March 8, 2020
Esther 9:18-28
Neither Slumber Nor Sleep (Purim)
Pastor Bryan Watson

Good morning.  Let’s begin with a word of prayer.

Our Precious Heavenly Father, as we consider this text today, please help us to understand the message that You want us to receive.  Help us to see and know how You hold all events and circumstances in Your hand, and nothing is beyond Your reach.  May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be found pleasing in Your sight, O God.  Amen.

If any of you have been paying attention to your wall calendars, you may have noticed that tomorrow is marked with an event that few of us are familiar with: Purim.  Now, what exactly is Purim?  Well, I’m glad you asked!  Given the event on the calendar, I’m going to do a bit of teaching today, and it’s primarily going to take the form of a story!  So, a little bit different from the way that I usually preach a sermon.

Turn with me in your Bibles, if you will, to the Book of Esther, Chapter 9, verses 18 to 28.

18The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. 

19That is why rural Jews-those living in villages-observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other. 

20Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 

21to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 

22as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. 

23So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. 

24For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. 

25But when the plot came to the king's attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 

26(Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur .) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, 

27the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. 

28These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants.

So, that’s the scriptural origin of the feast of Purim, but what is this really all about, anyway, and why should it matter to us today?

I think the best place to start is with the main plot line.  If you can remember this, then everything will make sense as we go along.  And if you get lost, just come back to this plot line.  And here it is:

In Genesis chapter 3, tempted by Satan, Adam and Eve rebelled against God.  God punished Adam and Eve by pronouncing a curse on the world, and He punished Satan as well.  But God followed up that punishment with a promise, from Genesis 3:15 - “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."   That is God’s promise of a Saviour, and for thousands of years, Satan tried to block that promise.  Remember that plot line, because that’s the main context for everything I am going to say next.

The incident that takes place in the Book of Esther is one example of how Satan has used events in world history to try to thwart God’s redemptive plan.  Let’s take a closer look.

As the curtain opens on our story, which takes place approximately 483-471 BC, we are introduced to King Ahasuerus, the ruler of the Persian Empire.  Ahasuerus was what he was known as in Hebrew.  By the Greeks, he was known as Xerxes.  Depending on your Bible translation, you may see one or the other.

As the king of the Persian Empire, Ahasuerus ruled over a very large territory, part of which comprised the former Babylonian Empire, as the Persians had conquered the Babylonians.  The Persian Empire includes Israel, which had been conquered by Babylon.  By this time, the Jews who had been taken captive in the Babylonian exile had been allowed to return to Jerusalem, but many of them had chosen to stay in Persia.  For our story, it’s important to remember that the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem were still part of the Persian Empire, and therefore, subject to Ahasuerus.

Now, Ahasuerus was planning a big war against the Greeks, who were an up-and-coming empire on the world stage.  Remember, Daniel predicted that the Greeks would take over from the Persians.  Well, Ahasuerus had a big 6-month war planning party with his main generals, and at the end of the 6 months, he hosted a major drinking party.  In his stupor, he thought it would be a good idea to call for his wife, Vashti, to come and display her beauty to his drunken guests.  Does that sound like a good idea?  No?  Well, Vashti didn’t think so either, so she said no.

Now, it doesn’t really bode well for people to say no to the king.  To make a long story short, she got “fired” as the queen.  And Ahasuerus went off to war against the Greeks.

The Greeks defeated Ahasuerus, and he came back to Persia, licking his wounds.  After his embarrassing loss to the Greeks, he needed a diversion to save face before his people.  With Queen Vashti out of the picture, it was the perfect time to look for a new queen.

Enter Esther and her guardian, her cousin Mordecai.  They were among the Jews still living in Persia.  Mordecai told Esther to keep her Jewish heritage a secret.  The Bible isn’t clear why, but it could be that there was an anti-Jewish sentiment in the empire.  Part of that could have stemmed from the trouble that was going on back in Jerusalem.  The Book of Ezra, in Chapter 4, talks about some trouble-makers in Jerusalem who wrote a letter to King Ahasuerus accusing the Jews of treasonous activity.  This may have prompted trouble for the Jews back in Persia, and may be part of the reason why Esther was told to keep her heritage a secret, especially given her role in the palace.  But we don’t know for sure, so that is speculation on my part.

Going back to Ahasuerus, hundreds of beautiful young ladies are taken captive and made part of his harem.  They are forced to undergo a year-long process of training and beauty treatments.  (And I get frustrated when Lori takes 15 minutes to get ready to go out!)  At the end of the year he selects Esther to be Queen of Persia.

Not long after, Mordecai is sitting at the king’s gate, as he usually did, waiting to hear news about Esther.  While there, Mordecai uncovers a plot by two of the king’s servants to assassinate the king.  The plot is foiled, and Mordecai’s service to the king is recorded in the official palace chronicles, but Mordecai is NOT given a reward.  This is important to remember, as we’ll see later.

We are now introduced to a new character, Haman.  He is the Prime Minister of Persia, and #2 in the empire to Ahasuerus. 

In order to get the full understanding of Haman’s character, we need to understand a little bit about his background.  Haman is an Agagite.  The Agagites were descended from the Amalekites.  What does that mean?  Well, going back to the Book of Genesis, Amalek was a descendant of Esau, Jacob’s brother.  From him came the group of people called the Amalekites.  In the book of Exodus, the Amalekites attacked Israel after Israel left Egypt.  Basically Satan, through the Amalekites, tried to wipe out the Jews, and thereby, the Messianic line, right there.  But he failed.  And God pronounced judgment on the Amalekites in Exodus 17:14 – Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

(I know it’s complicated, but it’s important to understand this for how it plays in to the book of Esther.)

Fast-forward to the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 15.  Israel’s king, Saul, is at war with a man named Agag, who was the king of the Amalekites.  Saul was commanded to wipe Agag out completely, but he disobeys God and spares Agag.  Eventually, Agag is killed by the Prophet Samuel.  It is from Agag that Haman is descended, which is why Haman has a deep-seated hatred for the Jews.  And especially Mordecai, who is from the family line of Saul.

Esau vs Jacob.  Amalek vs Israel.  Agag vs Saul.  Haman vs Mordecai.  The battle continues generation after generation after generation.

Now if there was one thing that Haman liked more than anything else, it was himself!  As the Prime Minister, people were supposed to bow to him whenever they saw him.  And they did…, everyone that is, except for Mordecai.  Now, I’m not sure if it’s because of that generational feud with Haman’s ancestry, or something else, but there was no way that Mordecai was going to bow down to Haman.  His pride wounded, this was all the motivation that Haman needed to escalate the situation.  Appealing to the king’s own pride, and promising to deposit a large sum of money into the king’s treasury, Haman convinced Ahasuerus to sign an edict that allows the Persians to kill all the Jews in the empire and plunder their wealth.  A lucky day is chosen, about 11 months in the future, by casting a lot, which is like rolling a dice.  In Persia, it’s called a pur, spelled p-u-r.

Remember, “all the Jews in the empire” would include those the Jews who went back to Jerusalem, since Jerusalem is part of the Persian Empire.  In the background, you can see Satan smiling, because he thinks the Messianic line is about to be wiped out.

Knowing that the situation means potential annihilation of the Jews, Mordecai set about to inform Queen Esther, whose position in the palace may enable her to influence the king to cancel the decree.  But Esther was reluctant to go before the king.  Anyone who appears uninvited risks being put to death.  But Mordecai knows the scriptures, and he knows that the Messianic line will be preserved one way or another.  He knew 2 Samuel 7:16, God’s promise to David: “16Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me ; your throne will be established forever."  

And so he said to Esther in Esther 4:14. – “If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" 

So, after 3 days of fasting and praying, Esther made herself up to be as majestic as possible, and risking her life, she went uninvited before the king.  Pleased at the sight of her, Ahasuerus was curious to know what was so important that Esther was willing to risk her life for it.  He asks her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."

Already having caught the unpredictable Ahasuerus off-guard once, Esther does not want to risk his reaction in front of all his officials, so she invites the king and Haman to a private banquet at her palace apartment.

Arriving at Esther’s banquet, the king is even more curious now about what Esther really wants.  He knows she wouldn’t risk her life just to invite him to dinner!  So, what’s up?  He asks a second time, "Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted." 

And so Esther says… “Another banquet.  Tomorrow night.  I’ll tell you then.” 

I can’t even begin to imagine the curiosity that the king felt.  And I really can’t imagine how Esther felt… waiting and rehearsing what she would say to the king must have dragged on and on and on.  There’s no real explanation as to why Esther did this, except that we get to see the hand of God working a little more to put Ahasuerus and Haman in just the right positions for what happens next.

As for Haman, strutting like a peacock on his way home, he has another encounter with Mordecai, who still won’t bow down.  Haman goes home in a fury, where he proceeds to tell all his family and friends about his own greatness, then says, “But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate.”

At the advice of his wife and friends, Haman built a gallows, and planned to get permission from the king to hang Mordecai on it the next day.

But something funny happened that night.  A case of divine insomnia occurred in the palace, and Ahasuerus tossed and turned until he called one of his servants for help.  He asked the servant to read from the kingdom chronicles.  That would be like turning on the parliamentary channel.  And so the servant read from the chronicles until he came to the story about Mordecai saving the king from an assassination attempt several years earlier.  Upon learning that Mordecai had received no reward, Ahasuerus is determined to right that wrong as soon as possible.

When you look at the situation, you can’t help but see the hand of God.  The king could have had insomnia any night, but why that night?  He could have asked for any entertainment, from musicians to poets to concubines.  Why did he ask for the palace chronicles?  And of all the years’ worth of chronicles, why did the servant read that episode to the king?  If Mordecai had been rewarded years ago when he should have been, all of that would have been forgotten by the king by now.  If Haman hadn’t arrived exactly when he did, he would not have been consulted about Mordecai’s reward.  Surely God is in control! 

Haman can’t wait.  In the wee hours of the morning, he enters the palace and is invited into the king’s bedchamber, expecting to get permission to hang Mordecai.  Instead, the king speaks first, asking Haman how a man who pleases the king should be honored.  Haman, thinking that the king MUST be talking about him (because who else would deserve an honor like that), suggested an elaborate way of boosting his own pride.  To his surprise and shame, it is Haman himself who is ordered to honor Mordecai!  A horrific and unexpected turn of events for Haman.

I used to think that this was God’s way of providing ironic justice, but I’ve changed my mind on that because I know that God isn’t full of malice like humans can be.  He doesn’t delight in rubbing people’s noses in it.  I think that God is giving Haman a huge, giant, big flashing warning light here.  “Turn, Haman!  It’s not too late, Haman!  Repent, Haman!”  Haman should have seen the writing on the wall when he had to honor Mordecai at the king’s request.  2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord… is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”  And that would include Haman.  But Haman would have none of it even after his wife and advisors warn him that night. 

At the queen’s banquet the next day, Ahasuerus doesn’t know it yet, but through the events of the past day and night, God has prepared his heart to hear what Esther has to say.  For the third time, the king asks, "Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted." (Esther 7:2) 

This time, Esther tells the king the whole story, with Haman present.  For the first time, Ahasuerus realizes that Esther is a Jew, and that Haman has tricked him into signing the death warrant of his own queen.  In a rage, he orders Haman hung on his own gallows… the one he intended for Mordecai.  What a difference a day makes!  One day ago, Haman was on top of the world.  A day later, he is executed because of his own wickedness.  Psalm 33:10-11 says, - The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples.  But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.

But that’s not the end of the story.  You see, Haman might be dead, but his decree is very much alive.  And because according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, the king is basically a deity and can do no wrong, his decrees can’t be wrong either.  Since they can’t be wrong, they can’t be changed.  So the original decree proclaiming death to the Jews still stands.

Now Ahasuerus might be many things, but he’s not stupid.  In order to show his newfound support of the Jews, Ahasuerus promotes Mordecai to Haman’s place, and gives Haman’s estate to Esther, who in turn gives it to Mordecai.  Mordecai joins the likes of Joseph in Egypt, and Daniel in Babylon, in becoming an international statesman.  With the support of the king, Mordecai issues a new decree that authorizes the Jews to defend themselves.

Most of the people in the empire can take the hint.  As we read in Esther 9:3, “And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king's administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them.”  But even still, the Jews killed 75,000 people in self-defense.  I said MOST of the people could take the hint, but I guess some can’t.

And that brings us to the Feast of Purim.  As we read in our text, Mordecai the Jew instituted the Feast of Purim.  Named after the “pur,” or lot, the feast of Purim is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the Jews’ deliverance from the hand of the wicked Haman.

In some ways, the 1st and 2nd edicts of Ahasuerus are like the Old and New Covenants.  The first edict, through Haman, brought only death to the Jews.  Likewise, under the Old Covenant, the penalty
of sin was death, period.  But God satisfied the Old Covenant with the death of Christ, and through His Resurrection, enacted the New Covenant, which makes it possible for sinners to be saved.  Likewise, under the second edict, through Mordecai, it was made possible that the Jews might be saved from certain death.

To be sure, Purim is not a Christian holiday, and we are not required to observe it.  But I don’t think we are out of place to rejoice with our Jewish friends, because the benefit to us is the preservation of the family line that brought us Jesus Christ!

Lessons

1.       Esther couldn’t do everything, so she did what she could.  In an interesting illustration, “it was her interceding at the throne that saved the people from slaughter.”  Likewise WE should be interceding at the throne of OUR King that the lost should be saved.

a.      
“It was a master stroke of the devil when he got the church and the ministry so generally to lay aside the mighty weapon of prayer.” – R.A. Torrey (evangelist and Bible teacher)

2.       God always keeps His promises, even when it seems like He is silent.  Psalm 121:4 - Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  Consider the ways in which He protected the
Messianic line:

a.       Pharaoh tried to drown all the Hebrew baby boys.  The midwives disobeyed him. (Exodus 1)

b.      Amalek tried to destroy Israel and failed. (Exodus 17)

c.       Athaliah tried to kill all the male heirs to king, but she missed one: Joash. (2 Chronicles 22:10-12)

d.      The Jews were exiled both to Assyria and to Babylon.  They returned from Babylon.

e.      Haman attempted to wipe out the Jews in Persia

f.       
The Greek Emperor, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, tried to exterminate the Jews around 150 BC.  He was defeated.

g.       Herod tried to kill Jesus by killing all the baby boys in Bethlehem.  Jesus escaped with the intervention of an angel.

3.       God is in control of history.  He knows the end from the beginning, and we can trust in Him.  God preserved Israel, even after the Messiah was born, through the likes of Hitler and the Holocaust.  Prophecy must be fulfilled, and Israel became a nation again in 1948, with the Holocaust being the catalyst for it. 

a.      
Ironically, the First Gulf War, which included Saddam Hussein’s assault on Israel, came to an end on Feb 28, 1991 on the Feast of Purim.  Hussein is gone.  Israel is still here.

b.     
Jeremiah 31:35-36 - This is what the Lord says, He who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the Lord Almighty is His name:  "Only if these decrees vanish from My sight," declares the Lord , "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before Me."

God keeps His Word, even when He seems to be silent. 

Amen! 
Let’s pray.

Loving and Eternal God, how comforting it is to know that despite all the chaos in the world around us, You are still in control.  War is not greater than You.  Disease is not greater than You.  The economy is not greater than You.  The environment is not greater than You.  You are above all, and You are in charge of all.  Thank You that we are in Your hands as well.  In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

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March 22, 2020
Philippians 4:6-8
Think About It!
Pastor Bryan Watson
(Download or Print Sermon Notes)
(Watch the Sermon on YouTube)

Good morning. Let us open our sermon time together with a word of prayer.

Merciful Father in Heaven, if ever there was a time that we need to hear Your Word, it is now. I pray, Father, that You will pour out upon me Your Holy Spirit, that I might bring a word of truth to your church this day. I pray that everything that I say would be from You, for the benefit of Your people. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.

Well. This is different. I’m not going to lie to you, it seems more than a little odd to be preaching to a camera instead of a sanctuary full of people. But we can thank our God that whether we are here in an enclosed sanctuary, or spread out over cyberspace, the Word of God is victorious! Jesus said that He would build His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, Amen? Amen!

Turn with me in your Bibles, if you will, to Philippians Chapter 4. We’ll be looking at verses 6 through 8. I’ve titled my message for today, “Think About It!” It will be self-explanatory as to why when we read our text: Philippians Chapter 4 verses 6 to 8.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Over the past few days and weeks, how many times have you heard or read the phrase, “We are living in uncertain times?” I hear it multiple times a day, and I’m ashamed to say that I’ve even been guilty of saying it myself in the article I wrote for the Four Town Journal this past week. Every time I open an email from some corporate official that starts out with, “We are living in uncertain times,” I want to reply with, “Really? I hadn’t noticed!” The fact is, however, that for a Christian, this time doesn’t have to be an uncertain time. Not at all! Is it a challenging time? Yes. Is it a peculiar time? Absolutely. I’ve never seen anything like it in my 46 years. But is it an uncertain time? Not a chance. As a Christian, every time should be a certain time, in that we can be certain that our faith in Jesus Christ is well placed.

Let me explain what I mean by that. You see, uncertainty creates anxiousness. We don’t know what’s going to happen, and therefore we are anxious. We are troubled. We worry that things are either going to get worse, or at the very least, not get any better. And the truth is that I do it, you do it, most of us do it, but as Christians, we don’t have to do it.

In today’s text, Paul gives us 3 instructions, with a promise sandwiched in the middle, that helps us to deal with anxiety. So, let’s look at what Paul is telling us in these verses.

1. Do Not Be Anxious

First off, we have a command. “Do Not Be Anxious.” It is not a suggestion, like “Please don’t be anxious.” Or “You don’t have to be anxious.” No. It is a command. Do not be anxious. The apostle Peter said something similar in 1 Peter 5:7 when he said that we are to “cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

And Jesus Himself said in Luke 12:25, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

“Ok, fine,” you say. “I won’t be anxious.” (I’m not anxious. I’m not anxious. I’m not anxious. I’m not anxious….. I’m anxious!”

The fact is, however, that gritting our teeth and deciding not to be anxious is not going to work, and Paul knew that. We’re human. We can choose not to act on our feelings, but it is very difficult to choose to not feel something based on pure willpower. That’s why Paul not only tells us what we should NOT do… (be anxious)… but he immediately tells us what we SHOULD do.

2. We are to Pray

And that is our second point: we are to pray. Pray! Well, that’s simple enough, isn’t it? Well, apparently not. Paul knows us enough to know that if he just tells us to pray in order to defeat our anxiety, all we’re going to do is pray to God about whatever is making us anxious, and not say anything else. Thankfully, Paul gives us a 4-step plan to praying when we are anxious:

I: Pray in Everything

First of all, we are to pray in everything. In everything. We are to pray in the big things. We are to pray in the small things. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our anxiety that we forget to pray, or we don’t want to pray. And sometimes we think our petty little concerns are too small to bring to the Creator of the Universe, so we don’t pray because we don’t want to bother Him. But both of these thoughts are lies, and they are certainly not what Jesus said. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus said, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Trust me, we aren’t bothering Him. He is already there in our everything, so we should pray to Him in everything.

II: Pray in Adoration

When Paul uses the phrase, “prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,” all three of those form the basis of general prayer. But the first word in that phrase, the word “prayer,” is specifically referring to adoration. So, the second thing we are to do is to pray in adoration, or praise. When we are anxious, we need to get alone with God and worship Him. Worship reminds us of who He is, and who we are. It reminds us that there is nothing too big for God. In Jeremiah 32:27, God says, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”

iII: Pray with Petition

Third, we are to pray with petition. This simply means to bring our requests to God. Rather than fret over them, we are to bring them to God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:7 that we are to “Ask, and it will be given to you.” And James 4:2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.” Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, O Lord , you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” So when we pray, we should feel confident in bringing our requests to God. He cares for us!

As Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

iV: Pray with Thanksgiving

We are also to pray with thanksgiving. How many of us feel unappreciated when we do something for someone and they don’t even say thanks. We need to remember that God has done great and marvelous things for us, and He deserves some appreciation. Not because God needs our appreciation, but because being grateful helps us to have the character attributes we need in order to be successful. In Luke 17, Jesus healed 10 lepers. However, only one turned back to offer thanks to Jesus. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Jesus blessed the former leper who returned to thank Him. So we should pray with thanksgiving when we pray to God.

v: We Will Receive the Promise of Peace

It is here, after we have taken the action to pray with adoration, and petitions, and thanksgiving, that Paul says that we will receive the promise of peace. And not just any peace. Not a temporary peace that we might get from a brief distraction, but real peace. The peace of God. It’s peace that passes all understanding. It’s peace so great that we can’t fathom it. It makes no sense in this fallen world. But it makes ALL kind of sense to the believer in Christ. It’s the kind of peace that Isaiah talks about in Isaiah 26:3, when he says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Perfect peace.

In fact, Paul says that it’s the kind of divine peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And this is really, really important, and do you know why? It’s because our hearts and minds make up the essence of who we are in the image of God! As Christians, we represent Christ at all times here on earth. If anybody should be confident that God is in control, it is the ones who profess to believe in Him! Not that we don’t have our down moments… even Elijah was discouraged. But he didn’t stay discouraged. He placed his trust in God and received again that peace that passes understanding. So keep that in mind, because we’re going to come back to that.

The Bible gives us a wonderful example of this type of prayer in the book of Daniel, in chapter 6 verses 1-11. Here, King Darius is tricked into passing a law that said that everybody must pray only to the king for the next 30 days. Daniel and his people are in grave danger. When Daniel heard this news, he went back to his home and prayed to God with thanksgiving (verse 10) and petition and plea (verse 11).

And in fact, for a little while it looked like Daniel’s prayers had fallen on deaf ears, because he was arrested and thrown into the lions’ den. But we know what happened in the lions’ den, don’t we? God shut the lions’ mouths, and saved Daniel. Daniel was at peace, and it was the king himself who couldn’t sleep. And through this process, God brought glory to Himself at the very highest level of the Babylonian government: the king!

Paul’s instruction on prayer is very effective at battling anxiety.

3. Think About Good Things

The third thing that Paul tells us we are to do is to think about good things. We are to think about whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Now let me clarify… this isn’t the “name it and claim it” “positive thinking” movement where if we are just happy and think happy thoughts that good things will come our way. Not at all. That’s a movement this is not Biblical in any sense.

Rather, what Paul is saying here is something that makes total sense. AFTER we have spent time in prayer, we need to think about things that are pleasing to God. It’s like we say in the computer world. Garbage in – Garbage out. The information that comes out of the computer is only as good as the information that’s put into the computer. So what we put into our minds is eventually going to be what comes out of our minds and hearts.

The Bible says in Psalm 101:1-3

1. I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music.

2. I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;

3. I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless…

Here the psalmist gives us a beautiful example of CHOOSING to focus on the things of God AND ALSO CHOOSING NOT to focus on things that aren’t helpful.

Let me give you a real-world example. Right now, we have a pandemic going on. It’s real. It’s serious. And it’s nothing to take lightly. What we need in order to manage getting through the pandemic is real information. Facts. Truth. Common sense. And a sense of purpose and hope.

If we spend all day every day reading every article on every news site and social media site, we are eventually going to drown in a sea of despair and panic and stress. I don’t want to paint every media outlet with the same brush, but I think it’s fair to say that some of the networks are competing with each other for viewership and they are using sensationalism to do it.

And on social media, everybody has a friend who has a cousin who has a husband who has a boss who has a nephew knows a real doctor, or at least someone who plays one on TV, who is the only person on the planet with a particular nugget of information about this virus.

So it’s in our best interest to follow the Biblical pattern and not immerse ourselves in bad news.

The problem is that it’s hard to pull out and focus the beautiful when something hits us this hard at our deepest emotional level.

In Matthew 14, we read about the Apostle Peter, who attempted to walk on the water out to Christ, who Himself was walking on the water in the midst of a storm. At first, Peter was successful because he was focused on Jesus. But eventually, Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and started looking at the wind and the waves raging around him. We read in verses 30-32, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.” Because he lost is focus on Christ, Peter started to sink and was at risk of drowning. Yet Jesus reached out and saved him.

You see, we DO need valid and real information. But there is a lot of noise going on around us, much like the wind and waves that caused Peter to look away from Christ.

And by saying that we need to think about what is good and lovely and pure, Paul is saying that we need to break from the storm in order to turn our eyes to Christ. And we need to be deliberate about it.

We want to think about the next time we are able to get together for a fellowship meal. Because we will.

We want to think about the next time we sit down with friends to watch a hockey game, or a football game, or even golf! Because we will.

We want to remember when we put on that great big Christmas cantata and proclaimed the Gospel to hundreds of people right here in this sanctuary, because it was good, and we will gather here again. We will.

We want to take this time to immerse ourselves in learning more about God because we have some time to spend in His word.

We want to take this time to watch a great movie or a side-splitting comedy or play games with our kids.

We want to take this time to learn something new, like playing an instrument, or to work on a hobby, or to read a great book. Or maybe to write one!

There are actually a lot of opportunities in this time that we are being given.

Eventually, this pandemic will be over. The restrictions will be lifted, and life will return to normal. Now is the perfect time to do as we read in Hebrews 12:2-3, and avoid Peter’s error. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Maybe you’re listening to this message, and you long for the peace that passes understanding. Maybe you want to pray like Paul suggests, but you’ve never done it before and you need somebody to come alongside you and pray with you. Maybe you want to be able to think about whatever is pure and lovely and excellent and admirable and praiseworthy, but the noise is drowning it all out right now. Can I encourage you to reach out to Pastor Dennis, or Pastor Nate, or myself? You’ll find our contact information on our website at www.lefchurch.com. We would love to pray with you through this anxiety and help you to find the hope that comes from knowing Jesus Christ.

Amen. Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ we lift up our voices to You today. We thank You for being the God who is above all and in control of all. We thank You for the ways that You love us and sustain us. Forgive us for our doubt, Lord. Because sometimes, like Peter, we look at the crashing waves and we take our eyes off of You. Help us, Lord, to weather this storm. Please stretch out Your hand and stop this pandemic. And please help us to fix our eyes on You. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.