss that you would be crossing an ethical boundary to do what she or he asked you to do. Or when you get help to break that habit that down deep you know is not really a habit, it's really an addiction.

Or it's when you finally swallow your pride and say, you know, I give up. I surrender my agenda to you, Lord. I want to become a Christian and be baptized. So at the end of the fast, Esther, she just goes for it. And look at verses two and three. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Then the king asked, what is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Get this, even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you. Whew, that is a relief. God's plan has worked and he offered her up to half the kingdom. The three-day fast and prayers have paid off. All she needs to do is to tell him that she's really Jewish and that Haman's plan will wipe out all the Jews and including his own wife. But there's people around in that courtyard there and she doesn't want to put him on the spot in front of other people. Esther 5.4, she senses what's going on. Look at the fourth verse. If it pleases the king, replied Esther, let the king together with Haman come today to a banquet that I have prepared for him. I'm reading this and I'm thinking, oh no, no, Esther, no, no, strike while the iron's hot.

Ride the momentum, you're gonna miss your chance. But some women have a knack for knowing how to increase the likelihood of getting the positive response that they seek. I am married to a woman like that. And let me give you a real life example of my modern day Esther that I am married to, all right? My wife Beth, a couple weeks ago, I was out of the country, I was on a mission trip and I'm talking to my wife and I said, hey, I hope I have some time to buy you a gift before Mother's Day, because I was getting back right before Mother's Day. And she said, oh, you don't need to buy me a Mother's Day gift. I said, oh yes I do, no, no, no. No, I said, well, you deserve anything you want. And she said, you know, I know how busy you've been lately. So if it pleases the king, well, that's not a direct quote, all right? I'm kind of paraphrasing, all right? She said, I could just pick something out and you could just say that that's what you gave me for Mother's Day. And I said, oh, wow, that sounds great, thank you. That is so kind of you. And all of the women are laughing because unknowingly I had walked right into her trap. And she went on to say, you know what? In fact, I bought my Mother's Day gift from you yesterday.

And I actually said, well, what did I get you? Which is a strange statement even to make, right? But I said, well, what did I get you? She said, well, you spent more than usual. But you knew that I would love it. And when I started to object, she pointed out how much gas money I had saved because I hadn't been driving around, not to mention, she said, Dave, your time is so valuable. I'm like, oh yeah, well. So did I just get played? You know, well, I'll let you decide. Evidently, I got her athletic shorts, a rug, flowers, plants for the yard, two lamps for the house, and a doormat for the front door. I don't know why she needed the doormat because I feel like she already has one. Yeah, easy for you to laugh, right? Okay. So I may have gotten played, but Xerxes got played. But it was by divine intervention coupled with feminine shrewdness. But why doesn't Esther make the ask right then? I mean, he said, you can have up to half the kingdom. Well, remember, she's prayed about this. She's following the prompting and leading of the Lord. She senses the time isn't right. So she says, I want you to come to a meal that I'm gonna have later today and bring Haman with you.

And so, yes, they come to this special meal, and that's when she's gonna reveal her request. But you know what she does? She builds the suspense again. And at that meal, she says, you know what? Come back tomorrow for one more meal, and then I will do it. And so Haman's really feeling like he's special. You know, just the two of them are invited to this banquet. And Esther is shrewd in her timing. She delayed her ask seemingly at the prompting of a supernatural nudge from the Spirit. And she's shrewd about where she's going to make this request. She's clever. You'll notice she doesn't make this big request publicly. She realizes that he's a different person in front of his cronies than he is when he's in a small private setting. Lesson number two, look for where God is working upstream. God is always unfolding his plan. We just need to be aware and on the lookout for him. Let God do his work, his setup work. Trust his timing and plan the Bible is laying out for us. He's showing us what it's like to wait upon the Lord. We sang, I sought the Lord. Well, we seek the Lord, but we wait on his timing. Look at the next verse. Haman is feeling really good. Verse nine, he was happy and in high spirits. Well, he's second in command to the king

and the queen keeps inviting him to special meals with just the three of them. So he's pretty impressed with himself. He's happy and in high spirits. But look who he bumps into as he's leaving the palace that day. It's Mordecai. He hates Mordecai. Remember, Mordecai refused to bow down to him. That's one of the reasons he's having all the Jews killed. Isn't that crazy? And he's walking out and there's Mordecai again at the gate, refusing to bow down to him. Verse nine, Haman went out that day, happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. So evil, arrogant Haman returns home and he starts talking to his family members about how fired up he is about Mordecai. And they say, you know what you should do? Verse 13 says, but all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew, Mordecai, sitting at the king's gate. And here's what his family and friends recommend to him. They encourage Haman to have 75 foot gallows, a structure built, and in the morning to ask the king to have Mordecai put to death on it.

And Haman loves the idea. The construction crew goes to work the same day and they build it. This will make him feel better. Meanwhile, back at the palace, that very night King Xerxes can't sleep. So he has a servant come in and this is what kings do. If you can't sleep, you have them read from the chronicles of the past. And evidently his memoirs were being written in real time. And if anything will put you to sleep, it's the minutes from previous board meetings or reading history, right? This is like an ambien for a self-centered king. He says, read to me and make certain that it's material about me. So the servant grabs a history book, turns to some place in it, and he starts reading. And where he starts reading is the time when Mordecai had discovered an. assassination plot engineered by two palace guards to kill Xerxes. And now a wide awake Xerxes says, hey, was anything done to reward this guy, this Jewish man, Mordecai? And the reader says, no, your highness, he never was honored. Peripety, a redirected storyline. Remember that God's name isn't in the book, but seemingly he's all over the pages.

He's in the details. Pause with me for a moment. Does the God of the universe cause insomnia so that his purposes can prevail? Well, throughout the Bible, we learned that everything is at his disposal. At the church where I used to serve, we would have some pretty big traffic jams from the people who came to church. And a number of years ago, there was a guy in his late 20s was driving down Hikes Lane with his wife. There were two lanes of traffic heading westbound, but on the weekends, we got to take over one entire lane and it was dedicated to people turning into the church. And we put this big six foot four muscular police officer out there and he danced the whole time that he would direct traffic. So he's known as the dancing cop. And so that's why our church grew was because we had a dancing cop out there. And so if you were in that lane, he was not about to let you switch lanes. And this guy in his 20s got in the wrong lane and the dancing cop just kept sending him to turn on into the church. And he's going, no, and he's trying to get over in the other lane and the people behind him, the Christians behind her honking, keep moving Bozo,

we need to get inside to worship Jesus. And the officer is emphatically motioning for him. So finally he just pulls in and then he gets caught in the flow and he can't turn around because we got orange cones everywhere. So they looked at each other and said, well, let's just go in and see what all the fuss is about. And they came in and they worshiped and they kept coming. And two years later, he got baptized and then he started serving. And 15 years later, he was my chairman of the elders. All of that because of a dancing cop and orange cones, right? So yes, God can use insomnia to accomplish his plans. Proverbs chapter 21, verse one, God is able, I love this. God is able to move the heart of the king like channels of water whenever he pleases. So God advances some chest pieces through the king's insomnia, as he's made aware of this hero named Mordecai who had saved him. The very next morning, now he goes back to sleep. The very next morning, Haman comes in and you know what Haman's gonna ask for? He's gonna ask for permission to have Mordecai killed at the gallows, right? Well, Xerxes, before he can say anything, says, hey, what should be done for the man

who pleases the king and has pleased him? Well, of course, Haman, this self-centered narcissist, thinks, ah, he's talking about me. And so he says, well, king, here's what I think you should do to honor this person for their exemplary service. He said, if I were you, I would have the king's royal horse and I would have the man placed on it and I would parade him down the street and I'd had someone with authority holler out and say, this is the man who the king wishes to honor. That is my humble suggestion. And he's just waiting for the king to say, that's what I wanna do for you. But instead, King Xerxes says, you're a genius, that's a great idea. Go and do everything that you just said and you shout the praise for Mordecai the Jew. And his jaw drops down here. I promise you, he did not say it with a lot of gusto as he led the royal horse with Mordecai on it. Peripety, a total reversal. Wow, I didn't see that coming. The irony, the poetic justice. While it had to be vindication for Mordecai, it was short-lived because he knew it was just a temporary victory. It was just a brief moment because he was about to die with all the Jewish people. Mordecai's mind and focus is on Esther's request

that will take place in a few hours. But Haman can't pounce for long after his embarrassing morning because now he rushes off to this special luncheon with the king and queen. Unlike the day before, the servants aren't in there for the meal. It's just the three of them. This is the moment of truth for Esther. This is when she appeals for her own life and the lives of every other Jew. And at some point in the meal, I'm guessing it's probably while Xerxes is eating his favorite dessert. The king. He says to Esther, what is your request? I'll give you up to half my kingdom. Verse three, then Queen Esther answered, if I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life. This is my petition, spare my people. This is my request for I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet because no such distress would justify disturbing the king. Now the palace has no clue that she is Jewish. Mordecai knows, but she has a new name. She has a new look. No one would be looking for a Jewish orphan girl

seated beside a king. But the king was a pawn in the hand of the king of kings. In the hand of the king of kings. Verse five, King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing? In other words, who's the one that wants to kill you? And Esther says, the adversary and the enemy is the vile Haman. And the Bible says that Haman was terrified before a king and queen. I got goosebumps. Verse seven, the king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out to the palace garden. Remember, this is a king who partied for 187 days. The Bible wants to make certain that you catch this. He left his wine. This is a major defining moment in his life, all right? And he goes out in the garden, trying to take everything in and process his anger. A few minutes later, he's collected himself. He comes back into the room just at the exact moment while Esther is reclining on a couch and Haman is falling onto the couch as he begs her for his life. But again, God's timing is perfect. As Xerxes walks in from his vantage point, it looks like something rather inappropriate is going on as if Haman is making a sexual advance toward his wife. Verse chapter seven, verse eight, the king explained, will he even molest the queen

while she is with me in the house? Now it's not a question of if Haman's gonna die. The only question is how is he going to die? And I love what happens next because one of the servants in the king's palace comes walking in during the commotion and he speaks up and says, excuse me, O king, but on my walk to work today, as I passed Haman's house, I couldn't help but notice some 75 foot gallows that were there. And one of the neighbors explained to me that Haman intended to kill a gentleman by the name of Mordecai on it today. You remember Mordecai, king, the gentleman who saved your life. And Xerxes reaches a boiling point and he says to the servant, you go and you take Haman and you kill him there instead. And that's what happened. They removed the signet ring from the finger of Haman. And guess where they put it? They put it on Mordecai's hand. And Mordecai in an instant becomes second in command. Peripety, what a reversal. This is a story that only God could have orchestrated while the name God is never mentioned throughout the book of Esther. You cannot miss his presence. Although God seems invisible, he is invincible.

His timing is always perfect. His purposes will always prevail. Esther was there for such a time as this. God is working upstream through divine encounters and they didn't end back in 480 BC. God is just as involved and interested in your life as he was in Esther's. And he will use you to accomplish his purpose. Let me give you an example from the past week. Let me tell you about Eric. He doesn't miss a CCV sermon. He had another church member, Carl, that sent him an encouraging text. And Carl texted Eric and just challenged him one morning just to be a bold witness for Christ. Later that same day, this past week, Eric had finished a round of golf. He was in the locker room. The attendant that was in there didn't seem like himself. And Eric said, hey, is anything wrong? And the guy shared that the day before his 19-year-old sister had died in a car accident. And Eric asked, do you mind if I pray for you? And Eric prayed over the attendant. He said, we were both crying our eyes out. But that day God used this big football player to give hope and comfort to a grieving man. Later, Eric texted his Christian friend Carl and told him what had happened. And he said, hey, I just want to thank you

for sending that text to me this morning. If you had not sent me that text earlier today, I don't know if I would have had the courage to offer to pray with him. You say, well, that's a small thing compared to Esther's story. Well, not if it was your sister who died. God used Carl and Eric for such a time as this. God's purpose prevailed because he used ordinary people to do ordinary things, but it had an extraordinary impact on everyone involved. You do see the modern day parallel. Carl is Mordecai challenging someone. Eric is Esther responding in obedience. I wonder which role God will ask you to play this week. I guess what I want you to see in the book of Esther is that in your everyday life is that he's unfolding his plan. God can write an incredible story if you're willing to give him the pen. He's not done with your story. And that brings us to lesson number three. When you can't see God's hand, trust his heart. Now here's a good moment just to stop and think about how God is working behind the scenes. What are the odds? Let's call this game, what are the odds? What are the odds that Esther waits a day? What are the odds that the king couldn't sleep? What are the odds that he asked for some history to be read?

What are the odds that the servant picks the book from four years ago and turns to the story about Mordecai? What are the odds that the construction crew builds a 75 foot gallows in one day? What are the odds that the king walks back in at just the exact moment that Haman is up close and personal with Esther in an awkward position? What are the odds that all of this takes place right after God's people have prayed and fasted for three days? That's a lot of coincidences. And what I've discovered is that when I pray, coincidences happen. When I don't pray, they don't happen. Heidi Quaid said, coincidences are small miracles where God chooses to remain anonymous. Esther wasn't in Persia by accident. Neither are you. God has you where he does for a reason. So stop seeing your life as a coincidence. Start seeing it as a divine placement that God has positioned you. Mordecai went from sackcloth to the king's robes. So don't give in to despair. You can't give up. The Bible invites you to believe in the coming peripety. Peripety isn't just limited to the book of Esther. We see it when David takes a pebble and he drops a giant. We see it with Daniel in the lion's den

when ferocious animals become harmless cats. It's peripety. But the greatest reversal that ever occurred took place in the cemetery outside of Jerusalem. Jesus, the Christ was Jesus, the corpse. No pulse, no breath, no hope. Wrapped tighter than an Egyptian mummy for three days, dead in a borrowed tomb. His enemies raised a toast to a dead Messiah. And just when all hope was lost and joy was gone, peripety, his heart began to beat. His eyelids opened, pierced hands lifted, and Jesus stood in place, his heel squarely on the head of Satan. And when he did, the tables were turned. The reversal occurred. And who's to say he doesn't have a reversal for you and your future? Max Lucado says, in God's hand, no script is predictable. No storyline is inevitable. No outcome is certain. He is the God of grand reversals. Your marriage, that seems like it's on life support, can be salvaged if you both are willing to give God a chance to do what you don't see coming. Your search for a fulfilling job has gone from months to now over a year. But while you do your part, trust that God is doing his. Or perhaps your faith is just barely hanging by a thread.

You may be on the verge, perhaps, of it being totally transformed if you just take a step toward Jesus. God may seem invisible in the moment, but he will be undeniable in the outcome. Book of Esther is shouting, let God do his work. And when you are in the middle of the story, never allow Satan to place a period where God has chosen to place a comma. Your story is not over. If you're still breathing, then he is still writing. He's working everything for good. And maybe he has you in your neighborhood. Maybe he has you in your workplace. Maybe he has you with the family that you've got for such a time as this. Today, I want to awaken a warrior inside of you that causes you to depend upon prayer and to be desperate for God and to answer that call just like Esther did when Mordecai challenged her and to say, I will rise to the occasion. I was made for this moment. Or maybe you need prayer today. Maybe you need to make a commitment, draw a line in the sand and say, this is my moment. I'm ready to be baptized. We're ready for that at any campus, every campus. Don't put off whatever it is that God puts on your heart and keep allowing him to write the story.

Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, we realize that we are not here by accident. You have us with divine intersections each and every day. Lord, you bring people our direction. May we be people of God, those who speak of you, who share of you, who trust in you, even when we don't seem like we see you or when it seems like you're silent. In those moments, would you help us to lean in and sense and realize that you're right there beside us, closer than you've ever been before? It's in the powerful name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. We'll see you next week. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.