Well, good morning, Valley View. It’s great to be with you today. “Coming off a week of VBS, you saw some of our highlights from that.” It was a great week. “in fact, if you were out in the lobby, you saw” “all those water bottles hanging from the ceiling.” “It’s not because we’re launching a recycling program that each bottle” “represents $5 raised by those kids who came,” “and we raised around $2,000 last week for our missions project.” Yeah, which that’s part of VBS. “It’s help those kids understand life’s not just about you also want to be giving” “even when we’re here receiving for the week, which is so powerful.” It was a great week. “We had over 200 kids come, which is the most we’ve had.” Yeah, most we’ve had since before Covid. So it was a great week. “And also I just want to give thanks to Lauren Bramley,” “our new children’s minister, and the tremendous work she did that week.” I don’t even know if she’s in here. There she is. Go ahead, stand up, Lauren, so everyone sees you. “Eddie Lee came up to me about halfway through– our previous children’s minister.” “And first of all, I said, how does this feel to not be in charge this week?” And she said, I’m loving that. “But she was still volunteering, we didn’t let her off the hook.” “But she said, you know, it’s really a testimony” “to the spirit of unity in our church, to the maturity of Lauren,” “the fact that she’s okay with Eddie Lee being here and everyone working together.” “And it was really all became about the mission of loving on the kids” “who came that week. So thank you for the part.” We had over 100 volunteers involved. “So a lot of you in here were here all week too.” It was a great week. All right. So we are in Esther chapter eight. “Today we’re continuing to work through the book of Esther.” “Esther is an ancient story from the Old Testament of a Jewish” “woman who becomes a princess, a queen in the kingdom of Persia.” “And God uses her to rescue his people from a dangerous situation.” “And we’ve been working through the story and coming into this week’s chapter,” I was reminded of a story I experienced. “You know, I had been a Christian for a while.” “I had been in ministry, even serving in ministry for about ten years” at this point when the story happened and we had a family gathering, “I was there with family members, with my brothers in particular,” “and we had this interchange and I kind of went into Big Brother mode.” I’m the oldest by eight and a half years. I remind them of that often. “But in this moment, I kind of went into Big Brother mode and was a little rude,” more than a little rude. I was not kind to one of my brothers. “And later, after the exchange, after we settled it” “all out, after it was all sorted out, I just got to thinking,” why am I still struggling with that? Haven’t I been a Christian long enough? “I serve in ministry and yet here I am, still slipping back into this mode where” “I’m unkind to someone I love and care about treating them inappropriately.” It’s behavior I’m not proud of. You’d think I’d be past that by now. “Anybody else ever felt that way about some challenge in life?” Yeah. “Who felt that way this morning even right? Who” should not be past that by now? Why am I still wrestling with that? “And maybe it is kindness towards a loved one.” “Maybe it’s a habit that you thought you would be done with by now. Who?” “There’s some area of life that many of us have experienced.” This where you feel like I. I should be past that by now. I should have moved on. I mean, didn’t he? “Jesus died for my sins. It’s been forgiven.” “I’m a changed person. But yet this still lingers.” “Here’s the phrase we’re going to unpack today,” “and we’re going to see how this plays out in the book of Esther.” This is an important phrase. “It’s going to sum up this year’s issue issue, and also what we see in the book.” Here it is. “We’re going to put it on screen just because you’ve been set free” doesn’t mean the fight is over. It’s hard to hear sometimes. “Just because you’ve been set free doesn’t mean the fight is over.” We’re going to unpack that. “That’s a difficult statement in and of itself.” “But with Esther’s story last week, she exposes the evil of Haman.” She exposes him to the king. The king has Haman executed “on the gallows, or poles, impaled that he had created for Mordecai.” And so all seems great. The danger to Esther is over now. “No. No reason to be worried for her life any longer.” “In fact, it said the king’s wrath was abated, no longer full of wrath.” Everything seems great. But the problem is the job isn’t done yet. There are still things to deal with. “In fact, probably the main issue she came to address hasn’t been dealt with yet.” And so just because she’s been set free doesn’t mean the fight is over. “So we’re going to see this play out in Esther chapter eight.” “If you have a church Bible, you can turn to the page number you’ll see” on the screen in Esther chapter eight. We’re going “to read the first couple of verses, because what we’re going to see here” are four ways to walk in freedom. She’s been set free. We’ve been set free. “How do we continue to walk in that freedom? In this passage” “today we’re going to see four different ways to walk in freedom.” “Let’s see the first one here in verses one and two,” Esther chapter eight. On that day, King Ahaseurus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman. This was the day after “Haman had been executed because he was attempting to execute her” people, “the enemy of the Jews and Mordecai came before the king,” for Esther had told what he was to her, “and the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman.” “He gave it to Mordecai, and Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.” Four Ways to Walk in Freedom. “Here we see the first one, and these will show up on the screen as we go.” The first way to walk in freedom. “If you’ve been set free, receive the reward of that freedom.” “Here we see Mordecai go into the King the first time he comes in” “before the king, and he receives the reward of Haman’s bounty of them” “no longer having to fear for their life, they rightly receive that” and walk into that. “And in this moment, in fact, Esther even comes clean” “about her connection to Mordecai, this family member,” “it says in the passage, she shares what he was to her” “and the implication, the inference there is that she shared.” “Yeah, he’s my family. But also, here’s what he means to me.” He was the guy behind me coming to you. He is the one that has been driving this. I trust him in all ways. I’ve leaned on him for everything, sharing the fuller picture. This is a guy you can trust. This is a guy you can depend on. “And you know the other thing she does by doing that,” she’s also exposing that she has hidden “from the king up to this point, her Jewish identity.” She likely has kept that from him. She’s taken a risk by making that known. If you’re hiding something from the king, there’s a risk there by making that known. But in this moment, he accepts her. I still accept you. It’s okay. I had a guy who’s “newer to the church recently come to me and say, you know, I’m.” “I’m a little worried about how I might fit into the church.” I’m just a little bit different. I said, don’t worry. You’ll fit right in. It’s okay. “Plenty of us would describe ourselves that way.” It’s okay. You’ll fit right in, I promise, “because we’re not worried about whether you’re different or not.” “I saw a hand go up back there. That’s right.” We’re not worried about that. We’re not looking for perfection. “All we care about is that you’re seeking to grow.” There’s no. “There’s no one here that is perfect or will be perfect.” Just keep growing. “Keep growing. That’s all we’re striving for.” “You’ll have your ups and downs, but keep growing.” You’re you’re welcome here. We don’t expect anyone to be perfect. “Yeah, I know there’s stuff you’re hiding about who you are.” Keep growing, keep coming. People will love on you. People are very gracious here. “So the King accepts her in her new identity.” The reward has been extended. Now. “But this all leads us to the second way to walk in freedom.” “The reward has been extended, but the job isn’t done yet.” “In fact, what’s very important for Esther to remember.” “And we’ll put this second way up on the screen.” The second way that we walk in freedom. “Don’t give up on what still needs to happen.” “When you have received the reward of knowing Christ, walking in him,” “following him, the joy of a new life found, of being set free from so much sin.” “Don’t give up on what still needs to happen in your life.” There are still things to follow up on. “There are still things that need to occur in your life.” The fight isn’t over at that point. Look at how this plays out for Esther. Look at verse three. Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet “and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman” “the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews.” When the king “held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose” and stood before the king, and she said, “if it pleased the king, and if I have found favor in his sight,” “and if the things seems right before the king,” “and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written” to revoke the letters devised by Haman, “the Agagite, the son of Hamadatha, which he wrote” “to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.” “For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people?” “Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” “Even though Esther has been set free, the main issue she was coming to” “the king about king about was the freedom of all her people.” She still needs to see that through. It’s isn’t the place to coast and go. I’m good now. I’m protected. I’m okay. Now is the time to press in. “And I love how she approaches him here at the beginning of the verse,” “she fell at his feet. She wept. She pleaded.” You know, when she came to him, before “she came in her royal attire, she came into her official position.” She came very proper in all her pomp and circumstance. Now she comes broken, weeping. “She doesn’t care about appearances anymore.” This issue has to be dealt with. “When I came before there was protocol, I followed everything perfectly.” Now I don’t care. I can’t wait any longer. I love that picture because that’s how we need to come to Christ. “I can’t worry anymore about what people think.” “I can’t worry about having everything figured out.” I got to come broken, humble, overwhelmed by the sin of the world and by my own sin, and more worried about following him than appearances. And she falls at his feet. “What’s interesting here, though, is this phrase.” He extended the scepter to her. It’s just a subtle “reminder that the situation is not safe yet” this is still the King. “He is still the one that holds authority and power over her life.” “She is still taking a risk by coming to him” “and yet again, even in the mess that she is in this moment, he accepts her.” Tell me what it is, what is it? “And now she gets to the point where she finally does” “share with him the real reason she’s come to him.” “She hinted at it before my life is at stake and my people, he seemed to miss it.” But here she comes. “And in verse five she says to him, Will you revoke the letters” or the laws devised by Haman, “in fact, that word devised in some of your Bibles, is also translated as schemed.” Haman’s the one who’s been scheming this and, you know, “she does a couple of things here that are wise by doing that.” “First off, she doesn’t implicate the king in this,” even though he clearly had a hand in this. “He approved Haman to allow him to go set these laws in place.” “And on the his own passivity of not being on top of Haman” “and not knowing how he was being deceptive.” “He’s implicated in that as well, but she doesn’t get into any of that.” She just says Haman’s the evil one. Haman’s the one who schemed. This is what happened, “focuses on that, to not distract him for what she’s trying to accomplish,” “not to put the blame on him even though she could.” “But the other things she does, I think that is so wise.” She comes to him with a solution. “She doesn’t come, just complain, and she comes.” Here’s how I think we can go about this. “If we can extend another law, put it out there, gives him an option.” I remember a boss. I came to him once and I said, hey, “it seems to me that we have a problem here.” “You seem to be or people want to have a better connection with you” “here at this organization than you seem to have of them.” And he says, I know. “Well, tell me something I don’t already know.” “I know everybody wants more of my time here, you know?” Thanks a bunch for the obvious. “Well, I said, well, you know, backpedaling a little bit.” “What we need is a plan for you to be better connected with them.” I know, of course I know that as well. Do you have one? “No I don’t okay, well, here’s your next job.” Go figure one out. Thanks a bunch. That’s not really what I came for. To get more work from you. “It’s easy to bring up the issue that we see is wrong.” “And, look, we’ve got a lot of thoughtful people here, but a whole bunch of stuff” “that we think should be done differently could be improved.” I think that’s a good inclination. “I think we want to see God honored in all that we do.” We want to see things done with quality. And I love how she follows this principle. “I’m coming with a solution and I’m ready to help see it” carried out. Now. How’s the King respond to this? Walking in freedom. “She knows I can’t just rest in my own freedom.” “I got to continue to follow up, continue to fight for the freedom of all my people.” How does the King respond to this? Look at this next set of verses here. Look at verse seven. Then King Ahaseurus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman. “They have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands” on the Jews. “But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews” “in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring,” for an edict written “in the name of the king, and sealed with the king’s ring,” cannot be revoked. There’s a few things going on here. “She comes to the king, presents the request,” “and he responds in a way that seems pretty favorable.” “But there’s a few little clues in here that there’s more going on” “underneath the surface, just even that first word.” He uses that word. Behold. “In fact, in a couple of your Bibles, it might say, look,” or more along the lines of look here. There’s just a hint of exasperation “because he immediately lists out the things he’s already done for them.” “Look here, I’ve already hanged the guy and given you all his stuff.” What else do you want from me? There’s just a hint of that in there. You’ve had this too. “A kid comes to you, and of course they want you to buy for them.” “That brand new presidential biography that just came out.” They’ve been dying to read. So typical. I know. And you’re like, I don’t know. Look, I just gave you $20 for ice cream. “And then by the way, I paid for camp, and I gave you a whole stack of free” “t shirts from the church. What else do you want from me?” “I come giving you everything you could need in life.” “We joke that actually, maybe this is something Lauren and Colby can work on.” “We need y’all to start making pants too, then.” “I never had to buy clothes for my kids when” we give them so many t shirts. But you’ve experienced this. “The risk here is, is that she seems ungrateful and you don’t want to do that.” “I mean, last week we saw this king who thought someone was ungrateful.” He took his older son, cut him in half, “set him on both sides of the road so the armies could pass between him.” “You don’t want that guy to think you’re ungrateful.” Look, here’s what I’ve all ready done for you. They’re in a tricky spot. But he does say, go ahead, write what you think you need to write. But there’s a caveat. “And he says this at the end for an edict written” “in the name of the king, sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.” This is a double edged sword “here. What you’re about to write cannot be revoked.” But also what I wrote before cannot be revoked. Don’t write it in a way “that makes it look like you’re undermining what I’ve already done before,” because we know how that went for Haman when his trickery was exposed. They’re in a challenging place “here, caught between a rock and a hard place.” How would you go about this? It seems like it’s a no win situation. And I got to confess here, “I’ve always struggled with these types of passages in Scripture.” This section where it seems like “something that’s clearly wrong cannot be revoked.” You’ve seen these in other places. “You’ve seen this like with Isaac and Jacob and Esau, when, by the way, if you name” “your son Jacob, which meant deceiver, you should expect to be tricked.” “And Jacob tricks him into giving him the blessing instead of Esau.” “And then when Esau comes and cries to Isaac about Isaac’s like,” “sorry, too late, I already blessed your brother.” “I’ve always read that and thought, is it that hard to not just go?” Wait a second. Hold on, let’s redo this. He tricked me. Sorry. I’ve never understood that. “We’ve see that show up in other places as well.” But I can’t go back on that. “And of course, there’s that whole dynamic in Scripture” we’ve talked about a few times. “Just because something is explained doesn’t mean it’s necessarily recommended.” It might be described not prescribed. But what do we do with this here? “In particular, when he says that the word I gave it can’t be revoked?” “I think there’s two explanations that might help us here for just a moment.” “One, even in our own law, in our own government,” “there are laws that are harder to be revoked than others.” “The president can’t just make a proclamation that undoes” “a part of the consti–, in theory, that undoes part of the Constitution.” “Of course people try and get away with it sometimes here and there,” but there are laws “that are harder to turn over than others, even in our own government.” “But also, I think there’s something else going on here.” There’s one dynamic at play where. Sometimes when something is set in motion, it’s hard to stop it, especially when people are set on evil. “We don’t know the exact timeline here, but likely it was two months ago” “when Haman set out these laws saying we’re going to destroy the Jews.” “And so for two months now, people have been thinking about this.” “Those who determined evil against the Jews have been plotting this.” “They’ve been devising, they’ve been scheming.” They’ve been putting things in place. “And when the heart of people are turned toward evil man,” that is hard to turn back. I saw this at play when we went to Rwanda. “I went there to teach at a at a Bible college.” It’s a small country “in Africa, right in the center of Africa, right on the equator.” And of course, in 1994, you may have remember “or have heard of the Rwandan genocide that occurred.” We had two major tribes. One was much larger than the other, and “the larger tribe attacked the smaller tribe, and in a matter of a few months,” “wiped out somewhere in the range of 800,000 people murdered” neighbor against neighbor. “People don’t own guns. They’re they can’t afford them.” “Most people live on less than a dollar a day.” And so it was machete. “It was club murder neighbor against neighbor.” And I was there. “We went to this little village, preached in this church.” “And when I finished, the guy said, let me take you over to the old church.” This is the new church. “We had to build this church because the other church became a burial site.” And I thought, I don’t want to go. “I don’t really need to go see now let’s go.” And we go in there. And the whole floor had been elevated. “And he said roughly 10,000 people were buried” under the floor of this church. The genocide had just ravaged the country when things were set in motion. The evil heart of man is hard to stop. And here we encounter this. Go ahead, write the law. But when things are set in motion, it’s hard to turn that back. Now what do they do? What do they end up writing? Here’s what they end up doing. “And I think this is an important part of how we keep walking in freedom.” “In fact, this will be the third way we walk in freedom.” We’re going to see here. We walk by faith, walk by faith. Look at what they do here. Look at verse. Let’s skip down to verse ten “because a couple of these verses kind of repeat themselves.” And he Mordecai wrote “in the name of King Ahaseurus and sealed with the king’s signet ring.” “Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses” that were used in the king’s “service, bred from the Royal Stud, saying, and here’s what he wrote.” Here are the laws, he wrote. “The King allowed the Jews, who were in every city to gather” “and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill,” “and to annihilate the same three words that Haman used in his edict” “to destroy, to kill, to annihilate any armed force of people” or province that might attack them. “Children, women included, to plunder their goods.” “They know they’re in a precarious situation.” What they write, “they can’t appear to revoke what the King had written before.” “So what they write is important. They have to be careful.” “And so he writes it in a way that doesn’t revoke” “what the King had written, but allows them to defend themselves.” In this moment they walk by faith. They say, we still need to do something. “The safe route is to do nothing, to not at risk offending the king.” “But they walk by faith in the midst of walking in freedom.” They walk by faith. We are going to write something. We are going to take a risk. “And what they write gives them the right to defend themselves.” And I love the language of this. Too many in this “moment would say, okay, now is our time for retribution.” Now is our time for vengeance. You thought you were going to kill us. We’re going to wipe you out. “But all they’re given here is the right to defend themselves against” the attack. “They don’t go on a vengeance rant as a result.” There’s an important picture here for us. We’re called to be set apart. We’re called to be different. In fact, as we stand against evil, we’re not to become evil. You see that, don’t you? “We’re called to stand out as those who don’t take vengeance” “for vengeance sake, who don’t immediately go to wrath, anger, judgment, bitterness.” Don’t strike out. We’re called to act different. Now, you can still set boundaries. “You can still defend yourself against evil.” “We’re still called to take a stand, to draw a line.” But it’s meant to look different. “I remember one time when we were living in Phoenix, I was attending seminary there.” Our oldest was very young. He’s 3 or 4 years old at this point. “We lived in these townhomes, large open courtyard.” “Kids are playing everywhere, and eventually, inevitably,” “some kids would end up back at our house, playing with our son.” “There’s this one kid who would come over and, let’s say he had a” a different I wouldn’t say a better. “It’s just a more expanded vocabulary than we had in our home.” “He used some different words than we prefer being used.” “And one time he used one of these words and I said, hey,” “listen, we prefer that word not be used in our home.” “I’m just going to ask you not to use it again.” “If you use it again, I’m just going to ask you to go home for today.” And of course, a few minutes later, “little Timmy drops that word again and I say, Timmy, listen.” We love you. “We care about you. We’re glad you’re here, but you need to go home for today.” We’ll see you again tomorrow. So I’m drawing lines. “I’m drawing boundaries, but I’m not attacking him.” “I didn’t march him back to his house and accuse his mom” “of trying to corrupt my whole family and every child on earth,” “and how she’s a terrible mother and hates her own child.” “No, no, no, I didn’t have to go into all that.” No, but I can still set boundaries. We’re still in our fight against evil. “We’re still called to set boundaries, to take a stand.” “And by the way, that’s a loving thing to do.” It can still be done in love. “It can still be done with kindness and graciousness.” And so they’re called. They’re given the right. “They’re given the ability to defend themselves” in this moment. Now, when I read this, this all leads “back to the opening question that we brought up.” “How is it that I’m still struggling with this?” “In fact, you could look at Esther’s situation and go, shouldn’t” this all be over with? “Why is it that they’re still having to deal with this,” that people still have it out after them? Why is it that I think I’m set free? Christ died on behalf of my sins, “and yet I’m still find myself struggling in these areas.” “I think there’s three ways to address that, and to just talk about that briefly.” “I think one that comes to mind, in fact, it’s timely because we just talked about,” “in fact, you may, if you’re a history person, have remembered” “the 80th anniversary of D-Day we just mentioned a couple of weeks ago.” Oftentimes, this is “described this way as the difference between D-Day and V-Day.” “Have you heard it described this way before,” “the difference between when the victory is started?” “And look, when the allies landed on the continent of Europe, the Nazi” occupied continent, “there was no doubt from that moment forward the war was going to be over.” It’s just a matter of time. “And it took a whole nother year until the Nazis surrendered, until Victory Day.” “The difference between D-Day and Victory Day. Victory was assured on D-Day,” “but it still took another year for it to come about.” “Some people in Christianity call that the overlap of the ages.” “When Jesus came and died and rose again on your behalf,” that new age was started. “Okay, but sin was allowed to stay on earth.” It’s still allowed to exist here. And so we have this overlap of the ages. It’s been started. Final victory and it is assured. “And that day will come when he comes back again.” “And in between time, we still have to wrestle with sin.” It is still present on this earth. So there’s that dynamic at play. “I think a second one is just simply humility.” “You know, if Jesus, in the moment that I came to know him” “and trust him and follow him, if at that time, at that exact time,” “all temptation had gone away, I no longer struggled with sin at all.” “I think at that point I would be tempted to think” “that I was God, not Jesus, that I was perfect.” “I would be tempted to no longer lean on him and look to him.” I got this all figured out. Listen, I tend to think that at times. Anyway. Come on, I know some of you do too. I see some heads nodding. “We don’t want to raise our hand on that one. But you know what I’m saying?” Now, the struggle reminds us “that he is the one ultimately who is perfect.” “He is the one who has the power to change our hearts.” “And when we slip back into a temptation or a sin,” “our first inclination should be to turn to him, not self.” Turn to him, lean on him, depend on him. It’s a challenge and it’s maddening at times. But it is what it is. And we live in a world. Sin exists. Sin has consequences. “Some of those are more damaging and difficult than others,” “and we still have to deal with them and wrestle with them.” So they walk by faith. “In the midst of that, in the midst of the unknown, they walk by faith.” “Now here’s the fourth way to walk in freedom been set free.” This edict goes out. The King seems to be okay with it. Watch what they do in response to this. Look at verse 15. Then Mordecai went “out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white,” “with a great golden crown, and a robe of fine linen in purple,” and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor. And in every province and in every city, “wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness” “and joy among the Jews, a feast and holiday, and many from the peoples” of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them. “The fourth way to walk in freedom we see here” is to go forth in joy, rejoice in fact, daily embrace joy. What’s so interesting here is that victory hadn’t occurred yet, and they choose to go forward in joy. And the contrast here is incredible. When Mordecai went out before “dressed, he was dressed in sackcloth and ashes.” “He was mourning, and now he is arrayed in fineness.” “The whole nation was mourning when Haman’s proclamation went out” “before it said it threw the whole city into confusion.” But when they were set free, the whole city rejoices. And the response– I love these words– light and gladness and joy and honor. These are words we all want used of us. This is why you’re here. “Everyone is looking for light and gladness and joy.” This is what we want every day. “Most of our week is weighed down with the opposite.” But we want light and gladness and joy, I hope. “In fact, I love that so many of us here walk in with that.” “When I walk in here, the joy I feel from so many who are here.” I love that we’re not the way of this guy. On the screen. “There’s this whole account of a guy called the Church Curmudgeon.” Have you heard of him? It’s kind of a spoof. Do you have this image? it’s kind of a spoof on “how often people kind of look this way in church right now.” Look at what it says. “Speaking of VBS, VBS update 15 children made” first time decisions to stay off the lawn. Church curmudgeon “how many churches have you been in and seen people like that?” That facial expression? Oh my God, yeah, but look, joy, lightness, gladness. You can take that down. “That’s enough of that. Joy, lightness, gladness.” That’s what we’re all longing for. “And by the way, that’s what walking by faith will bring.” And I know we have our ups and downs. No doubt. Without a doubt we do. “But joy should be one of the main characteristics of a Christian.” It should be what a Christian. What a church is known for is, is joy. I went through a season not too long ago, pretty recently, where I realized I don’t. I don’t have any joy right now. What is going on? It caught me off guard. “I seemed frustrated all the time and upset.” I don’t want to be that guy, man. I had to go on the offensive. Jesus, would you help me rediscover joy? Why am I not full of joy? What am I choosing to focus on instead? “You got to fight for joy. There’s no other way.” But I love how they walk in joy before the battle is final. “Two other things here to point out here real quick from this passage.” “The outcome wasn’t final, but they choose to walk in joy.” “Also note the outcome of this many declared look back at verse 17.” “Many from the people of the country declared themselves Jews” for fear of the Jews had fallen on them. Two dynamics here one evil persecution led to conversion. Evil persecution of Haman eventually led “to conversion to many coming to follow God.” This is a little difficult to mention, “but this is why I don’t spend too much time worrying about politics.” “Whatever political leader we have in place, it doesn’t matter.” “God can work through that in ways none of us could have imagined.” Do your best. Vote the best you can. Use the most wisdom you can. Don’t put your hope there. “You never know how God is working behind the scenes.” “Even if I can’t stand whoever is president or governor” or county clerk or whatever, “my call in that moment is to go, God, what are you doing through this?” “How are you going to work? How are you stirring?” “How are you going to be glorified through this? And trust” that he will. But also another challenging thing here is are these really true conversions? And I got to say, as I studied and read “the different commentary on this, there was a mixed response” “because it says for fear the Jews had fallen on them.” “Now, does that mean they actually genuinely feared God,” or were they just afraid of being hurt? “And the likelihood is, it was probably a mix of both.” You’ve seen this. Sometimes you just don’t know. “Why are people responding to God? Is it genuine or not?” You can’t always know. “I think there’s been a number of celebrities” “lately who have mentioned that they have come to follow Christ” “and know him, be baptized, and I rejoice over that.” “And yet, I also assume not all of those are genuine.” “I’m not questioning any individual one person.” “I don’t put all my hope on their success as a Christian.” “I assume, by the way, they’ll act like a new believer.” “Imagine if everything you did when you were a brand new” “believer was all splattered on screens and on the internet.” Who would like that? They’re going to make mistakes. Even if their faith is sincere. “They’re going to do things that seem the opposite of Christianity.” Let’s be patient. Let’s be gentle. Let’s be kind. Let’s assume God is at work in their life. But God used an evil ruler to ultimately bring about conversion. “And all this leads us to the place where we are called.” “No matter who’s in charge, no matter what the circumstances are,” we are called to walk in freedom, walk in freedom, walk in joy, walk by faith, trust that he is at work. And even when “even when you’re wrestling with, I should be past this.” Even when you’ve been set free. Look, there is still work to be done. “We are still called to stay engaged with Christ, walk by faith,” “lean on him, depend on him, and be used by him to serve others.” Let’s pray.