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Made for the Moment (Series Ep. 1)
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Before we dive into our message today, I want to celebrate the mothers among us. Being a mom is arguably the toughest job in the world. You work over 135 hours a week, are on call 24/7, have no breaks, no bonuses, no sick days, and no vacation days. You must be an expert in medicine, nursing, culinary arts, conflict resolution, and therapy—all while serving as an Uber driver, referee, and crisis negotiator.
Moms, we see you. We value you. The impact you have on all of us is immeasurable.
I also want to acknowledge that this day is difficult for many of you. Some have lost a mom. Others have been trying to become a mom for a long time. If you're going through something tough, we see you, and we're here for you.
We're starting a three-week series today in the Old Testament book of Esther—the story of a woman who became a hero of the faith. Before we begin, I want to ask you a question: When is the last time you couldn't see God in your circumstances?
Maybe you lost someone. Maybe you received a difficult health diagnosis. Perhaps you were passed over for a promotion or your finances are in turmoil. It's easy to look at God in those moments and say, "God, where are you? I can't see you."
But what if I told you that when it seems like God is absent, that may be when He's doing His greatest work in your life?
The book of Esther is remarkable because it's the only book in the entire Bible where God's name isn't mentioned—not even once. There's no other book like it. You might think that if God's name isn't mentioned, He's not moving. You'd be dead wrong.
Esther is one of the most miraculous moves of God in all of scripture. And here's the big theme for today and throughout this series:
God may seem invisible in the moment, but He will be undeniable in the outcome.
If you can't see God today, this series is for you. The series is called Made for the Moment—and you were made for this moment.
Esther takes place during the reign of Xerxes, who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Kush. This is real history—not fiction. Xerxes was the ruler of the Persian Empire, the most powerful nation in the world at that time. He's the same Xerxes you may know from the movie 300, where Greek Spartans faced off against the Persian army.
Here's the historical backdrop: Before Xerxes became king, his father Darius went to war to conquer Greece but was defeated at the naval Battle of Marathon. Darius died, and his son Xerxes took over, determined to go back and defeat the Greeks. To rally his nobles and military commanders—to convince them to go to war again—Xerxes threw a massive party.
Watch what happened:
"In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials... For a full 180 days, he displays the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty." (Esther 1:3-4)
Then, when those 180 days ended, he threw another party for seven more days. Wine was served in goblets of gold, and here's the crazy part:
"Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other... By the king's command, each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions." (Esther 1:7-8)
No restrictions. Zero. After 187 days of unlimited drinking, people were wasted.
When men and women get drunk, they make really dumb decisions. Let me pause here and speak to someone today: Alcohol is dangerous. I'm not saying don't drink—my wife Jamie and I will have a glass of wine here or there. But if you can't go a day without a drink, you have a problem. If alcohol is destroying your life, your family, your decisions, we want to help you. We have pastors and resources available.
On the seventh day of this party, when King Xerxes was intoxicated, he commanded his attendants to bring Queen Vashti before him—wearing only her royal crown—to display her beauty to all the people.
Queen Vashti refused. And she was absolutely right to refuse, because no woman should ever have to be objectified in front of a group of men.
Throughout history, women have been objectified and degraded. But the way of Jesus is never to degrade women—ever. Jesus took women and elevated them, respected them. Men of CCV, let's lead the way by never objectifying women, but lifting them up as the princesses and children of God they are.
After Vashti refused, these drunken men came up with an even crazier idea: Create a contest—a combination of Miss Persia and The Bachelor.
"Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king... Let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." (Esther 2:2-3)
Thousands of women entered this contest. And into this broken, toxic, male-dominated system stepped a young woman named Esther.
When you look at Esther's background, you'd never expect God to use her in this context. She had everything going against her:
Strike one: She was a Jew. Jews had been exiled from Israel and were looked down upon—considered nobodies.
Strike two: She was a woman. The treatment of women in Persia (modern-day Iran) at this time was horrific. They had no rights. If you think it's bad for women in the Middle East today, imagine it being ten times worse in Esther's day.
Strike three: She had a difficult background. Her parents died when she was very young. She was likely an orphan, possibly thrown into exile and the worst of circumstances. Her uncle Mordecai adopted her.
If you were picking someone to save God's people from annihilation, Esther isn't exactly at the top of your draft list. She's an unlikely impact player. And yet...
God specializes in using the least likely people to do the most important things.
Let me say that again for somebody: God specializes in using the least likely people to do the most important things.
This theme runs throughout scripture:
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John, they realized they were unschooled ordinary men... But they were astonished and they took note because these men had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)
When you give Jesus your life, He takes unschooled, ordinary people and does the extraordinary.
Here's our first takeaway:
God can use people even in the most godless places.
Some of you are in a godless environment right now. Maybe it's your workplace—every time you walk in, it feels godless. Maybe it's your neighborhood, your friendships, your school, or your family. For some of you, the godless environment is what happens inside your own head—tough, brutal thoughts every day.
Most Christians freeze when they get into a godless environment. They think, "How could God use me here?" But I want to challenge your thinking: God sometimes does His best work in godless environments.
I worked in the business world for about 10 years before becoming a pastor, and I've seen it—I've seen what happens in business environments. It can be rough and brutal. But I've also found that the light shines brightest in the darkness.
If you're designed to be that light, why would you hide it just because you're in a dark place? That's exactly where God wants to use you and shine you the most.
Don't you ever believe the lie that God can't use you. If God can use Esther to change history—when she seems like a nobody in her situation—He can use you.
Whatever God's been nudging you with today, it's time to step up. It's time to serve. It's time to take a risk at work. It's time to do something in your family that's going to change its trajectory.
You might be thinking, "I just can't see it." But let me remind you: God may be invisible in the moment, but if you keep taking steps of faith, He will be undeniable in the outcome.
As we see in Esther chapter 2, among probably thousands of girls in this contest, Esther wins by God's providence. She becomes queen—not just queen, but God is going to use her to save all of her people from annihilation.
Imagine being in her shoes. Her whole life, she's probably wondered, "God, where are you? I don't see you." Maybe she's been abused, overlooked, broken. She's had one of the hardest lives imaginable.
Maybe that's where you are today. I read prayer requests from our church family regularly—people facing health challenges, trying to have a baby, enduring miscarriage, managing infidelity, blended families, financial struggles. And many are thinking, "God, where are you?"
Just because you can't see God doesn't mean He's not moving.
The book of Esther is 10 chapters, over 5,600 words. The godless king is mentioned over 192 times. God's name appears zero times.
Why wouldn't God just insert His name once? I believe it's because God wants to show us that just because you can't see Him doesn't mean He's not moving in the most miraculous ways.
God may seem invisible in the moment, but if you will lead with faith and keep stepping forward, He will be undeniable in the outcome.
Some of you have no idea what hangs in the balance of you not giving up just because you can't see God. You don't realize the legacy you'll give to your children, and to generations of children who will watch you go through with faith what you're going through—who will see you wrestle but stand strong.
[At this point, the sermon includes a powerful personal testimony from Sheila, a member whose life was marked by abuse, trauma, and abandonment, yet who experienced God's healing and redemption. She went from brokenness to leading a family of 22 people—all a blessing from God. Her story demonstrates that even when God seemed invisible in her darkest moments, His work became undeniable in her restoration and her legacy of faith, forgiveness, and love for her children and grandchildren.]
Sheila's story shows us: This is what hangs in the balance. When you don't give up, when you keep taking steps of faith even when you can't see God, something undeniable happens.
Let me summarize what we've learned:
God can use people even in the most godless places. Don't deny it. No matter where you are, God can use you.
God specializes in using the least likely people to do the most important things. You may feel unlikely, but God sees potential in you.
Just because you can't see God doesn't mean He's not moving. Some of you have no idea what legacy of faith you're building for your children and generations to come by refusing to give up.
