Transcription
[applause] [applause] [cheering] [applause] Amen.
Before I get started this morning, I read about Stacy King in 1990. He was a rookie for the Chicago Bulls and he was interviewed after one of his first games. He said, "I will always remember this as the game Michael Jordan and I scored 70 points." The only thing was Stacy King scored one point and Jordan scored 69.
I am well aware that I that I'm probably the guy that only scored one. But I just want to recognize men and women here. You've given your whole lives to this. And a guy like me is up here preaching. And I just want to say thank you and I appreciate you.
Secondly, [applause] secondly, I just want to say how much I love and appreciate Pastor Tom Payne, his wife Janice. I thank Pastor Payne for teaching me how to lead, teaching me how to be a man, and teach me how to be a man of God.
And lastly, I want to thank Pastor Greg. You know, in the military, you learn that you learn a lot about your leaders in crisis and through this whole situation in Gallup with Pastor Payne's stroke and the Gallup church. I want to tell you, Pastor Greg Mitchell is a great leader.
If you have your Bibles, turn to Esther chapter 4. When I was young, my grandmother was dying. She, someone gave me a book, and this book was called Tuesdays with Morrie. I reread this book this year. It's not a Christian book. What it's about is it's about a sports writer. His name is Mitch. And Mitch is traveling. He's in a hotel one night. And as he's in the hotel, he turns on the TV and on the screen is his college professor, Morrie. My special bond. They would meet every Tuesday in college, and Morrie would tutor him. But now he's dying. And so Mitch feels compelled that he needs to go visit his teacher. It just so happens he visits him on a Tuesday. Then one visit turns into many visits over the next few months. And the thing about the book, the line that sticks to you is every time they leave each other, they embrace. And Morrie says, "I'll see you next Tuesday." Then he says, "Remember, we're Tuesday people."
You know, tonight, Pastor Elliott, he's going to preach and challenge us for the nations of the earth. You know why? Because we're Thursday people. >> [applause] >> We're going to watch a video about world evangelism and it's going to be a snapshot of what Jesus Christ is doing all over the earth. You know why? Because we're Thursday people. Tonight you're going to wear an outfit you probably should never wear any other day. And we love it. You know why? Because we're Thursday people. Tonight, Pastor Greg is going to stand behind this pulpit and announce churches into cities and nations all over the earth. You know why? Because we're Thursday people. And tonight, the offering plate is going to be passed and we're going to give sacrificially. Let God speak to our hearts to reach the nations because we're Thursday people.
Esther chapter 4, verse number 8. He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain to her, that he might command her to go into the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people.
Jumping to verse 12 for the sake of time. So they told Mordecai Esther's words. And Mordecai told them to Esther, "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this."
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan and fast for me. Neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
In our text, the simple truth is a people were facing destruction and the answer was someone had to go, someone had to send, and they got the favor of the king. I want to preach a sermon I've entitled, "We're Thursday People."
I want to first talk about Thursdays are for going. Our text reveals two truths. The first is that people are facing destruction. Now, we know in our text there was a specific plot to destroy the Jews. Esther 4:13, the letters were sent by couriers into all the provinces to destroy, to kill, to annihilate the Jews, young and old, little children. But there's a larger truth in that story. Right now, there are people facing destruction all over the globe. They are one breath from eternity and on their way to hell. I read a statistic that said 2.5 to three billion people have never heard the name of Jesus. Have you ever talked to someone that has never heard the name of Jesus? They're bound by false religion. I used to live in China. We were missionaries there. I used to watch older people climb up hills to reach a Buddhist temple, to light an incense, to kneel down. You know why? Because they thought they had to climb to reach God and they had no idea that God has come down to them. The Macedonian man still cries out. The Rahabs are still living in the wall that's about to be destroyed. The women are still at the well at a time when no one else is there because they're outcasts and they need to be saved. In China, there would be times when I was in the train station, especially in Chinese New Year, you think you've seen traffic or a lot of people. You go to one of these train stations during Chinese New Year, it is packed with people and you're frustrated because people are bumping on you. Their hot breath is on your neck. But there were God moments. There were God moments where you're so overwhelmed by the need because you know that most of these people in that place, they've never called on the name of Jesus Christ.
And Mordecai reveals the answer for a people facing destruction in our text, verse number 8. He says, "He might command her to go to the king." The answer is very simple. The answer was, the answer is, the answer will always be, somebody has to go. We are the greatest fellowship on the earth because somebody has to go and people have chosen to go. As our brother just mentioned, God commanded Jonah, "Go to the Ninevites." God told Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and deliver my people." Jesus told the disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel." Isaiah asks the question, "Who shall go for us?" In 1854, London, they were in the grip of a deadly cholera outbreak. People were dying by the hundreds around Broad Street. But the prevailing belief was that the disease traveled through bad air. So the officials tried everything they could to help from afar. They tried to light fires. They warned the people. They encouraged the people to stay indoors. None of it worked. One doctor, John Snow, was convinced that it wasn't the air. It was the water. But here's the catch. He had to go into the city. He had to go from house to house and map out every place there was an outbreak. And eventually he found out that it was a contaminated pump on Broad Street. He removed the handle and lives were saved. But someone had to go. The Great Commission is not an option to be considered. It's a command to be obeyed. Hudson Taylor.
But in our text, we see the challenge of going is immediately met with fear. Verse number 10. "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death." Obviously, Esther, she feared the law. She feared the king. She feared death. But I wonder if there's a different fear here this morning. We fear losing our lives, but not death. We fear losing the comfort of our current lives. You know what, Jesus? Thank you for saving me, but I really like the palace that you've given me, or the new truck that you've given me. I'm just joking. New trucks are not bad. Okay. The rich young ruler. Jesus says, "Come follow me. We'll change the world." He says, "No, man. I like my stuff." You know, today we probably make more money than any other pastors ever did. We're more blessed than any other pastors did. God forbid we trade in being Thursday people for bigger homes and better school districts for our kids. Don't allow the palace to get you to forget your purpose. Are you white-knuckling the blessings of God? I recently read a story about archaeologists. They dug up some bones in some ancient city. They had these burial mounds and they found these skeletal remains. And in one of the hands of the remains was a big piece of gold. The archaeologist is looking at this, this skeleton wrapped so tightly around this. Someone didn't put this here. They had to have died holding their gold. What are you holding on to right now that's whispering in your ear? Don't go. Enjoy the comforts of your life. Pastor, this is going to cost me. A wise man once said, "Christianity that costs nothing is worth nothing." Proverbs 22:1 says, "A good name is more desirable than riches. To be esteemed is better than silver or gold. A name to be esteemed." Who do we esteem? Men like William Carey, Hudson Taylor, C.T. Studd, David Livingstone, Wayman Mitchell, Mark Olsen, Greg Mitchell, Paul Stevens, Joe Campbell, Tom Payne, because they were willing to let go the comforts of this life and go to a place where people were desperate.
The second temptation in our text is to believe that your security is in the palace. Mordecai warns Esther, "Security is not found in clinging to the palace or a title." You know, sometimes they mention the men who left our fellowship from long ago. I must confess, I couldn't point them out to you in a lineup, but they talk about them being synonymous with not wanting to be missionaries. Verse 13. "Do not think in your heart you will escape the king's palace, any more than any of the other Jews." Esther's security was not in the palace. Esther's security was not in a crown. This morning, your security is found in the going. The only thing that you can take to heaven with you from this life is the souls you win for Jesus Christ. You can't take this stage. You can't take a ministry. Souls. See, Esther, her fear was overcome and she was willing to go. Verse 16, she said, "And so I will go to the king." Why was she able to do this? Because Esther decided, I want to live for something greater. I want to tell you something. You're here this morning. You can live for something greater. There's nothing wrong with wanting a good life or a good school for your kids. I don't, I don't just say that flippantly. There's nothing wrong with acquiring some finances and stashing some money in an IRA. But you can live for something greater. See, Mordecai was a wise leader. He reminded Esther who placed her in the palace. Esther 4:14. "Yet, who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" I read an interesting quote. It says, "Sometimes we don't need to be instructed. We need to be reminded." God who plucked her from obscurity and put her in a palace and made her queen. But isn't that what Jesus Christ did for us? >> I owe my life. I owe my everything to Jesus Christ. I remember being 12 years old and my father, he had just gotten out of prison. I hadn't seen him for seven years. For some crazy reason, my mother let me stay with him for a couple of days. I was, you know, how you're a kid, you act like you're sleeping. I'm sleeping on the couch and I'm watching my father and his friends. They're shooting up heroin in their arms. And I'm thinking to myself, how, God, how am I ever going to change my life? How am I ever going to get out of this? Until one day, I was in the Marines in Yuma, Arizona, and God plucked me out. Listen, listen. [applause] But that's not just me. That's you. See, sometimes we need to be reminded. That's why we come to conference, so that we come to this altar and we remember that our life is not our own. Romans 12:1. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, to present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." The only rational response for what Jesus Christ has done for us is to lay our lives down in surrender. And Mordecai was reminding Esther of this. Esther lived for something greater because God is willing to use ordinary people if they will go. I remember the first conference I ever came to. It was probably 2004. Do you guys remember the Misters? Yeah. You guys watched me sit there and didn't tell me anything. No. So, so I sit, you know, I'm like, there's open seats and I just sit down where the Misters are. I have no idea what's going on. And then all of a sudden, I'm getting challenged for the nations. I'm getting baptized like blip-blip. I remember something Pastor Wayman Mitchell said in that conference, my very first conference. It stood out to me and I hope I have the quote correct, but he said, "This is not a fellowship of high-flyers, but ordinary men and women who would surrender to the will of God." And I thought to myself, man, I found my home. I could be a part of this.
In our story, Esther was an orphan girl. She was an ordinary girl. My wife and I had the opportunity to go to China to be missionaries in Suzhou. We were there for four years. After we left, Pastor Pat Lucero took over our church. Then during COVID, our church merged with Pastor Josh Loato. These men did a fine job. But three of those men that we were able to work with, they became pastors preaching the gospel in their nation. But I say that not to toot my own horn. I say that to say if we could do that, you could do that. Ordinary people like you and I, we could lay our lives down and change the world. You know why? Because we're Thursday people.
See, going is living for something greater. But what happens is you reap a legacy. Esther's remembered to this day, preached all around the world all the time. But she's not remembered for a crown or her diplomatic decisions as queen. She's remembered because she was willing to go. What's a palace without a purpose? What's a crown without a calling? What's blessing if that blessing becomes a burden to obedience? You know, Pastor Campbell, whenever he preaches, he always mentions Malaysia. And uh it always moves me. I think on the betting apps, you could probably find the over and under on how many times he'll mention Malaysia. But someone sent me a picture and I, I want to show this picture. [applause] [applause] That's a legacy. I don't want people to know me for how much property I have. I want people to know me because I was willing to go. You know why? Because we're Thursday people.
I want to talk, secondly, Thursdays are for sending. If the answer is going, the question always remains, who will send them? Now, Mordecai is obviously not a church planter. But in sending Esther to the king, we see a picture of a leader who believes the answer for a people facing destruction is sending someone. And there are qualities that are in Mordecai's life that enabled him to send Esther and will help us send.
Number one is sending is going to require a level of character. The Bible says Mordecai raised Esther as his own daughter. So think about this. Mordecai's care for the souls and the people that were facing destruction were even more worthwhile than someone he raised as his own daughter. That's called character. Pastor, are you willing to send your best son, your best daughter? Because it's in the best interest of those precious nations we saw with that heartbeat.
Just real quick, Mordecai was also a man that was connected to and honored authority. You know, our leaders have given us the blueprint, haven't they? That we're supposed to go into all the earth, reproduce what we have, then send other men into all the earth. How many know world evangelism is a blueprint we've been given? Mordecai throughout the book of Esther. First, he thwarts the plot to assassinate the king. His name is synonymous with the king's gate again and again. And instead of starting a rebellion and becoming embittered, he sends Esther to the king. I wonder if his endeavors of sending Esther were not blessed because he honored authority and he was connected to authority.
Lastly, Mordecai had character to send because he stood in a culture that bowed. We know Mordecai refused to bow to him in Esther 3:2. uh all the king's servants who were in the king's gates, they bowed and paid homage to Haman, for the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow. I believe there's going to be an attack on church planting and sending missionaries and we have to refuse to bow that we're going to continue to send. You know, I'm so moved by the testimonies uh that we're hearing from these men that have been given churches in other nations. If you've noticed, it used to be they're planting churches. Now they're saying they're planting missionaries. And if they have the character to send missionaries, so should you and I. Charles Spurgeon said these words, "If there be anything about which we cannot tolerate lukewarmness, it is in the matter of sending the gospel to a dying world."
The second thing we see in Mordecai's life is he had the ability to inspire. When I was in high school, I was a basketball player. Uh I was the Bronny James, not LeBron James. I was the Bronny James of our basketball team. Uh before games, you know, we'd always listen to music. One of my favorite songs is "Don't Go." Listen to it, but it was a rap song. I thought, you know, I was a rapper. Anyway, I used to listen to this song. "All I need is one mic." Yeah, don't go listen to the song. But all Mordecai needed was one sermon. One time, Pastor Payne challenged me about my preaching, and he said, "Go back and look over your sermons and see if you're inspiring people." And I looked at them and I realized I have a lot of blood on my hands because I'm a butcher, not a shepherd. The famous line in the book of Esther, it reverberates even now. "Yet, who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" I want to tell you that's inspiring. If you want money and you want men to send, I've learned it's all about inspiring them to go. When I came to this conference as a 19-year-old, I was inspired by our leaders to lay my life down.
The last thing we see is sending requires a commitment to discipleship. Think about this. Mordecai poured his life into Esther and the one person he poured his whole life into was the one that he sent and the one that delivered a nation. That is a powerful picture that maybe it's not all about the masses. It's about you finding that person and pouring your life into them. You know, early on as a pastor, I thought, man, I just need to build a church and get people saved. Needs to grow and be big. I realized that I need to make disciples. Some of the best words, the six greatest words a pastor can hear is, "I want to be a disciple." >> You know why? Because we're Thursday people. >>
I want to close and talk about Thursday's reward. We would be remiss if we ignored the people in the story who are not mentioned. These people seem unimportant, but that is far from the truth. There were Jews who fasted and prayed. There were servants who helped in the preparation. And this morning, we must recognize that we're Thursday people because of all the people that never got on this stage, but they have served in our churches. You've come to this conference. You have given sacrificially. Maybe you've never been sent out. I want to tell you something. We're Thursday people because of you. [applause] You've changed the world and you've changed eternity. I want to tell you something. God is pleased with you.
There's also a reward for those who go. Esther was given favor because she was willing to go. Esther 5:2. "So it was when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out the golden scepter that was in his hand." Can I tell you something? If you'll go to another nation, God can give you favor. I remember landing in China. You don't know what's going on. You don't know who to talk to. You don't know signs. You're like, "What is going on?" Joseph Luhan picked me up, hooked me up. Thank God he was there. But can I tell you something? God began to give us favor. One day, I was witnessing to someone in a restaurant. This person was not very interested in what I was saying. I don't even think they understood what I was saying. But a man named Peter heard me talking to this person. He interjects in the conversation. He says, "My mother's a Christian and I want to help you." I'm Yeah. And you know, you know Americans. What do you want, bro? You want money, dude? Like, and he says, "No, come with me." We go, we get in his Lexus. We drive downtown. We go to his business. He's a business owner there. He says, "If you're going to do this church thing, you need a building. He says, "I know a lady in this place and this is a really good place by the subway. I'm going to help you." The next day we go there. He speaks to this woman. He tells her what we're going to do. He negotiates the price. I'm like, "When is this guy going to ask me for money?" He says, "Okay, now we have you. Now we got you a building. Now you need construction. I'm going to call my construction worker." He calls his construction worker. They sleep there. Like no one does construction like Chinese. I'm sorry. I don't know how safe it was at the moment. Sorry, my Chinese brothers. But they got this done in two months. Next thing you know, we had a building fully remodeled. Then he brings me to a dinner with 18 of his friends and he says, "I want you to preach to them." [applause] Out of that, out of that we saw our first translator and then eventually more translators. God moved. God helped us. The idea is God can give you favor.
One more story of favor. I, we decided to do a concert to see how this was going to go. Like a 180 concert. You know, you kind of got to be careful in China. They could put you in jail. And uh we, we, you know, we go to the street corner. I'm with a guy who barely speaks any English, but he's running the concert that night. His name was David, or is David. And we start witnessing to this guy. It turns out that this guy just committed suicide. David translates flawlessly. Uh we get this guy saved. The guy says, "I want you guys to come with me." So he comes out with his little e-bike. There's a high seat and then there's a low seat. You ever regret the decisions you make in life? He's like, "Come with me." I'm like, "Okay." So, I get on this low seat, you know, you feel every bump. It's horrible. So, it turns out he's a professor at the college there. He brings us to the gate. He starts calling all these people over to him. Everyone there knows him. David's like, David, my translator, like, "Pastor, what's happening right now?" I don't know. I was like, "Jesus is moving, bro. Just chill out." And, and all of a sudden David gets us 68 new contacts at the concert that night. We had a hundred people. [applause] David preaches his first altar call. People get saved. Today, he's a pastor. [applause] Esther doesn't lose her life. She finds it. You'll never lose your life. I didn't lose my life. I found it. I didn't lose my marriage. It got better. I didn't lose my kid. She's here. She's saved. >> I didn't lose anything. I found it.
There's also a reward for those who send. One could argue the greatest reward in this text is for the one who was willing to send. Haman hangs. Mordecai's enemy is dealt with. He's given position. He's given riches. Esther ate too. So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. Mordecai reaped a lot of rewards just for sending. Can I tell you something? Those here you're considering sending a missionary. Now, in my vast experience and knowledge, let me help you do it, man. Because God's into this more than we are. And if I was God, I'm not, I would bless the man that sent. If I had unlimited resources, I would bless the men that send to the nations of the earth. But the greatest reward that day was that the souls were saved. Right? We're Thursday people because the greatest reward is heaven is going to be filled with the people saved in these nations. These flags represent faces and families, generations of curses that are broken because we chose to send.
I want to close. The blueprint that our leaders have given is that we're Thursday people. I want to show the first picture. This is Pastor Greg and Lisa Mitchell in [snorts] South Africa. I had the privilege to preach in South Africa this past year. Great honor. Pastor Heimberg, he showed me the park where this church started. I want to tell you today, that's a powerful church. I watched Pastor Leeben preach the Sunday night service in Pres. He did a phenomenal job. You know why? Because we're Thursday people.
I want to show the second picture. This is Pastor Stevens. You know, it was Pastor Stevens who preached in Gallup years ago. Just a young man. He preached on a Thursday night, world evangelism night. And it was at that altar call I decided I want to be a missionary. This is him and his family when they left America to be missionaries. You know why? Because we're Thursday people.
Next picture. Chris is one of those guys. The Philippines will never be the same again. You know why? Because we're Thursday people.
Show the next picture. [applause] [applause] Pastor Campbell and his wife Connie, they went to Malaysia. I already told a story about Pastor Campbell. I've only met Mrs. Connie Campbell one time and it was in China. She had come there for a rally or a conference with Pastor Campbell. Me and my wife met her in the hallway, then the elevator. And we just thanked her. We said, "Thank you so much for coming. We appreciate you." And she said, "No, thank you. Thank you for being missionaries. You're going to remember this for the rest of your life." I was about to bow my head and raise my hand.
I want to show the last picture. It's my pastor. [applause] [applause] This is when Pastor Payne and Janice, they were announced to go to Kenya. You know, the day that pastor had a stroke, it was during his sermon and he had just finished telling a story about Kenya. As a disciple, the highlight of my life was coming to conference and listening to my pastor preach on Thursday night. I could still hear those sermons, "50 Feet from Revival," "Destiny's Potential." Most recently, we know exactly what to do. You know why? Because we're Thursday people.
That's all I have. [applause]