The Esther Decision

RECAP

This is the fifth blog in a series that addresses how God communicates with us and what it is that He is saying through the dysfunction and pain that we see around us.  The series includes the following blogs:

• Is this really how God works? (Scriptural introduction)
• Some Kingdom Principles (Apologetic discussion)
• Time to Dig in (Pat Schatzline's message--God Shouts & first assessments)
• A call to leadership (How lay leaders will lead theologians into new understandings as God breaks flesh and pride of those who have led us so far astray)

MOVING FORWARD

Over the weekend I was working on three sermons assignments I have for LCU (Life Christian University).  As I worked my way toward the end of one of the sermons I considered how to close it out with a strong call toward leading a congregation toward the understanding conveyed.

The Spirit led me to share:  “I could end this sermon in a few different ways.  I could tie in Galatians 5 and provide an overview of the Fruit of the Spirit.  We could then use the image of what these scriptures say to hold a mirror up to our own lives and allow our considerations to bring the truth of our existence into the light.  What we would see would surely provide a true look at who we are, where we are, and what we truly have faith in.  And for the years gone by, this would have been a perfectly fine way to end this sermon.  But we are not in the same time as the years gone by.  We are at one of the most monumental times in salvation history.  We are at a time as critical as when Jesus came the first time.  This isn’t just another day, this isn’t just another sermon.  We are in a time period when every word counts, every thought counts, and every action counts.  As we read Esther 4:14 we come into an understanding that shows that the weight of some decisions far exceed the weight of others.  “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”  

Those people who God ordained to be the religious leaders of our day were put into that position for such a time as this.  They have a calling on their lives and God has been showing them that the direction they have been leading us is not in accordance with His will.  It is not in accordance with His Word.  And it has not been what is necessary to bring about what needs to be brought about.  We all need to understand that the decision that Mordecai put before Esther is the exact same decision that is being put before the leaders of the church today.  They will follow His leading or they will perish.

This takes us to the weight of our responsibility to respond.  Their blood is on our heads if we do not tell them that we want to go deeper, we want to hear the whole Gospel, and we want to be held accountable to a greater truth.  God is shouting to us through the pain and brokenness of our lives.  He is telling us we have been allowing their false teachings to lead us astray.  As we have fallen away from the truth of God’s Word our lives have become a toxic mixture of stress, frustration, and brokenness.  We have only marginal intimacy within our families and sickness, disease, and mental disorders are growing at an alarming rate.  The land is about to spit us out as we go about our lives believing that this is what life is supposed to look like.  God is trying to get our attention so that He can use us to get theirs.

In Pat’s “16 Shouts of 2016” we find a grave ”warning for the leaders who no longer preach a message of conviction and truth, and those who declare their pre-packaged humanistic messages.”  Earlier in the message that God gave Pat we see words being used that lead us to an understanding of a great truth. 

If God’s people do not seek out the truth of the scriptures, become strong in the unity we were called to live in, and rebuild His church the way He intended it, He will take action.  The first action will be to destroy those that stand in opposition, those that hold on to the old, and those that are too prideful to repent and see the error of their ways.  If this is not enough, He will destroy everything and start over with a new remnant; a group of people who are willing to hold onto the truth regardless as to what it means to their natural lives, reputations, or influence.  Simply put, no cowards will enter the kingdom of God (Revelation 21:7-8).  This is a courageous journey.  It is time we step up and take our position.

Romans 11:17-21 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

God is going to restore His olive tree to what He called it be and what was intended from the beginning.  This is our last opportunity to step into His will and be the witnesses that He called us to be.  Let us listen to the words that Jesus prayed to the Father when He was in the garden just before the events of His trial and execution began to play out.

John 17:22-23 "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;  I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me”.

We must let ourselves come into the full appreciation of what Jesus was feeling at this very moment.  I have to wonder if He already saw what His future church would look like.  I have to wonder if He already knew how little unity we would have.  I have to wonder if He saw how we would make the same mistakes as those who came before us.  I have to wonder if this is why He prayed this prayer to the Father.  How awful it would have been if even before He went to the cross He would have already known what was going to play out in His name through the course of the next 2,000 years.

Do you think He saw His own people chasing those that believed in Him out of the synagogues?  Do you think He saw Rome changing everything and making “Christianity” their official religion?  Do you think He saw the crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the control, manipulation, and legalism?  Do you think He saw the protestant reformation and the 40,000 denominations that would ultimately follow?  Do you think He saw the Holocaust?  When we think about Jesus sweating blood in the garden I believe this is what He was seeing, what He understood, and what made everything so hard.  I don’t think it was the sin of the world that was so hard for Him to bear.  I think it was the sin of His church, the twisting of His Words, the infiltration of the flesh, the politics, and the control.  I believe this is what was going through His mind as He spoke to His Father “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  By that point He would have seen, known, and understood what the future of His church held.

The point is, we have reached the end of the line.  2,000 years ago Jesus allowed Himself to be put on a cross so that we could have the Holy Spirit.  Through the Holy Spirit we were to walk in unity and bring Glory to God and Christ.  We have failed but God will not be put to shame.  The message that God gave Pat is the beginning of the re-unification of what Satan tore apart.

It will be through the spirit of revelation that God leads those with an open mind, open heart, and open spirit into the full revelation of the Gospel message.  These people will start a “Christian Revolution” that will restore unity to the Body of Christ.  Every 500 years (roughly) God brings about a major transformation in salvation history.  Every 2,000 years (roughly) He brings about something monumental.  We are at one of those transitions.  We are not talking about the creation of another denomination that throws in their two cents on what the truth of the scriptures are.  We are talking about a complete and total Re-Formation of Christianity and Judaism.  The result will be the Bride of Christ, prepared for her role entering the Millennial Kingdom.  God has said “IT IS TIME”.

The words Mordecai spoke to Esther should weigh upon the souls of those church leaders who see what is going on and stand in resistance.  This is something they cannot fight.  God is bringing about this change and He will have the unity that we are commissioned to express.   “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise (for God’s people) from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. (Within parentheses changed for relevance to this message).

For the past three years God has given me a vision of a new Re-Formation within the church.  It will be a putting back together of what man, politics, and Satan have torn apart.  This is the message we are to take to the world.  We want the truth.  We are ready to embrace the truth.  We want the truth to set us free.  It is our responsibility to take these words to the religious leaders, and it is their responsibility to listen.  Do you have the courage?  Are you ready for Re-Formation?

I pray that this message has given you hope, given you a new purpose, and given you something to consider.  I pray that you have the strength to stand up for what we know to be true, and join this movement to restore God’s people into the unity in which we were called to stand.  Amen.