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June 14, 2022 3:00 am
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A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.
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You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Visit our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org regional reimbursable chakra for the Lord notice today.
Pastor Greg Moore recombination.
There are times in our lives. We did something for someone else and we were ready as soon she was listen you will be rewarded for every time, is that every word of testimony given for the Lord over your life.
God is not yet in many very little about you a lot about today of a new beginning for Greg Laurie present the contrast between more chaotic and another man named. They both appear in the story. What is a good man little recognition.
The other an evil man is angling for great today as the story continues when Shane these men deserve marketable about good justly to unload the car lot about you but I'm one of those guys that wants to get as many bags of my arms as humanly possible. I don't make multiple trips so I got all these bags you know in my arms and I'm curing the men many bags and many groceries in these bags bread and canned goods and some vegetables. Then some eggs and I dropped one bag.
What's bad that I drop. Of course, why, why Volvo bags that I dropped the bag a bag because there is a law of the universe is called Murphy's Law heard of it.
Murphy's Law is if anything can go wrong it will usually of the most inopportune moments. What we started junkets on a real law, but there are real laws that govern our universe. There is a law of gravity which basically was discovered by Newton that says things tend to go down word or a simple way to put it. What goes up must come down is a law of thermodynamics that tells us all things are breaking down another way to put it. You will of aged a lot more before the end of the service, and finally there's a law of sowing and reaping that one is in the Bible. Galatians 678 and just as surely as the law of gravity and a law of thermodynamics.
You better bet there's a law of sowing and reaping. As of the Bible says be not deceived, God is not mocked whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
If he sows of the flesh shall reap corruption, but of the cells of the Spirit will reap life everlasting that we tend to think about love sowing and reaping in a negative sense all that if you do that, watch out your report.
Just so that's true, but the love sowing and reaping this both positive and negative. Again, if you sort of the flesh shall reap corruption or deadness. That's negative. But if you so to the spirit, you'll reap life ever lasting that we see that played out in the story before us. Haman, the villain in our story. Reap what you sow and he reap corruption, but then Esther and her cousin Maura KI reap life ever lasting.
Let's see how played out. Let's pick up when we last left off and by the way, if you ever been a part of this Esther series here.
Sort of a flyover of what we've seen so far. King Xerxes is ruling Persia, he decides to throw a giant fees so he invites all of his lords and leaders in government officials in the town. By the way this fees. This party lasted for six months. The king provided all the food all the wine everything and I think he was sort of buttering them up for an invasion he was going to mount against Greece on the heels of this fees which do not go all that well and so the king started showing all this cool stuff guys tend to do that though they want to show y'all. Very cool stuff and does so he's bringing out all the things he owns in his beautiful palace and all the goblets and things that the wine is served and now is going to bring out his crown jewel, the beautiful Queen' so he gives the order bring cream varsity head and tell her to come in wearing her crown. I want her to parade right through here and I want all those guys and see what an awesome wife. I have all varsity wanted no part of it. Now we don't know exactly why some commentators think that when the text says bring her in wearing her crown the King Xerxes meant only her crown would obviously she would like that idea. But even if that wasn't it. The idea was he was sort of objectifying his wife cheating or more like a possession, then the wives she was so she flat out refuses and it's a scandal in the kingdom are the kings they'd say you cannot let varsity act that way because if she gets away with this. None of our whatsoever do what we tell them to do again. You gotta get rid of her.
So varsity is out and now they effectively have a beauty contest the Ms. Persia beauty contest if you will, and the winter will become the next Queen of the kingdom. So all of these girls apply on one girl kind of makes her way to the top.
She was a young girl and orphan, her parents, at the height she had been raised by her cousin Maura key. I he was about 15 years older than her. Her name was Hadassah.
We know her better, as Esther and she had extraordinary beauty.
The king laid his eyes on her, and he chose her, and she became the queen of the kingdom.
If this is a fairytale. It would've ended right there with the words and they lived happily ever after with this is not a fairytale. This is a Bible story and it's a piece of history as well enter the villain of the story. Payment who hatches a plot to exterminate Maura KI and the Jews.
Now this was a blood feud that went back a long ways because the Bible tells us that Haman was in a gag.
I doesn't mean a lot to us.
Try even saying that word sit with me any gag I don't ever name your child a gag night or a cat that meant he was a descendent of King Gad, who was in about enemy of Israel, the Lord directed King Saul to destroy King a gag and Saul disobeyed and so now here's one of his blood descendents who hates the Jewish people, and here's more to KI also a blood descendent of a Jewish man so Haman was elevated to be the second most powerful man in the kingdom is the Prime Minister becomes walking by the orders given. Everyone bows when Haman comes by more again I will bow and that just to tame it off and he wanted to kill more like EI and then he decided he was going to kill the people of Maura chaotic.
So he goes to the king, and gets thinking to agree to sign the decree that all the Jewish people across the entire kingdom of Persia will be put to death and they post of these signs in one year. You will all die very similar to what happened later in Germany. Remember when the Nazi party came in the power the way they treated the Jewish people. They would go to their shops and stores and they would have to put a star of David there identifying themselves as Jews and then they began to destroy the stores in the property of the Jews in and then the Jews are wearing these little yellow armbands to identify themselves and soon the Nazis were shipping the Jewish people about the concentration camps like Treblinka and Auschwitz and others so it's a similar thing I want to have you all wiped off the face of the earth well working I found out about this and there's only one person can help it. Esther, who said you and she's there in the palace. Maybe she can influence the king, so he stands outside the palace. Preston sackcloth and ashes morning this horrible thing. Esther didn't even know about it. Nestor heard about her cousin out there not dress very well. She said here send them some new clothes.
Talk about missing the point. Girl I'm trying to communicate something to you. Your people are in trouble and you're living in the lap of luxury up there in the palace. You don't even know what's going on and then Maura key I says to Esther and Esther for this is a signature passage from the book. Don't think for a moment you will escape there in the palace because of the other Jews are killed and you keep quiet deliverance will arise from the Jews from some other place you and your relatives will die, but who knows that God is the place you where you are for such a time as this now. Interestingly, Esther had not revealed to the king, she was a Jew. Up to this point because Mordechai told her not to. Now I say it's time to play your hand. It's time to declare yourself a Jew. It's time to appeal for your people and so Esther says you want to get okay I'm a go to the King by the way, if you go to the king when you're not. Some of you might be put to death, but I will go to the king. I will put it all on the line and she says there and Esther chapter 4, I want you to be fasting for me and I want you to be praying for me and I will die if I have to die if I must die, I will.so she says be in prayer for me effectively.
Jesus fasting is really another way of saying be praying for me. So now Esther is showing her true colors me without question. She was extraordinarily beautiful drop dead gorgeous beautiful but she had inner qualities to match that character was about to be revealed. It's been said character is not made in crisis.
It's only exhibited Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message in just a moment. I don't know if you know about this, but we have a weekend service called Harvest at Home exclusively for people that are tuning in literally from around the world listen to this. We even have harvest groups where you can get in was small group with folks from all around this planet of ours, studying the word of God. So join us this weekend Saturday and Sunday for Harvest at Home at harvest over digging into a critical point in the story of Esther KI and Haman, Pastor Greg is presenting a message today called you reap what you sow.
Now the true character of Esther is going to shine.
But she's waiting for the right time in the right place with the right words to appeal to the king. So our story begins in Esther chapter 5, verse one.
Let's read together.
Three days later, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace just across from the King Saul, the king was sitting on his royal throne facing the entrance and when he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court.
He welcomed her, holding out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched its tip. Then the king asked her what you want. Queen Esther, what is your request. I'll give it to you. Up to have of the kingdom.
Well, if it pleases your majesty let the king and Haman come to the door banquet I prepared for the king so the king turned those in attendance that said tell him to come quickly to a banquet as Esther has requested so king. The king and Haman went to Esther banquet there drinking wine that the king said Esther tell me what you really want. What is your request. I'll give it to you.
Even up to half of my kingdom. Esther replied, this is my request and deepest wish.
If your majesty is pleased with me and wants to grant my request come back with Haman tomorrow.
It is amazing. Seems like she would just close the deal right there. You know, outed Haman and his plot revealed that she was a Jewish girl and this was attack against her and her people, but she's waiting she's waiting for the right tribunal. Timing is everything, because a lot of times were impatient.
Are you an impatient person I can be the other day we were we are grandkids and there were going to school and they had eaten something but my granddaughter Allie was still hungry and my wife Kathy said can you make Allie semantics.
I said sure I can do pride myself on my scrambled eggs and does so Kathy sets the heat really low. She says that's the key to cooking, scrambled leg, so their fluffy well the heat was loan.
I poured the eggs in the little pandan and nothing's happening and I she's good kids got a go to school so I crank up the heat and you know another finally forming and I put them on a plane. I realize are a little on the rubbery side and Allie took one bite she said I'm not hungry anymore so I was her nice way of saying proper your eggs are horrible but see I didn't do it right. I was too impatient.
We can do that. Like why don't wait for this person to believe. I want to pressure them to believe. I don't want to wait for this to happen, to make it happen. I wanted take things in them. I only had but we need to understand there's a time for every event under heaven. The Bible says time to be silent in a time to speak, and you know we all may have a king in our life. And by that I mean there's some person, like the king that maybe intimidates us there might be in authority over us and might be a boss might be a professor might be that person that seems to have it so together so above you. So top you think they would never listen to the gospel.
Listen to this. No one is beyond the reach of God. Think of someone right now you think they would never listen to me they would never be a part of the gospel. How do you know that when it you start praying for them. Think of young Stephen as he stood before the Jewish Sanhedrin which was sort of like the Supreme Court of the day. He had been charged with preaching the gospel and die. He stood before these gentlemen, and he began to share his faith and their anger began to grow and they were so mad at him and they finally gave the decree that he should be put to death and he prayed for that as he was dying, he said, Lord, don't lay the sin against their charge. He was the first martyr of the early church, but among those men of that Jewish Sanhedrin was a notorious Saul of Tarsus and right on the heels of this event Saul of Tarsus begin to hunt down arrests and prosecute Christians men women and children will you know the rest of the story Saul of Tarsus ended up meeting Jesus on the Damascus Road. He was converted and he became the apostle Paul, but I suggest to you that seed was initially sown in Saul's heart by young Stephen who did not back down from his faith because he thought God could reach that guy. Maybe even prayed for Saul. So now the moment is come. Esther can approach the king it says verse three. The king says what you want. Queen Esther what your request, I'll give it to you, up to half of my kingdom. That's a good day when the king offers up. By the way, so she's been waiting on the Lord Jesus. One of it, please your Majesty, Esther abide three. Let the king and Haman come to a banquet today that I prepared for the king now Haman is so excited. He's thinking everything's going my way. All of my scheming mom plotting my undermining is finally coming to fruition.
The queen is invited me to a banquet with the king were five what a happy man.
Haman was as he left the banquet think everything's going my way, to wipe out the Jews by powerful all its awesome so no going back a little bit in the book there was a threat against the king. Two of his bodyguards wanted to kill him. This became known to Mordecai was made to the king, he told the king the plot was foiled. The bodyguards were executed, but morning care was never rewarded for this wonderful act of sacrifice. So one night. The king can't get to sleep. We've all had nights like that and so you try counting cheaper drinking warm milk and sometimes reading will help put you to sleep so the king had something red to menu the king your people read to you and he says pull out that book, the history of the Persian Empire to start reading so the reading so many come across a story of the averted plot against his life because Ludwig go back over that again. What happened to that. Who was the guy who helped me there that was morally chaotic was he ever rewarded for that. No king. He wasn't really what we need to write that wrong Reminds us that there are times in our lives. We did something for someone else.
When word recognized. The Bible says your father who sees you in secret will reward you openly listen you will be rewarded for every act of kindness in every word of testimony you've given for the Lord over your life. Hebrews 610 says God is not unjust. You will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help him. So listen, God does not forget, and so now Mordecai's going to be rewarded with a story just I love it.
That's classic. So the next morning king wakes up our lesson. We got to do something about this guy that saved my life goes on in the court right now Haman is okay, bring them in here. So payment is brought into the presence of the King of Kings is all Haman. I have a question for you.
What should I do have I really want to honor someone ever really want to show them how much I appreciate what they've done. What is the best thing that I could do.
Haman was so narcissistic and wicked.
He thought the king was talking about him and is as well. If I were in your shoes. What I would do is I would put him on your royalty.
I would put royal robes on him and I would have him lead through the kingdom. This is what happens to the man that the king wants to honor the king says excellent idea to that for Mordecai Chi Chi Chi no Mordecai. Oh you can. This is like he's dying inside so he Mordecai get on the horse but on the robes disco.
He's walking to the kingdom. This is what would be done for the man at the king wants to honor Mordecai's and not their own. Very nice name of this burning up inside talk about poetic justice.
As you know, only the weight Mordecai is reaping the fruits of his good character, but when the story continues here on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie points out how Haman is about to report he has shown and then perhaps you've heard pastor Greg has just released his brand-new book called Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus a pastor.
Greg is very balanced in its look at artists who flamed out and artists whose career caught fire and artist who became on fire for Christ. Yes, you mentioned Bob Dylan released three albums with Christian content, but has been sort of an enigma that no one can quite figure out. Yes Bob Dylan is surely an enigma.
He always has been, and I suspect he always will be. Dylan is beyond just a musician. Dylan is iconic he influence so many other artists, most notably the Beatles, John Lennon admitted that a number of the songs he wrote were modeled after Bob Dylan songs Jimi Hendrix recorded Bob Dylan.
The birds recorded Bob Dylan.
He was such a man of influence and that's why it was such a shock to everyone. When Bob Dylan came out with a record that was called slow train coming and spoke boldly about his faith in Jesus Christ. I believe that Bob Dylan had a genuine conversion and for many fans of rock. It was the wrong version of the conversion of Paul on the Damascus Road.
Dylan went on to record three beautiful gospel records and I happen to think that slow train coming was some of the finest work you'd ever done but anyway in his concert. She started talking about his faith in Jesus Christ. Effectively Dylan was preaching eyewitnesses firsthand. Kathy, my wife and I went down to Santa Monica Psalm there in concert. It was not a full room and there were people yelling out again playing the old songs we don't want to hear this and Dylan was actually trying to articulate his faith. So after his third gospel record. He just stopped talking about it.
So some people concluded he didn't believe it anymore and that he had walked away from it and in fact returned to his Jewish roots because they could not believe that he could be a Jewish man, following Jesus Christ. Well, I don't see any indication in my deep dive into the life and career of Dylan that would indicate to me that he has abandon his faith.
One of his more recent records, which is a collection of Christmas songs somebody interviewing him said it almost sounds like you believe the words of the songs and the way you sing them in Dylan's response was all I do. So I think that Bob Dylan is what I would call a work in progress. You know there are people that curse God rebelled against God. Never acknowledge God and you can pretty safely say that as a nonbeliever, but they're not beyond hope and he should keep praying for them. But then there is some of made a profession of faith. They seem to have had a lapse of the fallen but don't write them off so quickly.
I call them a work in progress. Then there are others who have made a profession of faith and are still walking with the Lord. Case in point did the mood she made a commitment to Christ years ago and he still walking with Jesus Christ today Alice Cooper.
I was really addicted to drugs and alcohol in his life is going downhill fast. He could have so easily been another statistic of a rock star dying of an overdose, but he made a commitment to Christ.
He got clean and sober and he is been walking with the Lord for well over 30 years now so I explore many more stories of rock stars and we get into some of the current artist today who made professions of faith as well. Like Kanye West and Justin Bieber and others, and so we need to be praying for these iconic rock stars who have had so much success and pray that God gets hold of them and also pray that the Lord would cause them to use their massive platforms for his glory and talk about Jesus Christ, but I wrote this book to show you sort of a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to have the kind of success also to show you the challenges they face the temptations they have to deal with, but also the power of God to transform people that have hit rock bottom. It's really a message of hope maybe you know someone who needs that lifeline right now.
Maybe your friend or loved one who's going down the same path that some of these music icons are traveled and you want to show them where it leads will send pastor Greg's new book your way to thank you for your investment so that these daily studies can continue. Again, it's called Lennon Dylan, Alice and Jesus ask for it when you make your donation today.
Our phone number is 1-800-821-3300 and we can take your call anytime. That's 1-800-821-3300 or write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or go online to harvest God for next time. As we continue our study of the story of Esther came in and Mordecai see how Haman finally reaps what he so more from this fascinating account. Join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible feature. Pray for everybody. Thanks for listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God