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That's what we still s'morning. We have insurance that if we ask you answer. It's in your precious and holy name we pray. Amen. A man go ahead and be seated children with Sergio out the back zero to three children Nursery age with Sergio and as they are leaving go ahead and turn with me to Esther chapter 4. Esther chapter 4 I'm not sure how much you know of Esther what you have read studied or done. Otherwise, you may know her for the courage she has and going before the king and being able to save her people and all she did that and we'll touch on that briefly this morning. That isn't our main focus you made a note Esther as one of the two women in the Bible to have a book named after them, So it may not be something that we frequent too often, but I do want to look at Esther chapter 4 12 through 17 this morning and as we are looking at this in continuing in our series of blank slate, I want us to look at the the areas and we're complacency or laziness May set in And then maybe a little bit difficult at the very beginning to understand where we're going with this idea blank slate and how Esther it is able to kind of fit in this model. But if you trust me and stay with us throughout the end and we'll show you how all that time does fit in so Esther chapter 4 starting in verse 12 new phone the screen as well. It says when they told Mata Ki what Esther had said Mordecai I told him to reply to Esther do not think that the in the king's Palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews brief you keep silence at such a time as this relief and deliverance will rise for the juice from another quarter, but you and your father's family will perish who knows perhaps you have come to Royal dignity for just such a time as this Vanessa said in reply to Mordecai go gather all the Jews to be found in Sousa and hold a fast on my behalf any of the eat nor drink for 3 Days night or day? I am amazed will also fast as you do after that. I will go to the king though. It is against the law. And if I perish I perish Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him as we look at Esther's life in an area that we may have overlooked frequently in our our reading or just the remembrance of the story. I pray that you would speak to us on our behalf in the areas. We were very much the same way that I'm hearing your voice looking at the things that you have provided us. We forget what were called to do we become complacent. So I pray that you would soften our spirits that you'd open our ears to hear what you have for us this morning and we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. As I've mentioned and if you can throw up that the first slide question for last night service, I want to do it again this morning. I want you to think briefly about the area in your life that has become complacent. It doesn't necessarily have to be pertaining to your spiritual devotional religious aspects. Allow me any area of your life that you can think of that you have become complacent. I want you to think about that for about 5-10 seconds. Maybe hopefully it's hard for you to be able to come up with something may not come up with something. But if you are able to come up with something, I want you to turn someone next to you somewhat close by if you are comfortable and say some that you become complacent in a lazy. You just kind of stopped trying or striving. So if you can just turn somebody really quickly something that you become complacent in and go you in 15 seconds if

All right. Hopefully you're able to share something with someone somewhere shape or form where to look at at the store here and what we don't read and we kind of jump into the middle of the story is Esther has become queen of this area this Providence the king if you kind of do a little bit of research and Infamous Scholars have noted of him. He's not a very kind King and one of the Articles and I couldn't find the picture for us said that the king had two people on either side of him that if somebody went into his Chambers there immediately executed on the spot unless he spoke or said otherwise that there was not a very long time. So when it says if I perish I perish she's being quite clear and honest it was a well-known law that you did not go into the king's Chambers. And if we kind of do the back and I encourage you to go through as there's not a long book I encourage you to read it this week to to be able to gather a little bit more out of it and they're not to be able to cover this morning. But it if we back up a little bit we see that Esther is chosen age, which is not disclosed up until this kind of point or a little bit later that she is of the people that are being persecuted. She's kept that hidden and has risen to the rank of queen bee if you'll read through verse 4 chapter 4 you can see that she hasn't been in the presence of the king for 30 days and knowing the non God-fearing man that the King was he probably had many wives concubines female companions had to be entered or asked to enter into the king's Chambers and not for 30 days is concerning in the vat self. Esther became Queen because that the king had become dissatisfied with his other queens and was going on and so there could be this the sense of boredom or this value mint taking place in essos live and she realizes this entering in when work asks, if you need to go to the king you need to be able to save us you need to be able to help your people in some way shape or form. She says you don't understand. I'm not in his good graces at this moment that I haven't been asked to go in and keep company with the king in quite some time. today and you know the law that if I were to go in uninvited There's a possibility I'll be executor. I may not even get the words out of my mouth of what you're asking me to do without me ending up dead on the spot. So she replies back to him and we come in right after this and Esther it said, you know, I don't think so. I'm paraphrasing the Bible does it say don't think so, but I'm here for the I don't think that that is going to be wise I'm going to pass. And we see this attitude of complacency began to to creep in. I asked you that to think about into possibly share if you're able to in the short time from areas of complacency and if we go through and look at the different areas that we become complacent. I look at job positions a lot of time. What do you Spire to move up the ranks and be able to get to a point? And and when you get to that point where you think you're okay, you can just kind of Coast you become complacent. There's really nothing for me further than this. I reach the Pinnacle of what I think I'm able to do. So, I'm just going to Coast until retirement. I'm able to make enough to be able to pay what I need to be able to do what I need to do and I'm going to kind of plateau here and be happy until retirement and we get to retirement and was like, I worked and did everything I could so now I don't have to do anything and I can just kind of sit here and be I have to worry about the stress and so we become complacent with our position in life. What are the the areas when I first arrived in The Dalles almost five years ago they were talking about is a lot of them said, you know, the the atmosphere The Dalles is people just kind of happy living with what they have. That Adam made you a little bit better than what their parents are done with their grandparents have done and so because they've done a little bit better. They assume that that's all the better it can be and nobody is willing to encourage or tell them that there is so much more that they could do until we become complacent. So, you know, I graduated high school. I'm good. No, I don't need to it to further my education or find a trade. I'll just kind of Coast here. And so they don't try. I look at relationships in Cali and I just celebrated 9 years of marriage but we see the the issue in our culture about the divorce rates. And I think it's well, I've been married for so long already. I Atkins kind of Coast I know the routine and the schedule and if you don't continue to build a relationship and continue to grow together, it just kind of is Anna Begins to die in Fall Apart. If you don't continually spend time in area, so we see this kind of taken place in Esther's life. We don't know the exact time frame, but we see your become Queen and over the next couple months or years of whatever the time spent is that takes place here. She becomes accustomed to the ways of the palace. You know, I've been here even though I haven't been in the presence of the king. I'm still taking care of I get to eat I get to dine at a nice table. I have maids and people to take care of me. Like I don't have to do any I'm good here. I'm not going to upset this balance that I have. I understand that there may be something going on. But if I'm on welcomed into the king's Chambers, why would I risk what I have to do something that I may not even be able to accomplish. so we see this this attitude of complacency set in all share two spaces. Hopefully you like soccer if you don't like soccer. It is the most popular sport in all the world. You may need to get to start brushing up on things. But anyway, I'm going to share a Lil Bit about soccer in high school. We had a really decent team for South Dakota and our small town to 5000 put together a team that was ranked second in the state. We went into this and the team that we were matched up against would be twice already that year. And so we kind of had this mentality of we got this there's not much there and ended up tying in the States Championship rounds of the elimination because we tied the best we could do was 4th. We are set up to to either be first or second the team that was in first. We hadn't played yet, but we had very similar records until in our minds. We were already kind of complacent until we got to that game in because of it. Like I said best we could do was fourth and so that's what we did. After High School, I was able to to go to a little bit bigger town be able to play for a club team and what I failed to realize that going from a small-town mindset of soccer when you get to kind of the top you become complacent because that's all the more, you know, not realizing that there's more out there and higher levels of play that I didn't continue to condition and gain skills that were needed and so it took me awhile to be able to adjust to a higher level of play. And after I got that done and figured out I realize you know, this is pretty easy. If I do X Y and Z I can play at this level with all these other teams and compete and then I moved to Colorado and started playing collegiately. And I realized one five thousand feet in the air is a lot different than 2500. You can't breathe at 5000 feet when you try to run it. So that was an adjustment. But on top of the said, oh, by the way in order to have a starting position you to be able to run 2 miles in 12 minutes. And I'm going nobody has asked me that I never tried to do that that is fast and it is very hot. I think the best that I was able to come up with in the three and a half years. I played was 12:37. And so why I never really started and was on the team that the level of play you can see where it's very easy to become complacent and not aspire to that next level in it. It keeps you out of so much. Because when we thinking of Mines, this is all I need to do to get by and if I get by until the Esther was thinking this is all I need if I just kind of fly under the radar if I don't make trouble for the king, he will just kind of forget that I'm here and I can live the way I am. The other one is I got the the opportunity or was told I had the opportunity to coach girls soccer. This this last fall. And it was quite the experience. We see what we want every game and even though they don't keep score at that level the kids keep score and they know what's going on. So we can't play dumb with them. So we want every game and as we started to to go throughout the season we kind of noticed that this area of the ball doesn't get down to the defensive side nearly enough. I don't want to play defense. I don't really want to do that. I want to play up where the ball is. So we had a hard time teaching training practicing defensive positions. And the only games that were really ever clothes were because we became complacent in our defensive training and teaching them to know you need to stay here. You don't go up there. You need to stay here. Cuz when the bull does get there, you have to send it back up there. There's nobody here and they couldn't get that. I don't want to train myself and better myself in these positions. You know, that's what I like doing. I want to be where the ball is in the action is right here and now so it's a weird kind of moved on past this because it was Seven and eight year old girls and I said what will get there later. If I do this next year will work on this more in depth. But we move on from the these areas of complacency. I looked at other areas only job and the soccer arena by look at our school systems and the fact that we've tried to do so many different things to make sure everybody is included that we're either hurting some that are really gifted and smart and not pushing them to their potential because we make sure everybody has we become complacent in our teaching. I remember watching it a few TV shows that were talking about teachers in the way. They weren't they disable. I can't teach the way I need to teach you. So I just I don't cry. I do what I'm given and what I can do and we try to make the best work. I was shocked when we got a piece of paper. So, you know, we can't make our children do homework, but please at parents encourage your children to do homework in my mind. I've had very low grades in high school because I didn't do my homework and my dad. Corrected that many times but I still like I didn't do and it was counted against us. Well, they don't really do what they really have the support that they need to be able to do it on their own. So we're not going to require we become complacent. I look at participation trophies. And as I mentioned I coached soccer this year the kids know but we give it participation trophies for everything. Do you want the best it's okay, you still get something so you can feel? And so it doesn't push them to to do better. One of the girls on our soccer team was absolutely phenomenal. She's been playing for many years and really was our MVP for the entire season and one of her heard downfalls perhaps if you can say this was a downfall and she cared too much about what her teammates thought of her. She she had 24 goals and could have had way more. That's a lot for a soccer season to be able to have his short as ours was, she had 24 goals and over the course of the Season we saw her scoring less unless she wasn't as aggressive and going for whatever because she said I don't want my friends to feel left out. I want to make sure that everybody can can have and be able to do and so she cared so much that when her friends when she wanted to be able to help them but is actually hurting her own ability because she wasn't playing and she was trying to throttle back her ability. And struggling and not knowing how that actually looked her play doubt. It kind of left her in a gray area most of the time. And we we go back to to Esther story and I really want to focus on verse 16. Mauna Kea is responding. 15 14. Sorry 14 more to KI is responding back in at the very end. Talking if she were to keep sinuses who knows perhaps you have come to Royal dignity for such a time as this.

We we don't know the time frame or the Span in between for certain. We do know that that God had a plan and a purpose for Esther. And it wasn't to become complacent and to be able to sit being well taken care of for no reason. But she lost sight of that. She lost sight of what it was that she was supposed to be doing and how God was calling her moving her and I think over time we can see you know, I I know God is calling me to do this. But I may I may not have the skills of the builder of the tree. I don't have the puke Moses was an awesome store because we see Moses go to the burning bush. And God says this is what you're going to do before he left the burning bush. She was given everything and equipped with all he needed to be able to go and leave God's people out of Egypt here. We see Esther given the the title in the position of Queen and it just kind of stops there for a minute. Didn't order for her to come into the good graces of the key to be able to have that kind of relationship where in chapters 5 we can see that she enters the king's chambers that she boldly says. You're about ready to kill me and my people and be able to save them but that there is a time frame there that we become complacent in. In our spirituality and looking at all the other areas. I think there's a time frame when we can say, you know, a I was excited to be able to do God's will here. That I knew God was calling me to do something specific and I had everything lined out and I know that God still has a plan for us cuz it says that God is working everything in advance Force but over the time frame that that it takes to get to where God has a plan for us. We forget what we're doing. We we can meet we become complacent in the space in between because we forget that God is still moving and preparing us for work that is yet to come. We we look at Esther situation and it takes more 2K. I reminded her, you know you have risen to this Royal dignity. God has blessed you with this position for such a time as this but if you keep silent don't think that you're special enough that God won't still do it without you. What are the things that was it was very? Clear to me early on it was kind of a ton of bricks hitting me to to get the point across. Have you shared your faith have you gone out to be able to invite people into having a relationship with Christ and there was almost this burden say no. I need to make sure that whoever I come in contact with accept Christ and it took a realization that you know, even if I don't do it, I'm not the one that does it anyway. I'm just the person that shows up in that place to be the mouthpiece God chooses to use and if it's not me that leads this person to Christ somewhere. Someone else will be able to connect in a way that they'll be able to hear the message and be able to follow Christ for themselves. Don't think you're so special even as the queen Don't think God will find somebody else to use. We go through it and look at the other people that God used it and Moses while he was in Pharaoh's chords. He ran away after murdering someone and God chose to use him while he was shepherding sheet for his father-in-law. David didn't really have a royal position until late in life Augusta, you know as a Shepherd, I can see your heart and your care for your life socket and you have a heart after my own it. So I will raise you today. We look at these these places. So I'm not at that level. I haven't been raised this Royal dignity like Esther has but how how it doesn't matter God has placed Us in positions for such a time as this

I asked you to think through the places where you may have become complacent.

And maybe it is in life. You you hit a a marker or a milestone for career for family for relationships. And I you know, I probably need to revisit those and be able to say and I'm not going to become complacent. I want more I want to grow in this relationship with this area of my life. But I want to focus on our spiritual side. Could we stop growing Spears if we stop growing a relationship with Christ and with others? It really will be a detriment not only to us but our families as well.

I've heard over when I did my party now when I was younger and I had energy I helped with the children to help with the youth I've done this I've done that and we have that retirement men's house where I can. Be complacent just Coast now. It's someone else's job when God is very clearly places in the positions. We have four very specific reason. We may have forgotten what that reason was or why God has given us to the skills the ability to resources that we have at our disposal, but maybe it's time to say no God. I need you to read. I need a more to KI in my life to point out the area that you put me in. That I lost track of.

I was following you. I was doing my devotionals as reading but it just kind of became stagnant and just kind of became monotonous or boring and I just kind of became complacent now. I don't do what I wanted to do and you may need something. So you need to get back to what you were doing when you were growing closer to Christ. Maybe it's a position. I've trained in any of these skill sets and abilities that while you may not be a great talker or speaker or organization. There are people that are and I don't have to worry about that. What I do know is got his gift me in this way and then this way. I can use my gifts.

I want us to take a little time as we close all my clothes and prayer here in a second and I want us to look at the area that we become complacent. And if there's a God I want you to send somebody into my life to be able to speak out to begin a blank slate say no. I don't want to have last year overshadow. I became complacent. I want to be revived and renew to be able to see God's power at work and Esther had everybody fast for 3 days so that she would be able to get right with God to be able to hear his voice be able to speak his words and those what it's not even a thing that she did except for was obedient to his calling. And God has called us all to something and we need to be able to accept that to focus on that and be revived in that same Spirit as I want to pray for us this morning that God will place even more chaos in our life will speak that true that we be able to have it revealed to us through God's guidance. Or if we already know what it is that we would have the spirit to go to guide us to direct us and lead us in. So if you go ahead and join me in prayer Heavenly Father, we thank you for this morning that you have given us.

We all become complacent in our lives in some way shape or form it. It just seems I guess our natural tendency.

But I pray that as we move into this new year as we look at the the blank slate that you wipe clean. I pray that we would move past our complacency. It would be reminded of the things that you have called us out of our called us to do and what you have equipped us with right here and now to accomplish that calling in sick. I pray that you would send your spirit in this place that he would be able to leave guide and direct our conversations are footsteps our actions. Then we would have a renewed and refreshed mine to look back. And remember the reason why. We have risen to such a place that were in.

That you would renew that desire and drive in us to fulfill.

your commands

If I we ask that you would speak to us. You reveal these things through to us through.