Three Stories Of Life
Cotr/ss031002
This morning I want to tell you the life story of 3 people. These individuals all met with challenges in life that caused them to struggle at times. They all tasted victory and they all tasted defeat. One common thread ties them together and ultimately takes them to their best day. Today we will learn lessons of life from these three.
I. The First Person: Ester
Ester 2:1-20
1 ¶ After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2 Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
8 So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.
11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
12 Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)
13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house.
14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.
20 Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
A. Ester was just a common girl with an ordinary life. (now something uncommon happened to her … but something uncommon happens to almost every ordinary person at least once in their lifetime)
1. Her parents had died when she was a young girl and she went to live with her cousin.
2. She was born into a minority group who had formerly been enslaved and now occupied the lower and lower-middle class in society.
3. Her guardian/adopted father was a bit dictatorial, he was demanding and over protective. He pried into her life and her affairs continually.
4. She was on the verge of entering an unequally yoked, loveless marriage. She did not really even know the man to whom she was commanded to give herself to. She was just one of many women in his life.
5. She won the heart and love of her new husband and he made her a queen and elevated her above all other women.
6. But Ester hid a deep, dark secret from her husband.
B. Ester’s Big Challenge
1. One day there was a kings decree made to kill all the Jews in the land.
2. Ester was a Jew but the King did not know it and the King’s decree could not be reversed … even by the King himself.
3. Ester was told by her family to attempt to save them by appealing to the king.
4. Ester said that she could not and would not because the law stated that if she appeared before the king without being summoned by him, that she would risk being immediately put to death.
5. The end. (next …)
6. No! It was not the end. Ester’s story did not end in the middle of her life. Her story did not even end in the middle of her greatest challenge. Ester’s life and story goes on.
C. Ester’s Greatest Days
1. Her adopted daddy gave her some perspective and some encouragement:
Ester 4:
12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
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.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
2. Ester went to the King and was given favor, saved all of her family and friends and was successful in destroying all of their enemies.
3. Ester became a great grand mother to Jesus.
Note:
* Ester’s story did not end in the middle of her life.
* Ester’s story did not end in the middle of her challenge.
* Ester’s story did not end with the worst decision she ever made in her life.
* Ester continued to write her life’s story with each and every new decision she made.
(not only did Ester become one of Jesus’ grandmothers, but also in that category were women like, Bathsheba; Ruth; Rahab and Tamar, Judah’s widowed daughter-in-law who played the harlot and tricked her own father-in-law into sleeping with her and giving her twin sons)
None of their stories ended in the middle of their lives with their failures.
II. The Second Person: Peter
Matthew 4:18-20
18 ¶ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
A. Peter was just a common man of his day involved in an ordinary life.
1. He was a fisherman
2. A part of the working class from a small fishing village called Capernaum on the Northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, a small body of water about 5 to 7 miles wide and 12 to 15 miles long in Israel.
3. His future was going to be just like his past and like his father before him.
5. He was married and his mother-in-law lived with him and his wife.
6. Jesus called him to be His first disciple and treated him special.
7. Peter committed to Jesus and it completely changed his whole life.
B. Peters Big Challenge
1. After more than 3 years traveling around with Jesus, Jesus gets arrested, accused of treason, beaten and is sentenced to be crucified.
2. Peter, sitting by a fire outside of the courtyard, is recognized as being one of Jesus’ disciples.
3. Matthew 26:69-75
69 ¶ Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
4. Later back with the others Peter tells them that he has decided to just go back to fishing like before he met Jesus. So he went fishing. John 21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
5. The end.
6. No! Not The End.
7. Peter’s life and story goes on.
A. On beyond his challenges
B. On beyond his bad decisions
C. On beyond his failures
D. On beyond his worst days and his worst fears
E. On and On and On with each new decision he makes.
C. Peter’s Greatest Days
1. Jesus re-appeared to Peter John 21:7
2. Jesus recharged Peter’s vision and calling.
3. Peter went on to boldly preach on the day of Pentecost and see 3000 Jews from all over the world come to accept Jesus as Messiah and Lord.
5. Peter became so identified with Jesus and His healing touch that whole cities would lay their sick out in the street hoping Peter would pass by and even his shadow might touch them and cause them to be healed, delivered and restored.
Acts 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
6. Tradition tells us that when it came time for Peter to be executed for his bold preaching of the gospel, that he requested to be crucified upside down instead of right side up because he did not think himself worthy to suffer and die the same way that his Savior and Master, Jesus, was.
7. When Jesus gave the revelation to the elder John the apostle, He told of names that would be on the foundation stones of the new city Jerusalem which is coming down from heaven for our eternal abode. Peter’s name will be on one of the foundation stones of the heavenly city.
Note:
* Peter’s story did not end in the middle of his life.
* Peter’s story did not end in the middle of his challenge.
* Peter’s story did not end with the worst decision he ever made in his life.
* Peter continued to write his life’s story with each and every new decision he made.
III. The Third Person
A. Like Ester
1. A common girl with a common life facing common situations
2. Writing her life’s story; one choice, one new decision at a time with her greatest day yet ahead
B. Like Peter
1. A common man with a common life facing common situations
2. Writing his life’s story; one choice, one new decision at a time with his greatest day yet ahead.
C. The Third Person IS YOU!
1. Your life’s story will not end somewhere in the middle of your life.
2. Your story will not end in the middle of some life challenge, small or great as it may be. (Neither Peter’s story nor Ester’s even ended with their death. Their stories live on and on and on to encourage each one of us, even here today.)
3. Your story will not end with the worst decision you have ever made in your entire life. (Sure you may get disappointed and discouraged and even a little afraid at times … but that won’t disqualify you … get up and get on with writing the next chapter of your life … make it a winning chapter … you are the one who is writing it … and …)
4. You will continue to write your life’s story with each and every new decision you make.
5. The story of your life will be written by the choices you make in your future not by the choices you have made in your past.
6. Your life story is still being written and I trust, Your greatest day is yet ahead.
7. Choose Jesus!
It is all up to you. You cannot determine the challenges you may face in your day to day adventures but you can decide right now how you will handle each and every one.
