Welcomed

Hi beautiful family, welcome from across the globe, we are excited to have you here in the Lord's house to break bread.

Let's use some few seconds to say thank you to God, if you are new here don't worry this is a safe space.

Let's pray:

Father we love you and bless you, we thank you for this beautiful surprise, let this special bread fill our hearts and your living water quench our thirst, Amen.

Today, we are dinning in the Book of Esther, I would be zooming in on chapter 4&5. The story of Queen Esther is filled with many layers, I will try to give you a brief background but I encourage you to take time and read.

Queen Esther, before the title was also called Hadassah. A cousin to a man named Mordecai from the tribe of Benjamin (it is a tribe know for the birth of kings).

Now there are sudden turns of events that happen, the queen before her Known as Queen Vashti, turns down a request of the king, it is seen as an act of disrespect and for fear that other noble women would follow in her footsteps, the noble men adviced the king to banish her and in his anger, he did that.

After his anger had subsided, he began thinking about Vashti and all the events that occurred. Sensing the King was lonely his personal attendants suggested, to find beautiful virgin women to be brought into the palace to be given beauty treatments, trained and the one who pleases the King would be made Queen.

Esther pleases the King and is made Queen. Following the advice of her cousin Mordecai she keeps her identity as a Jew a secret.

But trouble comes knocking at her door, the lifes of her people are threatened by Haman the most powerful official in the empire over the nobles.

He made a plot to destroy all the Jews in the empire and got approval from the king and letters were sent throughout the empire. Mordecai informs Esther and asks her to intercede.

However, the is a rule, anyone who appears before the King in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the King holds out his golden sceptre.

Plus the king has not called for Esther in thirty days. This means if she takes this step she might die. Mordecai reminds her of who she is and says to her, "Who knows if perhaps you were made Queen for just such a time as this?"

Esther 4:15-16(NLT)

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:

16 Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die."

Queen Esther made a bold move to break the rule and she knew the cost of the decision she had made. What rules have others placed on you or have you placed on yourself that you must break?

Esther 5:1-3(NLT)

1 On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner core of the palace, just across from the King's Hall. The King was sitting on his Royal throne, facing the entrance.

2 When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the golden sceptre to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the sceptre.

3 Then the King asked her, "What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!"

Today my duty is to inform you, our Heavenly King sits on the throne in expectancy and welcomes you. He calls you by the identity He gave you, Kings and Queens, who are His sons and daughters.

He says, what is your request? (Be intentional, think about it, don't be afraid and write it, finally expect an answer).

Let's pray:

Father we love you, we receive your message, we are thankful and expectant to hear from you, Amen.

Do you want to know Jesus, say with me:

Dear Jesus, come into my heart, I make you my Lord and Saviour, I repent of my sins, I believe you died on the cross to reconcile me back to God, I receive your love and new life, Amen.

Break a rule! Place your request! Receive!