All right, glad you're here this morning. Let's open up our Bibles to Esther chapter 4. Esther chapter 4, and starting there, we're kind of jumping into the middle of the story a little bit, all right? The story of Esther. But Esther chapter 4. You know, this past Thursday was a day set aside by Les Hill and his church folks as a day of prayer. And he sent an email out encouraging other people to participate in fasting and prayer. As the Eighth Amendment in Ireland, the law that protected the unborn babies there from being murdered in their mother's womb, as there was a referendum to vote about taking that out and leaving it up to the ministers to put something else far more liberal into the books. And sadly, it passed 66% in favor of taking it out to 33%. in favor of keeping it, and so it has gone through. But he sent that out asking people to fast and pray on that day, and I emailed him back just to encourage him, say, you know, I'll participate with you guys in doing that. And he emailed me back, thanks so much, brother. So few people want to fast. If only God's people could get a hold of fasting, I think we'd see revival. You know what, I agree. I agree with that, okay? That's a strong statement, but I think that's a true statement. Sometimes we pray about revival, ask God to do something, but I wonder if it would make a difference if we'd fast and pray as we ask God to do that. You know, in fasting and praying for that event that was gonna take place, I had some interesting or sobering thoughts as I prayed about it. I thought, you know, people who participate in voting yes to remove the amendment are signing their name to the death warrant. of all the children that are going to be put to death in their mother's womb in that country. Think about that. That is a very sobering thing that they participate in that. I believe someday at the judgment seat of God, the great white throne judgment, that they're going to give an account for that signature that they put on that piece of paper in favor of murdering those babies. Another thought I had was that mothers who are being stopped by the law from murdering their children will no longer be restrained. Instead of having to stop and wait, and yeah, some of them did travel abroad to have an abortion, but many of them perhaps, as they thought about it, they came to the conclusion, you know what, that's not really something I should do. But they're not gonna be restrained like that anymore. Another thought I had was God is the avenger of shed blood. Every child that is murdered in his mother's womb, a righteous God is gonna avenge that. God, that's a very sobering thing, that there's gonna be blood on the land. I mean, the Bible, when you read the Old Testament, that was a very serious thing, that that sin of murder, God does not let blood go unavenged. And then I thought, if we fast and pray, we're doing without a meal or two. If the law passed, they would be doing without their life. See, a lot of people would say, but I'm not, You know, I'm too into my food to give up food and to think, you know, is it really a big thing to give up food a little bit so that, you know, in the hope that God will intervene and that these children can have their lives. I thought as well, our world is big on protecting the vulnerable, but they destroy the most vulnerable. I mean, our world is all about, especially, you know, protecting a hamster, or a gerbil, or a tree, or, I mean, these things that are so vulnerable. They're big on vulnerability. But the most vulnerable infant in the mother's womb that has no voice to cry out for its own safety, they neglect, and they turn their back on, and they even assign their name to put that infant to death. Another thing I thought about is our world needs to realize that God is in control and that he responds to leaving prayer and the fasting of his people. As I participated with him, I thought what a great thing it would be if God turned this thing on its head as God can. And people stopped and thought, wow, somebody stepped in. I love that about the Trump presidency and Brexit having nothing to do with the politics of anything other than this. God did something that the whole world said is not going to happen. He sets up over it. The Bible says the basest of men. God's in control. Brexit, you know, it's not going to happen. It happened. I like things like that and it would be far better when those things take place because God's people got a hold of God and perhaps in those situations they did. And God worked specifically in answer to their prayers. Does fasting and praying sound extreme to you? You know, as you think about that idea of fasting, we're gonna look at it today. I was praying about what to preach on Thursday as I wrote this, and I mean, the context of this passage is fasting, and I'll explain kind of what's going on in the story, but they're gonna fast because it's important that they fast. You know, and I just ask you, today, does fasting seem extreme to you? In 2 Corinthians, verse six, or chapter six, Paul said, but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God. Paul, as a minister, we're talking about Paul running the race and seeking to achieve something for God. Paul desired in all areas to excel. So he lists some areas that ministers ought to excel in, and one of those areas, interestingly, verse five, is fasting. It says, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings. In other words, this was a regular part of Paul's race that we talked about this morning. Something that he did, he did without food, why? Because the cause of Christ was so great, he had to get on his knees and seek the face of God, and part of that was fasting, setting aside food. Jesus, in Matthew chapter four, verse two, says that when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he was afterward and hungered. See, now that is extreme. A 40-day and 40-night fast that our Lord Jesus Christ did. Why? Because he's getting ready to step into his earthly ministry and everything that God the Father desired him to do. And we've talked about before the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ and his dependence upon God, dependence upon the Holy Spirit to accomplish his ministry. How did he do it? By prayer and fasting. Luke 5.33, they said unto him, Jesus, why do the disciples of John fast often? Okay, that's interesting. We gotta stop and think about that. When did they fast? Often. In other words, probably weekly or multiple times a week. We know that the rich young ruler, when he came to Christ, he said, I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess, right? And so they fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of Pharisees, but thine eat and drink. And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bride chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. And perhaps, young people, you may not know what fasting is, and you're hearing me say the word, has nothing to do with speed, all right? It means to not eat. Fasting. It means that I'm doing without food so that I can pray and seek God. And I'm showing to God that it's real, it's genuine, there's really a desire in my heart for you to intervene. So Jesus said, when the bridegroom's taken away, then shall they fast in those days. You know, he's not here. Matthew 6.16, Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, moreover, when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. but thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Jesus just gave an incredible promise that, hey, you fast, God's going to reward that. God's going to bless that. God's going to get involved because you obeyed God. And you can stop and go, but why? Why? Because God said. Why? Because God promised. You know, and I think it could be like this. Remember the rich young ruler, he goes to the Lord and the Lord says, go and sell everything that you have and come and follow me. What's the Bible say? He went away sorrowful because he had great riches. I wonder if it's not like this this morning. We talk about fasting as being something that God responds to, to those that are serious in seeking God and desiring to see God work. God responds to fasting, and I think it's like this. We go away sorrowful because our appetite for food, our appetite for comfort, our lack of appetite for God is not what it should be. See, isn't that the same? He could have had so much, he went away with so little because he wasn't willing to obey and follow Christ. And I wonder this morning if the reason that we're not seeing God at work in our life, in our family, in our ministry, in our community, as we desire to see God work. It's just a very simple thing. We're not fasting. Now, I would say this. Fasting is often a life and death step. You know, I mean, there's often, in the word of God, and you read about fasting, there's something going on that is very serious taking place. For instance, David, when God said, I'm gonna judge your child, your child's gonna die. What's he do? He fasts and he prays. until that child dies. Remember the story? Why? Because a child's life is at stake, and so he does without food to seek God and gives himself fully to seeking God. Paul, on the shipwreck, you know the story in Acts 27 on the Mediterranean Sea on his way to Rome as they're battling an incredible storm. And I mean, it's been weeks that they've been in this storm. And Paul comes to them in Acts 27, verse 33, Paul besought them all to take meat, eat, saying, this day is the 14th day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. For 14 days they had fasted and sought God to intervene in the circumstance of the ship on the sea, and guess what? God did intervene, because there stood by me this night my God, right, Paul said? And he said, there's not gonna be lost any man's life among you. Wherefore, be of good cheer. Sirs, be of good cheer. For I believe God, that it shall be as it was told me. Why? Because they fasted, they prayed, they sought God, and God answered. In a very miraculous, very awesome way. So oftentimes, it is a life and death circumstance. That's our story today, okay? Just to fast forward in the story to where we're at, and we've already read the section where we're at, but what has happened In the King Ahasuerus' kingdom, he had a big party. He called for his queen, Queen Vashti, to come out and dance. And I've heard, I remember hearing that men say there are different reasons why maybe she wouldn't do that. She was pregnant or something like that, or not willing to be amusement for immoral men, or whatever the case. She wouldn't come. And the men of the kingdom said, when the other women, wives, hear that your wife didn't obey you, they're going to rebel against their husbands. And so you need to depose the queen. And so they did that. And so then they looked through the kingdom and sought fair young virgins to come and to be the next queen. A big search took place. Mordecai is a Jew. His daughter, or his niece, Esther, who he had raised, is a beautiful young lady. And she is taken into the king's house. And she's the one that's chosen to be the queen. And so she becomes Queen Esther. And so in our story as well, let me say this, we'll come to this as we as we go through the story today, but Haman hates Mordecai. Haman is a very powerful man in the kingdom. Mordecai won't bow down to him, and it offends the pride of Haman, and Haman says, I hate Mordecai, I hate his people. He gets the king to sign a writing to kill all the Jews on such and such day. And so, as this takes place, A letter goes out, Esther chapter three, verse 13. The letters were sent by post into all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the 13th day of the 12th month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for prey. It's ethnic cleansing, it's genocide, God's people, The Jews have gone through this kind of thing probably more than most. And so here's a story way before Hitler of Satan's attempt to destroy the people of God. What are they going to do? You know what they do is they get on their face before God, they fast because the danger is so real. You know, I just want to remind us this morning that the danger to God's people is very real. We'll talk about it more as we get into the message this morning. But we've got a great adversary. His name's not Haman, his name is Satan. And the Bible says about the devil, who is another title for Satan, 1 Peter 5.8, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Whose adversary? Our adversary. There's an enemy that is far greater than us. His greatest desire today is to destroy God's church. And I'd say this, he succeeded. he's out there. Luke 4 verse 2, Jesus again being 40 days tempted of the devil. Ephesians 6 verse 11, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles, the trickery of the devil. 1 Timothy 3 6, not a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 1 Timothy 3, verse 7, moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproach in the snare of the devil. 2 Timothy 2, 26, that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will. See, he is actively seeking today to destroy individuals, to destroy families. to destroy Christian education. Now, we don't have as much Christian education here in Britain as is still currently in the United States. But it is happening. Christian schools are closing. Christian universities are compromising. He's actively seeking to destroy Christianity from within cultures. And so what are we going to do? I would suggest this morning, that we ought to fast and pray because the danger is that real. It ought to be in our hearts to say, you know what? I'm going to do something we think radical, but again, as we expressed already from the Word of God, it's not something that God says radical. It's not something that Jesus taught as exceptional. He just said, when you fast, when you fast. We look at it as being something radical. So what are we gonna do about it? We can turn on the telly, tune it out, forget about it, get on with life, just say that's the way it is. Or we can participate with God and get seeking the face of God as we ought and see what God does in response to believing prayer. So let's pray this morning and ask God to speak to our hearts as we consider this idea about fasting. Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit of God would speak to our hearts this morning. Father, I thank you for this story about God's people seeking the face of God. And Father, I pray that you give us wisdom what to do. So often, Lord, I find myself crying out to you and asking and saying, Lord, what can we do? If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? God, Satan has kicked out creation. He's kicked out marriage. He's kicked out your design and your purpose for life. Father, he's undermined the authority of the Word of God, saying it's not an inspired book. And Father, if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? What can we do in the face of an entertainment-crazed, sexually perverse society that is thirsting after alcohol, thirsting after drugs, thirsting after money? Father, what can we do? Father, church has not stood as she ought to stand. She's faltering, she's falling. Yet I know, Jesus, that you're the head. And so I pray, God, that we submit to his authority today, his leadership, his guidance. Give us grace to dig in and take a stand. And I just pray, Lord, that you help us through the message of the word of God this morning. It's in Christ and we pray, amen. So the first, I'm gonna do it this morning this way. I'm gonna ask questions, okay? Our three points are gonna be questions. And the first is, how serious are you about the danger facing God's people? See, we talked about this morning, are we a runner? Are we actively involved? Are we actually doing something? And it's kind of the same idea. How serious are we about the danger facing God's people? you know, as we evaluate it and just kind of step back and look at it, we could say, as I've already said, it seems like Satan's winning. And that may sound, that's a negative statement, but if we're honest, we gotta step back and say, you know, I used to get excited growing up in church if somebody got saved and was baptized and was added to the church, but you think, as a church, that ought to be a normal thing. That would be something that takes place, can we say weekly? And has at different times in history, I mean, where people are getting saved or being born again, and that's taking place. We talked about already in Sunday school that sports have, and entertainment, have taken up the Lord's day. I heard Leonard Ravenhill this past week and a message I was listening to as I was putting out gospel flyers and listening to him and he said this, he said, Sunday has become holiday instead of holy day. It's become a day of recreation. And let me apply it to the church, because that's what we're talking about this morning. A lot of believers, their day, to be honest, on a Sunday, is more about who's playing in the afternoon, and what activity is taking place, and how it's gonna happen, and what's gonna get done, and a lot less about seeking God, and really desiring to know God, and wanting to walk with God. And so you look at that and think, wow, there is a great need today. immodestly, worldly music, have crept into churches. And it's just the norm. I mean, Facebook has promoted those things. And you're just shocked and say, but these are Christian families. And yet the modesty is so evident in things that, in worldly ways that have crept in. I'm not trying to be negative this morning. I'm trying to make us stop, look, and listen, and say, you know what? Is the church really what God intended it to be today? Is it going forward? Is God blessing? Is the power of God there? And so how serious are you about it? If you're serious about what's taking place in the church, you don't care what others think, is my first point. Esther chapter four, verse one says, when Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud and bitter cry and came even before the king's gate for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. You see Mordecai, okay, as this older man, And as he got the news that God's people were going to be annihilated, he ripped his clothing, he put on sackcloth, and he put on ashes. He came out into the public, into the midst of the city. And he wasn't silent. The Bible says that he's crying with a loud voice. And this is Queen Esther's uncle. And he's just unashamedly out there exposing himself perhaps to ridicule and mockery and other people saying, why are you so excited? Why are you so bothered? But he didn't care. Because there was something that was taking place that was so of concern to him, he's so consumed with it, he didn't care what people think. The Bible says in Proverbs 29 verse 25, the fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be saved. I wonder how many people don't get saved because they care about what people think. I wonder how many people don't get baptized because they care about what people think. I wonder how many people don't live a sanctified holy life because they care about what people think. I wonder how many people don't evangelize because they care about what people think. As we get into this idea of being concerned about, again, I'm stating this morning that it seems the church is failing, but I think there's very few people standing up and saying it's not what it ought to be. It's not what God expects. It's not what God desires. We ought to look at it. And yes, on the one hand, we ought to praise God and say, God, I'm so thankful for what you're doing in our church. And God, thank you for our church. And thank you for the people in our church. But we ought to get on our face before God and say, dear God, is this exactly what you intended to be? Or are we not getting the job done? See, we could blame God today and say, well, And we know it's true from the word of God, no man can come unto me except the Father which has sent me, draw him. But we get pretty close to those guys that heard William Carey say to them, look, we have an obligation to carry the gospel to the heathen. And they said to him, when God wants to reach the heathen, he'll do it without you. See, this morning I think it'd be good for us to rend our garments a little bit, weep a little bit, show a little anxiety about the condition of the church and say to your God, we gotta see something done by you. Are you really serious? Do you care what people think? If you're serious, you're aggrieved to the core of your being. I wrote a letter this past week to an institution that I'm very, much a part of and appreciate what I received from that institution. But writing to them and saying, you know what? All I had to do was get on the Instagram account for your sports team. I'd heard some things about what was taking place. And all I had to do was get on there and look at the immodesty that was on there. And it's so evident that there is great compromise that has taken place. And I told them, I said, it doesn't just concern me. It grieves me. See, it's not just that, okay, that bothers me. It's to the core of my being that it bothers me. That we're stepping away from what God wants us to be. And so, if you're serious, you're grieved to the core of your being. Does it bother you? And so, how do we see that in this story? How does it evidence itself that they're really bothered internally by what's taking place? In verse 3, there was fasting. It says, in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews and fasting. As soon as the situation was realized, you know what they did? I mean, this is remarkable, but it's back in the day where this was very common, I guess. As soon as they hear about it, they put away food. What a shocking response, right? Can you imagine getting home today and mom and dad saying, you know, we're not gonna eat today. Because there's something so grievous that's taken place, we just gotta seek the face of God. Again, it seems remarkable, but it's not. It's just, it was part of the fact of being a child of the living God, that to show him the seriousness and soberness of your heart, that you set those things aside. You know, there are times when people fast, you know that? Some of you have had to fast this past year for medical reasons. I've had to do the same. Some people fast for diet. I hear there's a new diet that's out that if you fast a couple times a week that it increases something that's supposed to be good for you. Interesting that something God says to do is actually good for you. I found that interesting. Prisoners at times will go on hunger strikes, right? I mean, they'll say, I'm not going to eat until this happens. And they do that to promote their cause, right? So there's reasons why people at times fast. I spoke with a lady at the register at Range last week. And she was obviously a Muslim lady. And I asked her, I said, are you Muslim? And she said, yes. And I said, are you participating in fasting for Ramadan? Because this is the month that's a holy month for the Muslims, they call it. And so they fast, and they don't eat from sunup to sundown. I said, you should have lived by the equator. Not here in Scotland, right? You live in Scotland, it's a long day. You can't eat if you're going to honor the fast, supposedly, if you're really doing that. And a lot of them are serious enough about it that they participate for that whole month because they're commanded to. Do you know, can I say this morning that we are not commanded to fast? Do you know that? I mean, we're not commanded to fast, and I think it's kind of like this, well, God hasn't commanded me to fast, so what are you saying? See, but Jesus did say when you fast. See, it is expected, though not commanded, and so I just wondered this morning, Could it be that we don't fast because we don't really see the need? We're not really burdened about it, we're not really bothered by what's taking place in the church and so we don't fast? Fasting. Then weeping and crying out, it says, there was great mourning among the Jews and fasting and weeping and wailing. It's intense grief. My wife lost a ring once when she was in college. It was finals week, and we'd been up at the dating parlor at Bob Jones. And on the serious side, all those sofas that I've talked about at different times at Bob Jones, the sofa where we sat together is where she lost it. She didn't know that. She didn't know that. I didn't know that. And I called her room when I got back from the DP. And her roommate answered the phone. And I heard a noise in the background, all right? I heard a noise in the background. And I said, they said, Katie lost her ring. And I said, is that Katie? And they're like, yes. I was like, hmm, this is something I didn't know. And by the way, I've never experienced this sense. So this is unusual. But I mean, she was grieved. Why? Because that ring that she had lost had a diamond in it from her birth mom. My wife's birth mom passed away when she was five. So I'm thinking and I'm praying. I took off running for the DP. It was closed. And I'm praying on the way there. And I'm just saying, Lord, she's going to fail our exams. It's finals week. You know, this is really important that I find this. And I went into the, by the way, I obeyed the rules at my university completely. All right. But when I got to the DP, it was closed. The door was still unlocked. I went in, security lights were on, and I'm thinking, breaking and entering. I'm going up to the side where we were, and I got down by the sofa, and it was just security lights. I couldn't see. I got down on my knees by the sofa, and I just ran my hands across the top of the sofa, and my hand closed around it. And I was singing praise to God the whole way to her dorm. Now I'm on the wrong side of campus at night, knocking on a girl's dorm. It's not something you do. And I said to the gal that opened it, you know, told her what it was, told her to give it to him. And I was fine. My dorm suit was in the dorm when I got back. And I tried to blubber to him what had happened. He's like, Ben, Ben, just go. Just go. Anyway, point is this. If you're really concerned about it, aren't you going to shed some tears? When's the last time you cried? I filled out a five minutes with column for our newspaper, The Advertiser, and that was one of the interesting questions they asked. It was a bunch of random questions, but one of them was, when is the last time you cried and why? I want to change it this morning. When's the last time you cried about a spiritual need? When's the last time that you wept because you so desired God to get involved in God to do something? See, again, why aren't we fasting? Well, could it be that we don't care? We don't care. We don't care enough about our need, we don't care enough about our family need, we don't care enough about our church need, we don't care enough about our neighbor's needs, our community's needs, Scotland's need for the gospel. Because if we really cared, it would show on our face. You could see it on the face of those Jewish people as this law came out. They were weeping. When's the last time, again, that you wept desiring God to work? Other of God's servants have, Jeremiah the weeping prophet said in Jeremiah chapter nine verse one, oh that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people. He's asking God, he's saying to God, God give me tears. Oh God that I could so weep that I'd be so moved. Paul cared. Acts 20 verse 31, therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years, I cease not to warn everyone night and day with tears. I mean, look at these men of God that accomplished something great for God. And Paul said, you're a witness to this fact that I cease not to warn everyone night and day with tears. Hebrews 5.7, Jesus. Did you get it? Strong cryings and tears? Who? Our Lord? I mean, in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood, In the Garden of Seventy, could he possibly have sweat great drops of blood without tears flowing out of his eyes as he wept before his God? He is God, and he is a God who weeps. John 11, 35, Jesus wept. You know, perhaps today, as we talk about fasting, maybe we just need to add, God break our hearts. God give us tears. See, we got a lot of, we got a lot of, is it Novocaine? Is that the, we got a lot of pain relief, is that what it is? What's that for, teeth? What's Novocaine, is that a drug or something? Nobody knows. Maybe it's a US drug. We got a lot of things to salve the heart, right? I can turn on the telly, I can amuse myself, I can turn on sports, I can amuse myself, I can do hobbies, I can amuse myself, I can dull myself to the need that's there. Or I could ask God, God, help me to weep. Help me to get burdened about it. Because God, we gotta get serious about what needs to be done for the Lord. And so they wept. There was mourning. It says that many lay in sackcloth and ashes. See, the Jews were really good about expressing their grief outwardly. They would just go, and they put on sackcloth and ashes and they walk out and everybody goes, they're mourning. And God wasn't in favor of just that outward sign. Mordecai didn't have just the outward sign. We know that. We know he's mourning biblically. We see that in his fasting and prayer and seeking God. We see that. When I was at Yad Hashmanah. in Israel near Jerusalem. It's a Messianic Jewish settlement, very near the place where the Ark, when it was taken by the Philistines, and then after all the people died from looking into it, it was taken to a man's property right next to this place, Yad Hashbanah. It's pretty neat. But they had a biblical gardens, and they had a statue of a man rending his garment. And the verse that was there was Joel 2.13. See the mourning that God desires today as we talk about fasting is not us outward show, rending our garments. It's us from our heart, rending our heart before God saying God, We deserve it. See, the Jews, I wonder this, and I don't know this because the Bible doesn't tell us, but as the Jews are going into this season of annihilation, could it be as it often was that they have been in rebellion against God? that they are in disobedience to God. So in mourning, as they weep, as they rend their garments, it's not just an outward sign, but it has to be them getting on their face before God and saying, God, we don't deserve you to intervene, but oh God, would you intervene? And see, if we're honest today, we'd have to say God's church doesn't deserve God to intervene. If we are the evangelists that we needed to be, if we're sanctified like we needed to be, if we were, Fasting as we ought to have been fasting, if we're praying as we ought to have been praying, there'd be no reason to biblically mourn. But could we say that today? Or could we not honestly say, you know what, there's every reason to rend my heart before God and say, God, I'm sorry. I haven't been as burdened about your church as I ought to have been. And so how serious are you? If you're serious, last thing, you refuse false comfort. Verse four, so Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved, and she sent Raymond to clothe Mordecai and to take away his sackcloth from him, but he received it not. You know, she sends him clothing. And you almost sense that Esther's a little embarrassed that her uncle is out there acting this way. And so she sends him some happy clothes to put on so that he doesn't look so sorrowful anymore. And yet the Bible says, but he received it not. Again, the last thing I want to do is discourage us more. I want to encourage us that there's something that we can do about the problem, but that there is a problem. And see, it could be like this, we could put on happy clothes, and all Christians, and let's imagine a large assembly that's still meeting in this day and age, and we could come with our happy clothes, put our happy clothes on, and look like everything's fine, and hey, wasn't that a great service, and I'm so glad to be in church, and there are sincere ways in which we ought to say that. But in another sense, there ought to be in our hearts that desire to say, oh, God, where is the church that's going to stand? Where's the church that's going to fight? Where's the church that's going to accomplish great things to the glory of God? And same with David. Is there not a cause? And so there ought to be a sense where we refuse false comfort, where we don't just put on our happy face and put on our nice clothes and say, isn't this great? And things are going so well. Again, I want us to not be negative in the sense of not appreciating what God does, but at the same time, in a sanctified way saying, but God, isn't there so much more that you desire to do? And God, are we really what you desire us to be? And so if you're serious, you refuse false comfort. OK, so how serious are you? Secondly, and these next two points are going to go quick, OK, how aware are you of the danger facing us people? See, you might be sitting here this morning and you think, Pastor, you're on some other planet. Where's this coming from this morning? As Esther hears about this for the first time, She sends Hatik to Mordecai. And as he gets to him, Mordecai, it says in verse seven, told him all that had happened unto him and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews to destroy them. And in chapter three, we know the story and what took place and how I've already related that. And so this law is in effect. And Mordecai tells her firsthand, Esther, this is what's happening. This is real. This is taking place. And Esther, the need is great. Firsthand account. I want us to stop and listen to the firsthand accounts of what's taking place right now in our society. You know we've got hate crime legislation that makes it very difficult for street preachers? Do you know we've got Ireland? a country that stood up for pro-life that has joined with the world in pro-abortion. We've got homosexual marriage. We've got anti-smacking legislation that's being put through the system here in Scotland that should go into effect this year. We've got the Named Persons Scheme that wants to put a state-appointed guardian over every household in Scotland. See, there's liberties, there are freedoms that are being pecked away, being taken away. And listen, not just in decades, but in years. We've got some scary stuff taking place in our society. Sit up against God. We've got the cake in Northern Ireland, those people being prosecuted because they wouldn't make a homosexual cake. We've got Christians wearing crosses and things in the workplace being prosecuted. We've got people that are praying with non-Christian co-workers and being prosecuted. Not to mention everything that's happening as we talked about in our churches and the decline in our churches, the lack of Christianity in our society. Who would have thought 100 years ago that Christianity could be extinct in the year 2000? But it's getting that way. I understand this morning God's in control, but the reality is we got to stop, look, and listen. We got to get the firsthand account out of the mouth of Mordecai saying, Esther, it's real. This is happening. And there ought to be in our hearts something that wakes up and goes, you know what? We need to do something about this. So we got to get that report. Secondly, He gives her a copy to read herself. He sends back a hard copy. And so in verse eight, it says, he gave the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther and to declare unto her and to charge her that she should go in unto the king to make supplication unto him and to make requests before him for her people. And Hathor came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. And so Mordecai's message comes back, but then Esther reads it herself. You know, I understand this morning we could read in the Word of God some serious scripture. This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come, men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, incontinent, not fearing God. Guess what? We're living in the last days. So what do we do? Roll over, play dead, and go, well, God said it'd be that way. Or do we get on our face before God and say, dear God, these Scottish people, if they don't repent, they're gonna die, they're gonna spend eternity in the lake of fire. Jesus Christ died so that they don't have to go there. He shed his blood so that they could be forgiven, so that they could be saved. The power of the blood is as great today as it was in the day that Christ shed it. God, you're able to save souls today, despite the internet, despite the TV, despite the worldliness and the compromise. When's the church gonna get on its face before God and say, God, I see the need? You know, and that's it, isn't it? I mean, why would we mourn? Why would we weep? Why would we fast if we still look around and go, but I don't see it? Or we can look at it and say, you know, the danger is great. Why don't we do something? And so, finally, how will you address the danger facing God's people? How are you going to address it? You know, Esther's first response is actually an excuse. The first response is, but I can't, I can't do anything about this. She says to Mordecai in verse 10, and then verse 11, all the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces do know that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king and to the inner court who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter that he may live. But I've not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.' And they told to Mordecai Esther's words." Do you know, Matthew, if she went into the king and the king hadn't called her, and if he didn't lower that golden scepter down, that she was to be taken from that place and she'd be put to death. You know what she said? I can't go in unto the king. And that sounds logical, right? And we can think of, logically, a lot of reasons why, okay, but, but, but, but, but, and we can have all these excuses for the condition of the church and the way she is in this day, or we can stop and go, you know what? But there really is no excuse. Esther's saying it's impossible. But with God, all things are possible. We know she's gonna succeed. And we can look at it and say, it's not possible. But listen, with God, all things are possible. But the first response probably is going to be excuse. It might be in your heart today. I can't fast. Is that what your heart's saying? And pastors preach on fasting. I'm not going to do that. And I'm not trying to, again, be negative. That might be your heart. You think, well, whatever. Or we can go, you know what, maybe that is something that I can do because the need is real, the need is great. And so, listen to what Mordecai does. He takes away her excuses. First of all, he says to her, there's nowhere safe from danger. Verse 13, then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. See, did they know her nationality? No. They will. They will. She's going to make it known. But, no, she's, so she's kind of, she could be, get me, she could be a secret Jew. There's a lot of Christians in a lot of churches that want to be secret churches. You know how they do that? They said, we'll just kind of blend in with the world. Okay, they want homosexuals to get married? No problem. They want to deny the truth of the word of God? Not a problem. They want to have worldly wicked music in the church? Not a problem. They try to blend in the king's house. Problem is this, what's happening to Christianity because of that? They're not saving it by compromise, are they? They're not saving it by secrecy. They're not safe in the king's house. It's already destroyed because they haven't taken a stand. Jesus says, the way, the truth. You can't sell the truth and still have Christ. And so, safety today is not for the church to blend in and say, okay, let's just exist here. No, you can't. You can't. No such thing as a secret church that's gonna make a difference for God. So there's nowhere safe from this danger. Second, to be silent is to sell out God's people. Verse 14 says, Mordecai, what are you saying? I'm saying to my niece, God always has a savior. See, God is gonna get it done. God is not bothered in heaven thinking, oh, I don't know what to do. God is gonna get it done. God's gonna deliver some way, but you're not gonna be a participant in it, and you're gonna lose because of it. Remember, it's that candle going out that the Bible speaks about in Revelation. You're not gonna stand up for me, I'll just blow the candle out. And so he warns her, listen, to be silent is to sell out God's people. Jacob DeShazer, we're listening to his biography right now, he's gonna become a Christian, he's not yet, but when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Jacob DeShazer was part of the response. They got an aircraft carrier, the Hornet, with their B-22 bombers, put them on the deck of that ship, because there's no room in the hold for them, took them across the ocean from San Francisco to Japan. And they took off from an aircraft carrier. It had never been done. They hadn't even done it. They didn't practice it. They practiced on a piece of field, all right? They took off with the 16 bombers on a death run. Basically, it was suicidal almost. I mean, there was a chance they could live, but the chance was they'd die. You know, they gave those men multiple opportunities to get out of that. Lieutenant General Doolittle said to them, and he was one of the ones going on the mission, several times, if you don't want to participate, you don't have to. If you wanna stop now, just say it. Many times, but those men were gonna fight, they're gonna stand, they're gonna stand up and be counted. And I just say to us, you know, why not stand up? Why not take a stand and say, God, you know, the saying has been said, the world has yet to see what God can do from a man wholly given to him. D.L. Moody, the biographer, said, I'll be that man. What about you? What about standing up and being counted and saying, you know what, all right, let's make a difference. Let's take a stand for God. To be silent is to forget the privilege God has given you. Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther, don't forget your privilege. She was beautiful. She was a great personality. Why had God given that to her? God had given that to her so that she would become the queen, so that she'd be in a position to save God's people when the time came. Why was Joseph sold into slavery? You meant unto evil, but God meant it unto good. Why that privileged position that came to him eventually as second in command in Egypt? Why did he have that? Why did Daniel rise up to such prominence? Even there in Babylon, is it not because God had a plan to deliver His people? Why has God allowed you to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior? Why do you have the light? You ever think about that? I used to think about that growing up as a kid. God, why? So many people don't believe in you. So many people don't know you. They're not saved. God, why have you been given such a privilege? Do you know what the answer is? so that I could tell others, so that we could be the light, so that our church could succeed, so that by God's grace, we could start a gospel lighthouse here in Lone Head that would shine brightly, and it can by the power of God, but it might be us getting on our face before a God and saying, God, we have tried eight years. It's not happening. And again, I'm very thankful for where we're at as a church, I am. But I'll say this, if this is all that ever happens here, My heart before God is even this. Say we had 100 people here, I wouldn't say, God, that's a success, because there's hundreds of thousands of people outside of here that are on their way to hell. See, what we need is not just a church established, we need revival. See, and if we understood it as it is, can we not weep and get on our face before God and say, our community is going to hell? See, I ought to break our hearts. And so what are you going to do? Are you gonna act? Verse 15. Then Esther bade them return, Mordecai this answer. Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I also and my maidens will fast likewise. So will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law, and if I perish, I perish. So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther had commanded him. Esther's getting ready to do this. She's going to walk into the king's presence. And if she dies, she dies. Fast forward to the end of the story, King Lourdes accepts her. She has a banquet. with Haman and the king. She exposes Haman for who he is. He's hung on a gallows. The Jews kill their enemies. They spoil them instead of them being spoiled. God's people were victorious because people got on their face before God and they fasted and prayed. Let me ask you, would she have succeeded in going before the king if they hadn't fasted and prayed? Answer, I don't think so. I don't believe so. Any more than I believe Paul would have been spared shipwreck if they hadn't fasted and prayed. Because this kind goeth not forth but by prayer and fasting. See, we can be depressed, and I'll tell you, your pastor is burdened about seeing the hand of God work in our church. But are we gonna see it take place? if we're not gonna weep, if we're not gonna fast. Listen, fasting is so very biblical. If we're not gonna pray, and see, fasting, I would say this about fasting, if I'm not doing the little disciplines of reading my Bible and praying and living a sanctified life, there's no way I'm gonna fast. It's not gonna happen. But if I have the spiritual maturity to say to God, God, I need to participate in that, I'm gonna do what's right, I'm gonna honor you, I'm gonna fast, I really believe that what my buddy Les Hill said is true. If God's people would get a hold of fasting, we'd see revival. And we can walk away sorrowful, and we can continue to come week after week, year after year, and say, well, it's just the way it is, it's hard times. Or we could get on our face before God and say, God's gotta change. Asked to. God, it's John Knox, give me Scotland or I die. It's God's same revival or we die. The church is dying. So what are we going to do about it? If you're serious, there's something you can do. Fast. And so the title of the message, you might thought, well that's a negative title. I don't know if I told you the title. The title is, Why Aren't You Fasting? And you might think, well that's negative. How do you know we're not fasting? I don't know that you're not fasting. I would just say this. I would think the majority of Christians don't fast. But the Bible says, when ye fast. Jesus said, then shall ye fast. So I wonder this morning, if that isn't the reason why we're not seeing God do what we desire to see him do. Because this kind goeth not forth but by prayer and fasting. God help us to honor him and obey him. Let's pray. Father, I pray that you take your word, put it deep into our hearts. Father, I pray that we do without so that we can honor God. I pray, Spirit of God, give us grace to get in there and do something for Jesus. I pray, Lord, speak to our hearts about fasting. It might be such a thing that we need to repent this morning and say, God, I'm so sorry. I haven't seen the need as I should. I'm not as concerned as I ought to be, and I do need to fast. And Lord, we need wisdom in fasting. Father, it's not fasting to prove anything to you or earn righteousness. We're fasting in obedience. I mean, that's what you said to do, so we're going to do it. It's like getting baptized, Lord. We don't get baptized to earn favor with God. We get baptized because you said to. So I pray, Spirit of God, help us not to make excuses anymore. Help us not to put it off and say, well, that's for other people. Lord, I guess the thing we'd have to understand is if we're not fasting, we don't really care. we're not really serious about it. Lord, we're not serious about our spirituality, we're not serious about our family, we're not serious about our community, we're not serious about our church, we're not serious about seeing you work, because Father, otherwise, surely this morning, having heard the message, we'd say, you know, there's a need to fast. And so I just pray, Spirit of God, would you have your way in our hearts this morning? It's in Christ's name I pray, amen.