Esther: Providential Irony

Judging by the blank looks on the faces of some, my Flintstones reference didn't connect. (Listen to their 30 sec theme song; noting especially the final phrase, by clicking here.) I was making the point that language evolves over time thus changing definitions. Some insist that word meanings should remain static and not change. However, if we are to communicate well to THIS culture we must use the most commonly accepted definitions, regardless of our personal preferences.

Now, regarding the story of Esther; this is an example of story telling at his best! The good guys win and the bad guys lose as in all good stories. But along the way there is danger, risks are taken, and difficult choices are made. There is no specific word from the Lord and Mordecai and Esther must decide what it means to live lives that He would approve. For Mordecai this means thwarting an assassination attempt as well as encouraging Esther to appeal to the king to save her people. For Esther this means risking her life. Surely her body shook with fear when she uttered the words, "When this [fast] is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16).

Esther's faith is what made this Bible story one of my daughter's favorites when she was young. There are many stories of men of faith told in the Bible; but this particular story shows the fate of an entire race of people hinging on the decision of one woman. Thank God she was a woman of faith!

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

The sermon title today raised anticipation that was never fully satisfied. Therefore, I have provided a link for my faithful readers to have their unmet expectations fulfilled. Click this link to hear the original 1961 version of the Tokens singing, The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

Now that you have that out of your system, consider the character of Daniel. It has been said that every man has his price. I don't think that's true of a person with true integrity. Daniel was not a person who could be "bought." Even the threat of certain death would not deter him from doing what he believed to be God's will. The person with no fear of death is free to truly live!

Is this not the eternal life that Jesus has given to us? Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it too the full." (John 10:10). Living a life of faith means keeping your eyes on the savior instead of on the lions. Trusting God means listening to the Word of God rather than being distracted by the lion's roar. People of faith are always attractive -- because they live the kind of lives that deep down everyone really wants to live: lives of principle, character, and integrity.

Born to Be Wild

My new favorite form of sermon preparation is soliciting help from my friends on facebook. Last Monday I asked if there was anything redeeming about Samson. Danny McNeal, a college club brother of mine, wrote, "No man is completely worthless. He can always be used as a bad example." It appears I followed his advise in this morning's sermon.

Although Samson is included in a list of people with great faith in the NT book of Hebrews (11:32) it's difficult to find much faith in his story. My hunch is that the author is thinking about when Samson asked God to give him his strength back so that he might have one final shot at hurting the Philistines. Samson certainly demonstrated faith by trusting that only by God answering his prayer would he be able to destroy Israel's enemies; however the OT portrayal of Samson does not seem to indicate (at least in my mind) that he's completely repented and changed his ways. Rather, it seems that after his foolishness and wild living have come to their horrible end, his only hope of getting his final revenge is by turning to God for strength. God supplied what was needed because it accomplished His purposes - something Samson, it seems, has never spent much time considering.

The Five Problems of Moses

I got into a brief discussion yesterday with my son, Ben and my brother, Paul (both preachers) concerning two different types of sermons: inductive and deductive. The difference between the two was summarized as:

1) Deductive tells people what to do;
2) Inductive invites people to journey with the preacher on an exploration.

Formerly deductive preaching was the predominate type of sermon where the preacher would begin with a conclusion and then present arguments to support it. Now it seems that inductive preaching has become much more popular. I asked Ben which type of sermons he thinks that I preach and he said it is a mixture. I think he's right.

When I was a young preacher I heard Jim Woodroof say that one should only preach what God has first taught you. I'd like to think that my sermons come out of my life and not simply out of my head. My goal is to have each sermon say, "Hey everybody, let me tell you what God's been teaching me." Then the big question would be "What does this say to you?"

One of the best post-sermon comments I received today came from someone who benefited from a single line in the sermon. I made some statement about how Moses' life was going really well in Midian until God "messed it up" by calling him to go back to Egypt. She reflected on her life and how she had finally reached a point where things were going well. It was at that point that God "messed her life up" as well! He called her to a new mission which has had it's share of new stresses and struggles. Through the sermon she was able to see a larger picture of what God was doing and, consequently, move forward in faith. Christianity is a journey and a destination. This is why we are called "followers" of Christ. Let's keep moving!