Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative, chaplain of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and author of over 100 books, booklets & Bible studies. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on more than 1,300 US outlets daily and in more than 130 countries.
things you’ve done a long time ago that
you think we miss pass over ignored on
God’s clock he knows how to bring that
thing back up at the right time to
accomplish his bigger purposes you don’t
know who you dealing with so you can
praise the Lord today that Goliath does
not have the left say over your light
over your circumstance over your family
over your feelings over your world cuz
you know somebody up there that’s bigger
than the somebody you’re facing down
here and if he will not remove himself
from ruining your life he’s got enough
forces to remove them from you bless the
name of the Lord he can turn your
Goliath around cookie the game change my
closing question this morning is does
anybody need a reversal does anybody
here today is anybody else in a crisis
and you can’t fix it is too big as to
deal
you can’t get your arms around it and
you are literally it’s killing God knows
the right time to turn your situation
away I’m trying to tell you you don’t
know who you’re dealing with
that’s what you do in communion do this
in remembrance of me that I defeated
them on Calvary and I’m still whipping
them today I want to challenge you to
live under the providential hand of God
even when it looks like it’s not working
out our world is consumed with the
concept of luck chance happenings that
just kind of take place people will
regularly say why are you sure are lucky
well the opposite something is bad luck
but the book of Esther says that there
is no such thing as luck there is
Providence God causing or allowing
things and events to work toward his
purposes Esther has been promoted to be
queen Mordecai has told her that Haman
wants to kill all of the Jews and it’s
now time for you to go to your husband
King Ahasuerus and tell him Haman’s plot
against the Jews Esther is saying I
can’t do that is too risky I love y’all
but not that much because to go before
him when he has not requested me could
cost me my life Mordecai has said to her
don’t you know that you are called to
the kingdom for such a time as this that
you will only put up here in this royal
position because God knew this
moment your moment would be now don’t
miss your moment girl this is your
moment to be a tool of God to deliver
God’s people when she hears that message
for Mordecai she says okay I want all
y’all go on a three-day fast
I need y’all on your knees for this one
cuz this is a big one you’re asking me
to risk it all and I’m gonna go do it
and if I perish I perish if I die I die
cuz you’re right this is bigger than
just me
chapter five opens up on the third day
because it was a three day fast
Esther puts on a Royal Road she goes to
the inner court of the King the king is
sitting on his throne when the King sees
her in verse two he extends the scepter
which means it’s okay for her to come in
and talk to him she comes there touches
the top of the scepter out of respect
and then the King says to her what is
troubling you verse three Queen Esther
and what is your request even to half of
the kingdom it will be given you just
tell me what you want Esther says in
verse four if it pleases the King may
the king and Haman is out to kill the
Jews come this day to the banquet that I
have prepared for him I’m gonna tell you
around dinner we’re gonna have up we’re
gonna fix your favorite food I’m gonna
lay it out and I want you to bring Haman
and I’m gonna tell you then what’s going
on around dinner you will never get to
see God’s providence at work in your
circumstances until and unless God sees
you move in accordance with his will the
reason she prays first
is because she needs to know how to
approach this dangerous situation she
needs some divine insight in a difficult
problem so she goes to God in fasting
and this was a life and death issue so
she needed her antennae raised to hear
what God had to say about this situation
the second thing you need you to do is
take a step of faith but she couldn’t
just say I’m a fast I’m a prayer and I’m
gonna wait on God no she was instructed
to go before the king she had to take a
step of faith so she trusts God she
believes God she prays to God and then
she makes a risky step because there are
no guarantees in advance what does she
get in return well so far what she gets
as a plan the plan is I’m gonna take my
husband to dinner and I’m gonna tell him
to invite my enemy Haman in other words
i’ma get Haman on home court advantage I
got to get him in on my territory he
says okay it’s a banquet it’s a dinner
okay bring Haman to dinner and let’s go
from there so she invites her husband
and her enemy to dinner guess who’s
coming to dinner
so the banquet is prepared and they
drank their wine verse six at the
banquet
so this is a big dinner party for us
bin’ and the king said to Esther what is
your petition okay you brought me here
to dinner you didn’t fed me good what do
you want for it shall be granted to you
and I mean I’m gonna do it big cuz
whatever you request even the half of
the kingdom it will be done I’m gonna
take care of you what did you make this
dinner for oh it’s getting tricky now
verse 7 so Esther replied my petition
and my
is my petition and my request is watch
this if I have found favor in the sight
of the key and if it pleases the King to
grant my petition and do what I request
may the king and Haman come to the
banquet which I have prepared for them
tomorrow say well the man just told you
he will give you half the kingdom what
you won’t girl I studied the Bible in
college for four years and studied the
Bible before you is better than the
master’s degree another form is better
than the doctoral degree and then I’ve
been preaching all of these years and
I’m still learning new things from this
awesome inexhaustibility a little game
that’s why I’m so excited about the 2018
Study Bible and its accompanying works
but Tony Evans Bible commentary it will
take all of this training and this
teaching and make it available to you to
understand utilize and apply God’s most
powerful
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she says King my request is can we have
dinner tomorrow
she made the dinner to make her request
to save the people from the genocide of
Haman she got him both sitting there
dinner is fine they’ve been doing a
drinkin
everybody’s ready to go he’s offered in
the kingdom what do you want
and she says what I want is something
happen between verse 6 & 8 to cause her
to change her mind about making her
petition she changes her mind because
she doesn’t even finish the sentence she
just jumps to let’s do this again
tomorrow so I know your question is what
changed her mind she pauses and says
come back tomorrow
something is happening here
well Haman is now smelling himself
because Haman went out verse 9 glad and
pleased the heart he’s saying whoa he
says boy I was invited to eat with the
King and his white boy this is really
rising on the ladder here the problem is
when he goes out he runs in the Mordecai
verse 9 and Mordecai would not stand up
not respect him
this man is out to kill him or the cars
not gonna stand up Haman was filled with
anger against Mordecai so he’s he
already doesn’t like him
they really ticked off cuz I didn’t come
from this party what the king with the
Queen I’m standing before you and you
don’t recognize Who I am and they just
invited me to be with them you don’t
know why I am so he is ticked off but he
controls himself verse 10 he doesn’t let
he goes home and tells his wife he says
wife there
it says let me tell you about my day I
am the man I am the man look I’m rich we
got these ten sons he says verse eleven
and the King magnified me and promoted
me and I’m above all the servants and
then guess what baby first twelve Esther
the Queen had me no one but me come to
people at the King to eat oh yeah I’m
boss I’m the boss man girl I own it
this is my day but there is one problem
all this doesn’t matter to me because
this Mordecai the Jew sitting at the
Kings gate and I can’t stand it I can’t
take it any longer so his wife says we
got to get rid of Mordecai you build the
gallows we gonna kill it tomorrow we’re
gonna kill him
during that night chapter 6 verse 1 the
king could not sleep there’s just not a
regular night this is this is on a
particular night insomnia sets in and so
the King needs help to go to sleep so
according to verse number one he tells
the servant go get me something boring
to read God is so detailed in his
coincidences
he leads the servants to the right book
and he makes them reap the right page
and all the page that they read it was
found written verse 2 what Mordecai has
reported concerning of big Donna and
teresh two of the king’s units who are
doorkeepers that they had sought to lay
hands on King Ahasuerus that goes all
the way back to chapter 2 when Mordecai
uncovered an assassination plots against
the king and it just happened to be
in the book in The Chronicles on the
page from the books that he had them
read that night not odd night that night
he could not sleep okay I know I know
it’s just look I know it’s just chance I
know it just just something that just
kind of happened
I got that so he’s reading the book
because of his insomnia and it just
happens that when they hit Mordecai King
said whoa
you’ve been reading all these names and
all these events but this guy Mordecai
Mordecai Mordecai Mordecai he saved my
life right yeah King well tell me verse
three what how do we honor him how do we
tell him we appreciate him for saving
the King’s life service say oh we didn’t
do anything for him you see God’s
providence is tired to time even though
the timing may go over years because
this is years even though you thought
something should happen five years ago
or eight years ago you know but God is
doing more than just you he’s doing a
series of things at the same time
because his kingdom is bigger than just
you you are not the kingdom you are a
representative in the kingdom to be used
by the kingdom for the kingdom but
you’re not the only one in the kingdom
and so tightening becomes everything and
so now we find ourselves with on the
game cuz night is now past all the day
water guy is supposed to die he’s
reading a book with more guys name in it
just cuz he can’t sleep on that night
okay watch this the King asked in verse
four
I hear somebody outside who’s outside in
the court it’s early in the morning who
would be up this early out there who’s
there who’s in the 40s in verse 4 now
Haman had just entered the outer court
of the king’s palace in order to speak
to the king about hanging Mordecai on
the gallows which he had prepared for
him Kings servants and verse 5 King
behold Haman is standing at the door
let him come in come in he might know
but you gotta let him come in so Haman
came in and the King said to him what is
to be done for the man who the King
desires to honor
filmdom don’t don’t don’t do them
ding-ding-ding-ding-ding them do what is
to be done with the man who the king
decides the honor
now Haman thinks the king is talking
about him Haman thinks the king is
talking about him he’s number two he’s
the number two guy in the land we
learned that early in the book so the
King says he wants to honor somebody so
Haman you know cuz he’s smelling itself
can you honor me okay let me go for the
gusto you want to honor somebody okay
let me tell you what you should do
here’s what you should do okay bring out
the Royal Road let him wear the Kings
Road which the King is worn then bring
him the horse on which the King rides
then put a royal crown even on the horse
then let the robe and the horse be
handed over to one of the Kings most
noble princesses and let them array the
man whom the King desires to honor and
lead him on horseback through the city
square and proclaim before him thus it
shall be done to the man whom the King
desires to honor and so what happens the
King says then the king said a man verse
10 take quickly the robes and the horse
as you have said and do so for Mordecai
that you
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yeah yeah yeah but you’re just saying I
like that hey I like that hey once
you’re gonna do it for Manik how does
he’ll Bernie Mac invitation now doesn’t
touch me
let’s go ahead go ahead and do it for
what it counted you listen to me
seriously
God is the god of intersections he
connects things that won’t look
connectable when it’s that night when
the timing has hit just right and
everything is looking wrong see
everything is looking wrong one of the
cons get very dotted this morning Esther
has had to shift her plan to another
dinner this is not a good day but she
has gone before God she has acted in
faith and so she’s picking up signals
that causes her to delay a dinner she’s
picking up signals so Haman mercy Levin
took the road took the horse raid
Mordecai and led him on horse back
through the city square and proclaim
before him the tsa’s shall be done to
the man whom the King desires to honor
okay so that’s let’s follow Mordecai
is the man the king you want honor
that’s called making your enemies your
footstool then Mordecai returned to the
Kings gate but Haman hurried home
morning with his head covered told his
wife Zahra SHhhh this is what happened
today
this whole thing is reversed his wife
Jared says well yeah it looks bad for
you boy she says because you’ve fallen
before this Jewish man you’ve fallen
before this Jewish man brothers and
sisters this is 24 hours so he’s walking
this do you around ok why am I telling
you that
cuz I’m telling you the Providence of
God can even address racism ok don’t
miss me the Providence occur cuz we got
racism he wants to genocide all of the
Jews because they are Jewish it was
religion but it was racism they were
Jewish the Providence of God can handle
racism it was the Providence of God in
1955 when a woman named Rosa Parks will
happen to be on the bus happen to have a
man talk to her she happened to not will
be willing to get up which led to a
civil rights movement which changed the
laws of the land God knows how when he
gets the right people with the right
thing at the right time in the right
place to do the right thing to flip the
script even racially ok it’s about 1969
maybe ya round 1969 one of my professors
in college asked me to go to a church
with him to his church in 19 around 1969
I went with my professor I go inside the
church and when I walk out of the church
all hell breaks loose because blacks
were not allowed in the church
my professor didn’t agree with that he
asked me what I would go I went I didn’t
know all this so I went and the church
went into convulsions because this is
all coming off the civil rights era and
all that and they went into convulsions
over this black man coming into the
church so they had a meeting about what
the church’s official position was going
to be and there was a split among the
leaders and among the congregation on
the Sunday that I went they had a guest
preacher who was candidated to be their
new pastor I didn’t know was gonna be
preaching but he was candidated
to be their new pastor he preached they
had all planned to bring him in he found
out their position in light of me going
to the church he wrote the church and
says I cannot pass her a racist Church
so he said I’m not coming to this church
that split the church even more from
that day forward the church began to go
downhill downhill downhill downhill
downhill until it became a glorified
Bible study five years ago I get a phone
call from the chairman of the Deacon
board he says our church has never
recovered from that day you came with
the professor and we recognized the
reason God has not answered our prayers
the reason God has not rebuilt our
church is because of the racism that we
did to you way back in 1969 so I have
been asked on behalf of the Deacons to
call you to apologize to you for the
races of we get to you back in 19
69 and I am calling you and I’m humbly
requested
would you come preach because God knows
the right time to turn a situation again
I’m trying to tell you you don’t know
who you’re dealing with
[Music]
[Laughter]
one of the words people love to use is
the word love or any of its relatives
happenstance faint chance you know
coincidences but let me make something
clear you cannot have a sovereign God
and have luck sovereignty means that God
controls everything and that nothing
happens either because he caused it or
he allowed it but there’s no such thing
as chance because God is in control of
the universe not only the big things but
the little things and the Bible is full
of events that make things that look
like luck when actually they were simply
circumstances being handled in the hand
of God to accomplish his sovereign
purposes now we play a part in that our
choices our decisions can influence and
affect how things work out but they will
always work out to God’s glory if we’re
in his will for our good and they will
accomplish his kingdom purposes so it’s
better to cooperate with God so that
chance is not chance or any of its
cousins and relatives or they actually
the Providence of God working behind the
scenes
pulling together the good the bad and
the bitter in order to accomplish his
will in our lives
submitting ourselves to his sovereign
providential will and hand positions us
to see what looks like luck to be
recognized as the hand of God even in
the idiosyncrasies of life causing
things to work out for good
and for his glory
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you
you