The Great Reversal
Series: Esther- For such a time as this
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 16th November 2025
Passage: Esther 5:9-6:11
00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Good morning, everyone. Welcome to St Paul's. If I've not met you, my name is Steve. I'm the lead pastor here at St Paul's.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:14 Great to have you here. If you have just joined us, we are partway through the book of Esther. We've been following this story.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:20 She's a young, orphaned Jewish woman who becomes the Queen of Persia.
00:00:20 --> 00:00:33 We're doing this in this season as a church because we are looking forward into our life and ministry together as a church over the next three, five to ten years,
00:00:34 --> 00:00:44 developing a strategic plan for our next phase of our 124-year history here at St Paul's in this place at Chatswood.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:55 And particularly looking forward in a society that, in the time that we've existed here, has moved further and further away from the Christian faith.
00:00:55 --> 00:01:01 So what does it mean to be God's people in this time, in this place for such a time as this?
00:01:02 --> 00:01:07 And so what we've seen leading up to this, Esther has risked absolutely everything,
00:01:07 --> 00:01:14 used a position in the palace as Xerxes' new queen to save God's people from annihilation.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:21 An edict has gone out to the entire Persian Empire against the Jews.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:27 And that edict's got several months to run before they are all annihilated.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 But there's another crisis that we've just seen.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 It's just risen right here.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:33 It's much more immediate.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:43 And the crisis is that Haman, who is the villain in this entire book of Esther, is determined to execute Mordecai.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:49 And this plan has got literally hours to run.
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 It's a much more immediate crisis.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:56 So open up your Bibles, Esther 5, running into 6.
00:01:56 --> 00:02:02 And also, if you've got the Sir Paul's app, there's an outline for today's message,
00:02:02 --> 00:02:07 which that's the trajectory we're heading on through the course of this morning.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:18 Haman would have to be one of the most vivid and, I think, sustained case studies in the Bible
00:02:18 --> 00:02:23 about what the Bible talks about in terms of pride.
00:02:23 --> 00:02:31 And what happens when pride rages unchecked in the human heart?
00:02:32 --> 00:02:37 Haman was the highest position in the king's administration.
00:02:38 --> 00:02:46 But the odd thing with this is that Xerxes, the ruler of this empire,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:51 must, in fact, command people to kneel and to honour Haman.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:58 What is unusual about that is that this is a hierarchical traditional society
00:02:58 --> 00:03:02 where bowing and honouring is instinctive.
00:03:04 --> 00:03:12 But Xerxes has to command people to bow and honour Haman.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:18 And so we get an indication that Haman must have been a particularly obnoxious individual.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:22 And Mordecai would not honour him.
00:03:23 --> 00:03:29 And so in chapter 5, verse 9, Haman is leaving a dinner party that he's just had,
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 a personal dinner party with Xerxes and Esther.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 And he is in very high spirits.
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 Not because of the alcohol.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:54 Nevertheless, he was filled with rage against Mordecai.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:04 In other words, he went out of there in high spirits of his own importance.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 That was the point.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:13 And Mordecai was the pin that popped the balloon for him.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:18 He was intoxicated by his self-importance.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 Verse 10, here comes the true Haman,
00:04:21 --> 00:04:26 calling together his friends and Jerez, his wife Haman,
00:04:26 --> 00:04:30 both of them about his vast wealth, his many sons,
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 and all the ways the king had honoured him
00:04:34 --> 00:04:39 and how he had elevated him above all the other nobles and officials.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 And then he says, that's not all.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:48 I'm the only person the Queen Esther invited to accompany the king
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 to the banquet she gave.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:57 But all this gives me no satisfaction
00:04:57 --> 00:05:02 as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:11 What we have here is a man whose fragile ego is being poked.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:16 And his whole sense of who he is
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 has got to do with his ego.
00:05:20 --> 00:05:24 When his ego was fed, as it was moments earlier
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 in the presence of Xerxes and Esther,
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 he was feeling great on top of the world.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 But when it was dented, when he saw Mordecai,
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 he is filled with anger and malice.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:38 The Oxford professor, C.S. Lewis,
00:05:39 --> 00:05:43 has a great definition of pride in his book, Christian Behaviour.
00:05:43 --> 00:05:44 He wrote,
00:05:44 --> 00:05:59 In other words, what he's saying is that your whole world
00:05:59 --> 00:06:06 is so desperately working to concentrate everything on me.
00:06:06 --> 00:06:11 You don't get into relationships.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:14 You don't take up a role.
00:06:15 --> 00:06:20 You don't do anything unless it affirms your perception
00:06:20 --> 00:06:21 that you have of yourself.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 Nothing is about the thing that you're doing
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 or the people you do it with.
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 Everything is ultimately about you.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:35 And in that sense, pride is essentially competitive.
00:06:38 --> 00:06:42 Lewis wrote that pride gets no pleasure out of getting something,
00:06:43 --> 00:06:48 but only in having more of it than the next person.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:59 Pride turns everything into a means to an end.
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 You never do anything for its own sake.
00:07:02 --> 00:07:06 It is a means to an end of getting respect, approval,
00:07:06 --> 00:07:10 affirming who I perceive myself to be.
00:07:11 --> 00:07:15 And so Haman here gets no satisfaction from his many accomplishments.
00:07:15 --> 00:07:19 He only has satisfaction in those things
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 if it gives him what he really desires.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:27 And what he really, really desires is really not a wife,
00:07:27 --> 00:07:32 not his sons, it's not even his vast wealth.
00:07:33 --> 00:07:37 What he really desires is the respect and the approval of others,
00:07:38 --> 00:07:42 and Mordecai is not giving him what he thinks he deserves.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:50 When you understand pride,
00:07:50 --> 00:07:54 I mean, we can see people that we would regard as proudful.
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 There's two, really, two forms of pride.
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 One is obvious, one's not so obvious.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:00 There's a superiority form of pride,
00:08:01 --> 00:08:06 and that's fairly obvious amongst, you know, in the media,
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 certain leaders of countries and things like that,
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 we would say, very proud individual.
00:08:12 --> 00:08:18 Like the very first president of Tunisia in his public assembly
00:08:18 --> 00:08:23 has said that gifts of leadership that he has
00:08:23 --> 00:08:27 is virtually non-existent in the world.
00:08:29 --> 00:08:30 That's a proud moment.
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 That's a superiority form of pride,
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 and it's pretty obvious, right?
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 But there's also an inferiority form of pride
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 that is not so obvious.
00:08:37 --> 00:08:42 This is where a person is constantly negative about themselves.
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 They are very self-conscious.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 They are always beating themselves up.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:51 Inferiority pride is when someone affirms you for something
00:08:51 --> 00:08:52 and you deflect it.
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 You immediately talk about,
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 yeah, I could have done it better here
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 and I could have done it better there.
00:08:58 --> 00:09:04 Inferiority pride is doing exact same comparisons
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 as the superiority pride,
00:09:08 --> 00:09:12 but you're just not scoring yourself as well on the assessments.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:20 And that's where I think Lewis was absolutely right
00:09:20 --> 00:09:24 when he said humility is not thinking less of yourself.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:28 It is thinking of yourself less.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 Humility is not self-loathing.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:38 You see, Lewis went on to write that
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 if we met a humble person,
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 we would not come away thinking
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 that they were a humble person.
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 We would just come away thinking
00:09:49 --> 00:09:53 that they were just incredibly humble,
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 so incredibly happy that they were stable,
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 that they were not anxious by my presence.
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 They were interested in me.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:10 A humble person is not thinking about themselves
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 and how you are treating them
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 or how you are scoring them.
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 For a humble person,
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 there's no ego calculation there.
00:10:21 --> 00:10:26 But it's more than that.
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 Pride ultimately is deadly.
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 Haman's monologue of his greatness
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 is kind of embarrassing and awkward.
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 But it's more than just embarrassing.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 Pride is more than just embarrassing and awkward.
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 It is so much worse than that.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:52 Haman wasn't just satisfied with killing Mordecai
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 and therefore forcing Mordecai
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 to do the very thing that he desired of him
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 and that was to bow.
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 He was not going to...
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 He's going to force Mordecai down.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:05 He wanted to make every Jew in the empire
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 bow down to him as well
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 by ultimately annihilating them.
00:11:09 --> 00:11:13 That is, pride is deadly.
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 It leads to devastation.
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 It leads to ultimate destruction.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 Christian theology,
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 ever since the days of St. Augustine,
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 has acknowledged that pride
00:11:25 --> 00:11:31 is not just one of the sins of humanity,
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 but it's the very foundation
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 of all sins of humanity.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 C.S. Lewis writes,
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 Pride leads to every other vice.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 It is the complete anti-God state of mind.
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 It is the essential vice,
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 the utmost evil,
00:11:50 --> 00:11:53 unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness,
00:11:53 --> 00:11:57 are mere flea bites in comparison.
00:11:58 --> 00:11:59 For instance,
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 and Lewis unpacks this more,
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 but for instance,
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 some of us struggle
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 with bitterness
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 towards other people
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 because they've hurt us
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 in some kind of way in the past.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 They've put us down.
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 They've made us bow in one level.
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 They've made us feel low.
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 They've treated us
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 as if we are below them.
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 Ironically though,
00:12:24 --> 00:12:28 the only way that you can stay bitter
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 towards another person
00:12:30 --> 00:12:34 is because I feel superior to them.
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 Even my bitterness is linked to pride.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 You can't stay bitter with someone
00:12:41 --> 00:12:42 unless you feel superior to them.
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 And you want them to be brought low.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 There is no bitterness without pride.
00:12:49 --> 00:12:52 Pride says,
00:12:52 --> 00:12:52 ultimately,
00:12:52 --> 00:12:52 well,
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 I would never treat someone like that.
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 And with that statement,
00:12:56 --> 00:12:59 you've elevated yourself above them.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 Pride is the driving force
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 of a life distorted by anger.
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 Pride also leads to being indecisive.
00:13:09 --> 00:13:14 It makes us either too abrasive
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 or it makes us too shy.
00:13:18 --> 00:13:21 Pride is the fuel behind racism
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 and social injustice
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 and classism and imperialism.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 Pride makes us foolish
00:13:28 --> 00:13:31 by keeping us from learning
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 from our mistakes.
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 It diverts us to self-justification
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 and blame shifting consistently.
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 When relationships are going bad
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 or the job's not working out,
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 it is always someone else's fault.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 It's a problem of circumstances.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 It's something else's fault.
00:13:50 --> 00:13:56 Humble people aren't always,
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 in any sense,
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 standing on their own dignity.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 Humble people are learning.
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 When something goes wrong,
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 they look for what they've done
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 in terms of the contribution,
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 even if it's not mainly their fault.
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 And if they find the part that they own,
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 they learn from it and grow.
00:14:20 --> 00:14:24 You see, proud people don't just not learn
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 from mistakes in general,
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 but they don't learn from criticism in particular.
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 One of the ways to grow
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 is to take criticism.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 The superiority type of person,
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 of pride, dismisses criticism.
00:14:40 --> 00:14:43 The inferiority form of pride person
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 means that you are so melted down
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 by criticism
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 that people are in fact
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 too scared to give you any.
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 Because of the mess,
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 they've got to clean up.
00:14:54 --> 00:14:56 But what is particularly difficult
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 about pride
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 is that it hides itself.
00:15:01 --> 00:15:04 Pride is the carbon monoxide of sin.
00:15:05 --> 00:15:05 It's killing you,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 you don't know it.
00:15:06 --> 00:15:11 The prouder a person is,
00:15:11 --> 00:15:15 the less proud they think they are.
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 Because the more they will see it
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 in other people.
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 That's the irony.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 Lewis writes,
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 I pointed out a moment ago
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30 that the more pride one had,
00:15:30 --> 00:15:33 the more one disliked pride in others.
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 In fact,
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 if you want to find out
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 how proud you are,
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40 the easiest way
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 is to ask yourself,
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 how much do I dislike it
00:15:44 --> 00:15:45 when other people snub me
00:15:45 --> 00:15:49 or refuse to take any notice of me
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 or patronise me
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 or show off?
00:15:54 --> 00:15:57 He's making a very significant point there.
00:15:58 --> 00:15:58 Traditionally,
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 in Australian culture,
00:15:59 --> 00:16:02 we have a disdain.
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 It's called tall poppy syndrome,
00:16:03 --> 00:16:05 but we have a disdain
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 for what we call snobs.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 A snob
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 is a slang term
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 for someone
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 who believes
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 that they are superior to others
00:16:13 --> 00:16:16 due to their social class
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 or their education
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19 or their taste
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 in fashion or food
00:16:21 --> 00:16:24 and it often leads them
00:16:24 --> 00:16:27 to be condescending of others,
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 disdainful of others.
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 So we don't like snobs
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 in Australian culture.
00:16:33 --> 00:16:33 Ironically,
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 it is only possible
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 to disdain a snob
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 if you feel superior to them.
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 That is,
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 disdaining snobbery
00:16:43 --> 00:16:46 is snobbery.
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 That's the irony of pride.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 See the problem?
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 We can't see it.
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 Takes a certain amount of pride,
00:17:02 --> 00:17:02 in fact,
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 to come even to this point
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 in this message
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 and to be mostly
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 think about someone else.
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 I wish they were here
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 with me right now
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 listening to this.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 But this leads me
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 to one more deadliness
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 associated with pride.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:26 that there is no pride
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 like religious pride.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:30 This brings it a bit home
00:17:30 --> 00:17:30 for us.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 Being religious
00:17:33 --> 00:17:37 can stifle
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 a certain amount of,
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 or externally constrain
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 a certain amount
00:17:43 --> 00:17:46 of sins
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 to a degree.
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 You know,
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 it can stifle greed
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 to a degree.
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 It can stifle
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 lust
00:17:53 --> 00:17:53 to a degree.
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 And a whole lot
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 of other sins
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 to a degree.
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 If we work hard
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 to live
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 by a certain set
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 of moral standards
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 with the hope
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 of life going well now
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 or approval
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 in the future,
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 then we will
00:18:10 --> 00:18:12 constrain ourselves
00:18:12 --> 00:18:14 to certain constraints,
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 be strifled
00:18:15 --> 00:18:17 as we pursue
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 those things.
00:18:19 --> 00:18:21 That's the definition
00:18:21 --> 00:18:21 of religion.
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 But religion
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 fuels,
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 it throws
00:18:28 --> 00:18:28 petrol
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 on the fire
00:18:30 --> 00:18:30 of pride.
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 Jonathan Edwards,
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 an American theologian
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 in the 1700s,
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 he's got a,
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 he wrote a book,
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 a series of lectures
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 really on humility.
00:18:42 --> 00:18:44 It's called
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 Charity in Its
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 Fruits.
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 And he says
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 this,
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 to know that
00:18:51 --> 00:18:51 there is
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 an infinitely
00:18:52 --> 00:18:54 great God
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 of justice
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 does not
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 create humility
00:18:58 --> 00:19:01 in itself.
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 Because either
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 you will try
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 to live up
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 to this God's
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 standard
00:19:08 --> 00:19:08 and become
00:19:08 --> 00:19:10 self-righteous
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 as you
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 achieve it
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 or
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 you'll feel
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 like you
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 can't live
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 up to that
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 standard
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 and you'll
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 just feel
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 like a failure.
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 And either
00:19:22 --> 00:19:22 way,
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 you're focusing
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 on yourself.
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 Religion
00:19:27 --> 00:19:27 will either
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 make you feel
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 more
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 self-consciously
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 a failure
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 or
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 it will
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 make you
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 feel
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 much more
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 superior
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 to everyone
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 else.
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 And either
00:19:39 --> 00:19:39 way,
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 you're still
00:19:41 --> 00:19:41 at the
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 centre.
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 So what
00:19:45 --> 00:19:45 happens?
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 Where's the
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 cure for
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 pride?
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 Chapter 6,
00:19:51 --> 00:19:51 right at the
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 beginning,
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 Haman is
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 arriving to
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 see Xerxes.
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 He's there
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 to ask
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 Xerxes to
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 kill Mordecai
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 in a pole
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 that he's been
00:20:03 --> 00:20:03 building with
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 his mates
00:20:04 --> 00:20:04 all night,
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 75 foot high.
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 Haman,
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 he's not
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 just satisfied,
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 he wants
00:20:10 --> 00:20:10 to make
00:20:10 --> 00:20:10 a public
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 spectacle
00:20:12 --> 00:20:14 of Mordecai.
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 He doesn't
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 send his
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 assassins
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 in the
00:20:17 --> 00:20:17 middle of
00:20:17 --> 00:20:17 the night,
00:20:17 --> 00:20:17 he wants
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 to,
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 this is
00:20:18 --> 00:20:20 the man
00:20:20 --> 00:20:20 who has
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 made me,
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 the public
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 figure Haman,
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 feel low
00:20:24 --> 00:20:24 and I'm
00:20:24 --> 00:20:24 going to
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 show to
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 everyone
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 what I
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 do to
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 the person
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 who makes
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 me feel
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 low.
00:20:30 --> 00:20:30 So he's
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 spent the
00:20:31 --> 00:20:31 night working
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 on his
00:20:32 --> 00:20:32 pole,
00:20:32 --> 00:20:32 he's now
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 coming to
00:20:33 --> 00:20:33 King,
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 asking for
00:20:34 --> 00:20:34 special
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 permission
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 to kill
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 Mordecai
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 and hang
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 him on it.
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 While he's
00:20:38 --> 00:20:38 there,
00:20:39 --> 00:20:39 while this
00:20:39 --> 00:20:39 is all
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 going on,
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 while the
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 pole's
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 being built,
00:20:42 --> 00:20:42 Xerxes
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 can't sleep.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 Maybe it's
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 the construction
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 noise,
00:20:45 --> 00:20:45 we don't
00:20:45 --> 00:20:45 know,
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 but Xerxes
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 can't sleep.
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 Now,
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 here we see
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 another one
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 of those
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 so-called
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 coincidences
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 that is God
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 working silently
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 and sovereignly
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 through all
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 of this
00:20:58 --> 00:20:58 narrative.
00:20:59 --> 00:20:59 And so
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 here it is,
00:21:01 --> 00:21:01 Xerxes
00:21:01 --> 00:21:03 can't
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 sleep.
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 Xerxes
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 has a
00:21:09 --> 00:21:09 harem
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 of the
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 most
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 beautiful
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 women
00:21:12 --> 00:21:12 of the
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 empire,
00:21:14 --> 00:21:14 the
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 choicest
00:21:15 --> 00:21:15 food
00:21:15 --> 00:21:17 and wine,
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 dances,
00:21:20 --> 00:21:20 endless
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 options
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 for
00:21:22 --> 00:21:22 entertainment,
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 and in
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 his inability
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 to sleep
00:21:27 --> 00:21:27 and his
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 restlessness,
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 he says
00:21:30 --> 00:21:30 to his
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 attendants,
00:21:32 --> 00:21:32 go and
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 get what
00:21:33 --> 00:21:33 is equivalent
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 to the
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 parish council
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 minutes and
00:21:36 --> 00:21:36 read them
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 to me.
00:21:40 --> 00:21:40 I mean,
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 he really
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 did want
00:21:42 --> 00:21:42 to sleep,
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 didn't he?
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 And what
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 is read
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 out here
00:21:49 --> 00:21:51 is the
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 record of
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 Mordecai
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 saving his
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 life from
00:21:55 --> 00:21:55 assassination
00:21:55 --> 00:21:57 and now
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 he really
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 can't sleep
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 because
00:22:00 --> 00:22:00 there is
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 no record
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 of Mordecai
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 being rewarded
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 for that
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 and in
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 that moment
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 Xerxes
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 knows we
00:22:08 --> 00:22:08 have a
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 cultural
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 crisis,
00:22:11 --> 00:22:15 a cultural
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 crisis.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 You see,
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 this is not
00:22:20 --> 00:22:20 just a mere
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22 simple oversight
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 that poor
00:22:23 --> 00:22:23 Mordecai
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 wasn't
00:22:24 --> 00:22:24 thanked,
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 so,
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 you know,
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 guys,
00:22:26 --> 00:22:26 send him
00:22:26 --> 00:22:26 an Uber
00:22:26 --> 00:22:26 Eats
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 voucher.
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29 This is a
00:22:29 --> 00:22:29 cultural
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 crisis.
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 If word
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 got out
00:22:32 --> 00:22:32 that Xerxes
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 does not
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 reward those
00:22:34 --> 00:22:34 who stick
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 their neck
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 out and
00:22:36 --> 00:22:36 report
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 assassination
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 attempts and
00:22:38 --> 00:22:39 other risks
00:22:39 --> 00:22:39 to his
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 rule,
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 who else
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 is going
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 to come
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 forward with
00:22:43 --> 00:22:43 information?
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 And so he
00:22:46 --> 00:22:46 needs some
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 suggestions of
00:22:47 --> 00:22:47 what do we
00:22:47 --> 00:22:47 do?
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 You know,
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 Uber Eats
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 wasn't around
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 those days,
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 so what do
00:22:50 --> 00:22:50 we do?
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 And who's
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 in the court?
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 And it
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 just so
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 happens that
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 Haman's
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 there in
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 the middle
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 of the
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 night,
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 early hours
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 of the
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 morning.
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 What should
00:23:00 --> 00:23:00 be done
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 for the
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 man the
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 king delights
00:23:03 --> 00:23:03 to honour?
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 And so this
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 is Haman
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 desperately
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 needing
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 respect,
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 desperately
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 needing
00:23:09 --> 00:23:10 approval,
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 desperately
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 wanting
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 honour
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 and glory
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 driven by
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 his heart
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 of pride
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 is thinking
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 as you
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 do as
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 a proud
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 person.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 Who else
00:23:23 --> 00:23:23 could he
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 be possibly
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 talking about
00:23:25 --> 00:23:25 than me?
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 Verse 7,
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 this is his
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 response.
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 For the
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 man the
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 king delights
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 to honour,
00:23:34 --> 00:23:34 have them
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 bring a
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 royal robe
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 the king
00:23:36 --> 00:23:36 has worn
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 and a
00:23:37 --> 00:23:37 horse the
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 king has
00:23:38 --> 00:23:38 ridden,
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 one with
00:23:39 --> 00:23:39 a royal
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 crest
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 placed on
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 its head.
00:23:41 --> 00:23:41 Now this
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 is a bold
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 move by
00:23:43 --> 00:23:43 Haman.
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 What he
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 is proposing
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 for himself
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 is nothing
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 short of
00:23:49 --> 00:23:49 the
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 honour
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 that would
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 be given
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 to a
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 conquering
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 ruling
00:23:53 --> 00:23:53 king
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 of an
00:23:54 --> 00:23:54 empire.
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 A
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 conquering
00:23:58 --> 00:23:58 conqueror's
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 parade.
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 Then let
00:24:01 --> 00:24:01 the robe
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 and the
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 horse be
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 entrusted
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 to one
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 of the
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 king's
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 most
00:24:04 --> 00:24:04 noble
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 princes.
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 The
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 greatest
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 noble
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 was to
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 be put
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 into
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 the
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 position
00:24:10 --> 00:24:12 of
00:24:12 --> 00:24:12 slave
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 and to
00:24:13 --> 00:24:13 lead
00:24:13 --> 00:24:13 the
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 horse,
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 elevating
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 the
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 rider
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 to the
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 position
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 of
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 momentary
00:24:19 --> 00:24:20 king.
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 Make
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 the
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 great
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 one
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 less
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 and
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 the
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 lesser
00:24:26 --> 00:24:26 one
00:24:26 --> 00:24:26 great.
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 Let
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 them
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 robe
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 the
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 man
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 that
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 the
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 king
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 delights
00:24:32 --> 00:24:32 to
00:24:32 --> 00:24:32 honour.
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 In
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 ancient
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 times
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 for the
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 king
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 to put
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 the
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 robe
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 on
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 someone
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 is
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 more
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 than
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 just
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 giving
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 them
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 a
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 high
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 position
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 or
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 trying
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 out
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 his
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 outfits.
00:24:42 --> 00:24:42 When
00:24:42 --> 00:24:42 Pharaoh
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 puts
00:24:43 --> 00:24:43 his
00:24:43 --> 00:24:43 robe
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 on
00:24:44 --> 00:24:44 Joseph
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 in
00:24:45 --> 00:24:45 Genesis
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 41
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 it
00:24:47 --> 00:24:47 means
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 Joseph
00:24:48 --> 00:24:48 is
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 participating
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 at that
00:24:50 --> 00:24:50 moment
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 in
00:24:51 --> 00:24:51 the
00:24:51 --> 00:24:51 king's
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 position.
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 When
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 Jonathan
00:24:54 --> 00:24:54 gives
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 his
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 kingly
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 robe
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 to
00:24:56 --> 00:24:56 David
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 in
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 1
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 Samuel
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 18
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 it
00:24:59 --> 00:24:59 is
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 Jonathan's
00:25:00 --> 00:25:00 way
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 of
00:25:01 --> 00:25:01 saying
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 even
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 though
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 he
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 is
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 the
00:25:03 --> 00:25:03 son
00:25:03 --> 00:25:03 of
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 the
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04 king
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 he's
00:25:05 --> 00:25:05 saying
00:25:05 --> 00:25:05 in
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 that
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 moment
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 to
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 David
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 you
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 are
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 to
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 be
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 king.
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 And
00:25:11 --> 00:25:11 so
00:25:11 --> 00:25:11 this
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 is
00:25:12 --> 00:25:12 Haman's
00:25:12 --> 00:25:12 moment.
00:25:12 --> 00:25:14 If
00:25:14 --> 00:25:14 everyone
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 saw
00:25:15 --> 00:25:15 that
00:25:15 --> 00:25:15 he
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 is
00:25:16 --> 00:25:16 the
00:25:16 --> 00:25:16 one
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 who
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 is
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 loved
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 and
00:25:18 --> 00:25:18 approved
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 of
00:25:19 --> 00:25:19 by
00:25:19 --> 00:25:19 someone
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 as
00:25:20 --> 00:25:20 great
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 the
00:25:21 --> 00:25:21 most
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 powerful
00:25:22 --> 00:25:22 man
00:25:22 --> 00:25:22 in
00:25:22 --> 00:25:22 the
00:25:22 --> 00:25:22 world
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 at
00:25:23 --> 00:25:23 that
00:25:23 --> 00:25:23 time
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 Xerxes
00:25:24 --> 00:25:24 the
00:25:24 --> 00:25:24 first
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 then
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 everyone
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 will
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 know
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 and
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 he
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 will
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 know
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 deep
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 down
00:25:28 --> 00:25:28 inside
00:25:28 --> 00:25:28 of
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 him
00:25:29 --> 00:25:29 how
00:25:29 --> 00:25:29 much
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 he
00:25:30 --> 00:25:30 is
00:25:30 --> 00:25:30 valued
00:25:30 --> 00:25:30
00:25:30 --> 00:25:30 How
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 much
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 he
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 is
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 loved!
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 Lead
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 him
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 on
00:25:37 --> 00:25:37 lead
00:25:37 --> 00:25:37 him
00:25:37 --> 00:25:37 on
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 the
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 horse
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 through
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 the
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 city
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39 streets
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 proclaiming
00:25:40 --> 00:25:40 before
00:25:40 --> 00:25:40 him
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 this
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 is
00:25:42 --> 00:25:42 the
00:25:42 --> 00:25:42 one
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 what
00:25:43 --> 00:25:43 he's
00:25:43 --> 00:25:43 done
00:25:43 --> 00:25:43 for
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 the
00:25:44 --> 00:25:44 man
00:25:44 --> 00:25:44 the
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 king
00:25:45 --> 00:25:45 delights
00:25:45 --> 00:25:45 to
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 honour
00:25:46 --> 00:25:50 his
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 heart
00:25:51 --> 00:25:51 is
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 so
00:25:52 --> 00:25:55 satisfied
00:25:55 --> 00:25:57 and
00:25:57 --> 00:25:57 this
00:25:57 --> 00:25:57 is
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 when
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 it
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 all
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 comes
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 tumbling
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 down
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 the
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 great
00:26:01 --> 00:26:01 reversal
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 begins
00:26:02 --> 00:26:02 Xerxes
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 says
00:26:03 --> 00:26:04 great
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05 plan
00:26:05 --> 00:26:06 do
00:26:06 --> 00:26:06 that
00:26:06 --> 00:26:06 for
00:26:06 --> 00:26:07 Mordecai
00:26:07 --> 00:26:09 and
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 you
00:26:10 --> 00:26:12 lead
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 the
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 horse
00:26:12 --> 00:26:16 Mordecai
00:26:16 --> 00:26:16 was
00:26:16 --> 00:26:16 literally
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 hours
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 from
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 death
00:26:18 --> 00:26:18 he was
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 about
00:26:19 --> 00:26:19 to be
00:26:19 --> 00:26:19 lifted
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 up
00:26:20 --> 00:26:20 as a
00:26:20 --> 00:26:20 public
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 spectacle
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 on a
00:26:22 --> 00:26:22 pole
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 75
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 feet
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 high
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 to be
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 scorned
00:26:26 --> 00:26:26 and to
00:26:26 --> 00:26:26 be
00:26:26 --> 00:26:27 mocked
00:26:27 --> 00:26:27 by
00:26:27 --> 00:26:28 all
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 who
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 passed
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 by
00:26:29 --> 00:26:30 a
00:26:30 --> 00:26:31 great
00:26:31 --> 00:26:31 humiliation
00:26:31 --> 00:26:33 and
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 instead
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 he is
00:26:35 --> 00:26:35 lifted
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 up
00:26:36 --> 00:26:37 onto
00:26:37 --> 00:26:37 Xerxes
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 horse
00:26:38 --> 00:26:41 covered
00:26:41 --> 00:26:41 with his
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 robe
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 and paraded
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 in front
00:26:44 --> 00:26:44 of all
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 and honoured
00:26:45 --> 00:26:45 in front
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 of all
00:26:46 --> 00:26:48 and
00:26:48 --> 00:26:48 Haman
00:26:48 --> 00:26:48 thinking
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 he was
00:26:49 --> 00:26:49 about
00:26:49 --> 00:26:50 to be
00:26:50 --> 00:26:50 lifted
00:26:50 --> 00:26:50 up
00:26:50 --> 00:26:50 even
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 higher
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 than
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 what
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 he
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 currently
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 is
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 and honoured
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 is now
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 down at
00:26:55 --> 00:26:55 the feet
00:26:55 --> 00:26:55 of the
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 one
00:26:56 --> 00:26:56 who
00:26:56 --> 00:26:56 refused
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 to bow
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 in the
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 role of
00:26:59 --> 00:26:59 the servant
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 leading the
00:27:00 --> 00:27:00 horse
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 as a
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 slave
00:27:02 --> 00:27:05 and in
00:27:05 --> 00:27:05 verse 12
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 Haman
00:27:06 --> 00:27:06 rushed
00:27:06 --> 00:27:06 home
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 with his
00:27:07 --> 00:27:07 head
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 covered
00:27:08 --> 00:27:08 in
00:27:08 --> 00:27:08 grief
00:27:08 --> 00:27:12 and
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 Haman's
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 reversal
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 here
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 signals
00:27:16 --> 00:27:16 the
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 great
00:27:17 --> 00:27:17 reversal
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 of
00:27:18 --> 00:27:18 God's
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 people
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 here
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 in
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 the
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 book
00:27:20 --> 00:27:20 of
00:27:20 --> 00:27:20 Esther
00:27:20 --> 00:27:22 God
00:27:22 --> 00:27:24 stands
00:27:24 --> 00:27:24 against
00:27:24 --> 00:27:24 the
00:27:24 --> 00:27:25 proud
00:27:25 --> 00:27:28 it's
00:27:28 --> 00:27:28 an
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 ethic
00:27:29 --> 00:27:29 that
00:27:29 --> 00:27:29 runs
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 right
00:27:30 --> 00:27:30 throughout
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 the
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 Bible
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 the
00:27:33 --> 00:27:33 first
00:27:33 --> 00:27:33 will
00:27:33 --> 00:27:33 be
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 last
00:27:34 --> 00:27:34 and
00:27:34 --> 00:27:34 the
00:27:34 --> 00:27:34 last
00:27:34 --> 00:27:34 will
00:27:34 --> 00:27:34 be
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 first
00:27:35 --> 00:27:35 if
00:27:35 --> 00:27:35 we
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 humble
00:27:36 --> 00:27:36 ourselves
00:27:36 --> 00:27:36 we
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 will
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 be
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 exalted
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 but
00:27:38 --> 00:27:38 if
00:27:38 --> 00:27:38 we
00:27:38 --> 00:27:38 exalt
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 ourselves
00:27:39 --> 00:27:39 we
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 will
00:27:40 --> 00:27:40 be
00:27:40 --> 00:27:40 humbled
00:27:40 --> 00:27:41 as C.S.
00:27:41 --> 00:27:41 Lewis
00:27:41 --> 00:27:42 put it
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 lose
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 yourself
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 that
00:27:45 --> 00:27:45 you
00:27:45 --> 00:27:45 might
00:27:45 --> 00:27:45 find
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 yourself
00:27:46 --> 00:27:48 the
00:27:48 --> 00:27:48 principle
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 runs
00:27:49 --> 00:27:49 right
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 throughout
00:27:50 --> 00:27:50 life
00:27:50 --> 00:27:50 from
00:27:50 --> 00:27:50 top
00:27:50 --> 00:27:51 to
00:27:51 --> 00:27:51 bottom
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 lose
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 your
00:27:53 --> 00:27:53 life
00:27:53 --> 00:27:53 and
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 you
00:27:54 --> 00:27:54 will
00:27:54 --> 00:27:54 save
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 it
00:27:55 --> 00:27:55 for
00:27:55 --> 00:27:56 instance
00:27:56 --> 00:27:56 I haven't
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 got time
00:27:57 --> 00:27:57 to unpack
00:27:57 --> 00:27:57 this
00:27:57 --> 00:27:57 in every
00:27:57 --> 00:27:58 area
00:27:58 --> 00:27:58 sphere
00:27:58 --> 00:27:58 of life
00:27:58 --> 00:27:58 but
00:27:58 --> 00:27:59 in
00:27:59 --> 00:27:59 social
00:27:59 --> 00:27:59 life
00:27:59 --> 00:28:01 you
00:28:01 --> 00:28:01 never
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 actually
00:28:02 --> 00:28:02 make
00:28:02 --> 00:28:02 a
00:28:02 --> 00:28:03 good
00:28:03 --> 00:28:03 impression
00:28:03 --> 00:28:03 on
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 people
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 until
00:28:05 --> 00:28:05 you
00:28:05 --> 00:28:05 stop
00:28:05 --> 00:28:05 trying
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 to
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 make
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 a
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 good
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 impression
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 on
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 people
00:28:07 --> 00:28:10 this
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 is
00:28:11 --> 00:28:11 the
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 principle
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 of the
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 universe
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 because
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 it is
00:28:15 --> 00:28:15 the
00:28:15 --> 00:28:16 nature
00:28:16 --> 00:28:16 of the
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 God
00:28:17 --> 00:28:17 who
00:28:17 --> 00:28:17 made
00:28:17 --> 00:28:17 the
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 universe
00:28:18 --> 00:28:21 Haman
00:28:21 --> 00:28:23 wanted
00:28:23 --> 00:28:23 the
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 one
00:28:24 --> 00:28:24 thing
00:28:24 --> 00:28:25 that
00:28:25 --> 00:28:25 we
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 are
00:28:26 --> 00:28:26 all
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 humanities
00:28:27 --> 00:28:28 created
00:28:28 --> 00:28:28 to
00:28:28 --> 00:28:28 want
00:28:28 --> 00:28:29 and
00:28:29 --> 00:28:29 that
00:28:29 --> 00:28:30 is
00:28:30 --> 00:28:30 the
00:28:30 --> 00:28:31 approval
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 the
00:28:32 --> 00:28:32 love
00:28:32 --> 00:28:35 of
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 the
00:28:36 --> 00:28:38 lovable
00:28:38 --> 00:28:41 what
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 we
00:28:42 --> 00:28:42 need
00:28:42 --> 00:28:41 what
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 we
00:28:42 --> 00:28:42 need
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 is
00:28:43 --> 00:28:43 the
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 ultimate
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 assurance
00:28:45 --> 00:28:45 of
00:28:45 --> 00:28:45 who
00:28:45 --> 00:28:45 we
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 are
00:28:46 --> 00:28:47 assurance
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 ultimate
00:28:48 --> 00:28:48 assurance
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 of our
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 worth
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 what we
00:28:50 --> 00:28:50 all
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 need
00:28:51 --> 00:28:51 is
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 the
00:28:52 --> 00:28:52 praise
00:28:52 --> 00:28:53 and the
00:28:53 --> 00:28:53 affirmation
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 and the
00:28:54 --> 00:28:54 approval
00:28:54 --> 00:28:55 and the
00:28:55 --> 00:28:55 love
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 of the
00:28:56 --> 00:28:56 praise
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 worthy
00:28:57 --> 00:28:59 you see
00:28:59 --> 00:29:00 Haman
00:29:00 --> 00:29:01 here
00:29:01 --> 00:29:01 asks
00:29:01 --> 00:29:02 Xerxes
00:29:02 --> 00:29:02 he's
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 seeking
00:29:03 --> 00:29:03 from
00:29:03 --> 00:29:03 Xerxes
00:29:03 --> 00:29:05 for the
00:29:05 --> 00:29:05 very thing
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 that we
00:29:06 --> 00:29:06 all
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 want
00:29:07 --> 00:29:07 and that
00:29:07 --> 00:29:07 we
00:29:07 --> 00:29:08 all
00:29:08 --> 00:29:08 need
00:29:08 --> 00:29:08 in
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 life
00:29:09 --> 00:29:11 so
00:29:11 --> 00:29:11 what
00:29:11 --> 00:29:11 Haman
00:29:11 --> 00:29:12 is
00:29:12 --> 00:29:12 wanting
00:29:12 --> 00:29:12 here
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 he
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 didn't
00:29:14 --> 00:29:14 ask
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 Xerxes
00:29:15 --> 00:29:15 for the
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 wrong
00:29:16 --> 00:29:16 thing
00:29:16 --> 00:29:18 he
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 just
00:29:19 --> 00:29:19 asked
00:29:19 --> 00:29:19 the
00:29:19 --> 00:29:19 wrong
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 king
00:29:20 --> 00:29:22 that's
00:29:22 --> 00:29:22 his
00:29:22 --> 00:29:22 problem
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 he
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 asked
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 the
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 wrong
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 king
00:29:24 --> 00:29:26 there
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27 is
00:29:27 --> 00:29:27 a
00:29:27 --> 00:29:27 better
00:29:27 --> 00:29:27 king
00:29:27 --> 00:29:29 there
00:29:29 --> 00:29:29 is
00:29:29 --> 00:29:29 a
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 king
00:29:30 --> 00:29:30 with
00:29:30 --> 00:29:30 ultimate
00:29:30 --> 00:29:31 glory
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 who
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 came
00:29:32 --> 00:29:32 to
00:29:32 --> 00:29:32 earth
00:29:32 --> 00:29:32 was
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 stripped
00:29:33 --> 00:29:33 !
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 allowed
00:29:34 --> 00:29:34 himself
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 to be
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 stripped
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 He
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 chose
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 to
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 strip
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 himself
00:29:37 --> 00:29:37 of
00:29:37 --> 00:29:37 all
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 of
00:29:38 --> 00:29:38 his
00:29:38 --> 00:29:38 glory
00:29:38 --> 00:29:39 why?
00:29:41 --> 00:29:41 because
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 he
00:29:42 --> 00:29:42 was
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 trading
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 places
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 with
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 us
00:29:44 --> 00:29:48 Mordecai
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 was
00:29:49 --> 00:29:49 saved
00:29:49 --> 00:29:50 because
00:29:50 --> 00:29:50 Haman
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 swapped
00:29:51 --> 00:29:51 places
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 with
00:29:52 --> 00:29:52 him
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 but
00:29:53 --> 00:29:53 Haman
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 did
00:29:54 --> 00:29:54 it
00:29:54 --> 00:29:55 involuntarily
00:29:55 --> 00:29:58 and
00:29:58 --> 00:29:58 if this
00:29:58 --> 00:29:58 is new
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 to you
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 let me
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 just
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 say
00:29:59 --> 00:30:00 that
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 the
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 uniqueness
00:30:00 --> 00:30:01 and
00:30:01 --> 00:30:02 the
00:30:02 --> 00:30:02 truth
00:30:02 --> 00:30:02 and
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 the
00:30:03 --> 00:30:03 goodness
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 and
00:30:04 --> 00:30:04 beauty
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05 of
00:30:05 --> 00:30:05 the
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06 Christian
00:30:06 --> 00:30:06 faith
00:30:06 --> 00:30:07 is
00:30:07 --> 00:30:07 that
00:30:07 --> 00:30:08 it's
00:30:08 --> 00:30:08 very
00:30:08 --> 00:30:09 central
00:30:09 --> 00:30:10 message
00:30:10 --> 00:30:10 that
00:30:10 --> 00:30:11 all
00:30:11 --> 00:30:11 things
00:30:11 --> 00:30:11 flow
00:30:11 --> 00:30:12 out
00:30:12 --> 00:30:12 the
00:30:12 --> 00:30:12 very
00:30:12 --> 00:30:12 central
00:30:12 --> 00:30:13 message
00:30:13 --> 00:30:13 what
00:30:13 --> 00:30:13 we
00:30:13 --> 00:30:14 call
00:30:14 --> 00:30:14 the
00:30:14 --> 00:30:14 gospel
00:30:14 --> 00:30:15 the
00:30:15 --> 00:30:15 good
00:30:15 --> 00:30:15 news
00:30:15 --> 00:30:16 of
00:30:16 --> 00:30:16 the
00:30:16 --> 00:30:16 Christian
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17 faith
00:30:17 --> 00:30:18 is
00:30:18 --> 00:30:18 that
00:30:18 --> 00:30:18 Jesus
00:30:18 --> 00:30:19 Christ
00:30:19 --> 00:30:19 the
00:30:19 --> 00:30:20 son
00:30:20 --> 00:30:20 of
00:30:20 --> 00:30:20 God
00:30:20 --> 00:30:21 the
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 one
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 of
00:30:21 --> 00:30:22 infinite
00:30:22 --> 00:30:22 glory
00:30:22 --> 00:30:23 and
00:30:23 --> 00:30:23 majesty
00:30:23 --> 00:30:24 and
00:30:24 --> 00:30:25 splendor
00:30:25 --> 00:30:27 has
00:30:27 --> 00:30:27 traded
00:30:27 --> 00:30:28 places
00:30:28 --> 00:30:29 with
00:30:29 --> 00:30:29 us
00:30:29 --> 00:30:31 just
00:30:31 --> 00:30:32 in a
00:30:32 --> 00:30:32 number
00:30:32 --> 00:30:32 of
00:30:32 --> 00:30:33 weeks
00:30:33 --> 00:30:33 we
00:30:33 --> 00:30:33 will
00:30:33 --> 00:30:33 be
00:30:33 --> 00:30:35 celebrating
00:30:35 --> 00:30:36 him
00:30:36 --> 00:30:37 taking
00:30:37 --> 00:30:37 on
00:30:37 --> 00:30:38 human
00:30:38 --> 00:30:39 form
00:30:39 --> 00:30:41 to
00:30:41 --> 00:30:41 trade
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 places
00:30:42 --> 00:30:42 with
00:30:42 --> 00:30:43 us
00:30:43 --> 00:30:44 but
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 he
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 did
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 it
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 voluntarily
00:30:45 --> 00:30:47 you see
00:30:47 --> 00:30:47 Jesus
00:30:47 --> 00:30:47 is the
00:30:47 --> 00:30:48 ultimate
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 king
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 he's
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 the
00:30:48 --> 00:30:49 king
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 with
00:30:50 --> 00:30:50 ultimate
00:30:50 --> 00:30:51 splendor
00:30:51 --> 00:30:51 and
00:30:51 --> 00:30:51 glory
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 and
00:30:52 --> 00:30:52 an
00:30:52 --> 00:30:52 infinite
00:30:52 --> 00:30:52 cost
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 to
00:30:53 --> 00:30:53 himself
00:30:53 --> 00:30:56 he
00:30:56 --> 00:30:57 did
00:30:57 --> 00:30:57 the
00:30:57 --> 00:30:57 great
00:30:57 --> 00:30:58 reversal
00:30:58 --> 00:30:59 he
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 reversed
00:30:59 --> 00:31:00 places
00:31:00 --> 00:31:00 with
00:31:00 --> 00:31:00 us
00:31:00 --> 00:31:01 you see
00:31:01 --> 00:31:02 in
00:31:02 --> 00:31:02 Jesus
00:31:02 --> 00:31:04 voluntary
00:31:04 --> 00:31:05 act
00:31:05 --> 00:31:05 of
00:31:05 --> 00:31:05 trading
00:31:05 --> 00:31:06 places
00:31:06 --> 00:31:06 with
00:31:06 --> 00:31:06 us
00:31:06 --> 00:31:07 we
00:31:07 --> 00:31:07 see
00:31:07 --> 00:31:07 the
00:31:07 --> 00:31:08 consequences
00:31:08 --> 00:31:08 of
00:31:08 --> 00:31:09 our
00:31:09 --> 00:31:09 pride
00:31:09 --> 00:31:10 and
00:31:10 --> 00:31:10 the
00:31:10 --> 00:31:10 cure
00:31:10 --> 00:31:11 for
00:31:11 --> 00:31:11 our
00:31:11 --> 00:31:11 pride
00:31:11 --> 00:31:13 2
00:31:13 --> 00:31:13 Corinthians
00:31:13 --> 00:31:14 5
00:31:14 --> 00:31:14 21
00:31:14 --> 00:31:14 puts
00:31:14 --> 00:31:14 it
00:31:14 --> 00:31:15 like
00:31:15 --> 00:31:15 this
00:31:15 --> 00:31:15 God
00:31:15 --> 00:31:16 made
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 him
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 talking
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 about
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 Jesus
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 he
00:31:18 --> 00:31:19 made
00:31:19 --> 00:31:19 him
00:31:19 --> 00:31:19 sin
00:31:19 --> 00:31:20 who
00:31:20 --> 00:31:20 knew
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21 no
00:31:21 --> 00:31:21 sin
00:31:21 --> 00:31:22 perfectly
00:31:22 --> 00:31:23 that
00:31:23 --> 00:31:24 we
00:31:24 --> 00:31:24 might
00:31:24 --> 00:31:25 become
00:31:25 --> 00:31:25 the
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 righteousness
00:31:26 --> 00:31:26 of
00:31:26 --> 00:31:27 God
00:31:27 --> 00:31:27 in
00:31:27 --> 00:31:27 him
00:31:27 --> 00:31:28 that
00:31:28 --> 00:31:28 he
00:31:28 --> 00:31:28 might
00:31:28 --> 00:31:29 give
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 his
00:31:30 --> 00:31:30 royal
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 robes
00:31:31 --> 00:31:31 to
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 us
00:31:32 --> 00:31:34 he
00:31:34 --> 00:31:34 was
00:31:34 --> 00:31:34 stripped
00:31:34 --> 00:31:35 naked
00:31:35 --> 00:31:35 nailed
00:31:35 --> 00:31:36 to a
00:31:36 --> 00:31:36 stake
00:31:36 --> 00:31:37 for
00:31:37 --> 00:31:37 our
00:31:37 --> 00:31:38 sin
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 and
00:31:39 --> 00:31:39 that
00:31:39 --> 00:31:40 all
00:31:40 --> 00:31:40 would
00:31:40 --> 00:31:40 walk
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 past
00:31:41 --> 00:31:41 him
00:31:41 --> 00:31:41 and
00:31:41 --> 00:31:42 mock
00:31:42 --> 00:31:42 him
00:31:42 --> 00:31:43 and
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44 scorn
00:31:44 --> 00:31:44 him
00:31:44 --> 00:31:44 as a
00:31:44 --> 00:31:45 public
00:31:45 --> 00:31:45 spectacle
00:31:45 --> 00:31:47 humiliated
00:31:47 --> 00:31:51 so that
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 we could
00:31:52 --> 00:31:52 be raised
00:31:52 --> 00:31:53 up and
00:31:53 --> 00:31:54 clothed in
00:31:54 --> 00:31:54 his perfect
00:31:54 --> 00:31:55 righteousness
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 and
00:31:56 --> 00:31:56 honoured
00:31:56 --> 00:31:59 he takes
00:31:59 --> 00:31:59 what we
00:31:59 --> 00:32:00 deserve so
00:32:00 --> 00:32:00 that we
00:32:00 --> 00:32:00 can get
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 what he
00:32:01 --> 00:32:01 deserves
00:32:01 --> 00:32:04 John 17
00:32:04 --> 00:32:05 in the
00:32:05 --> 00:32:05 New
00:32:05 --> 00:32:05 Testament
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 reads what
00:32:06 --> 00:32:07 this means
00:32:07 --> 00:32:08 for those
00:32:08 --> 00:32:09 who bow
00:32:09 --> 00:32:09 to Jesus
00:32:09 --> 00:32:10 now
00:32:10 --> 00:32:12 father
00:32:12 --> 00:32:12
00:32:12 --> 00:32:13 I want
00:32:13 --> 00:32:14 those
00:32:14 --> 00:32:15 you have
00:32:15 --> 00:32:15 given me
00:32:15 --> 00:32:16 to be
00:32:16 --> 00:32:16 with me
00:32:16 --> 00:32:17 where I
00:32:17 --> 00:32:17 am
00:32:17 --> 00:32:17 and to
00:32:17 --> 00:32:18 see my
00:32:18 --> 00:32:18 glory
00:32:18 --> 00:32:20 the glory
00:32:20 --> 00:32:20 that you
00:32:20 --> 00:32:21 have given
00:32:21 --> 00:32:21 me
00:32:21 --> 00:32:22 because you
00:32:22 --> 00:32:23 loved me
00:32:23 --> 00:32:23 before the
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 creation of
00:32:24 --> 00:32:24 the world
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 he's talking
00:32:25 --> 00:32:26 about his
00:32:26 --> 00:32:26 glory there
00:32:26 --> 00:32:28 the father
00:32:28 --> 00:32:28 has given
00:32:28 --> 00:32:29 Jesus glory
00:32:29 --> 00:32:30 and then he
00:32:30 --> 00:32:30 says something
00:32:30 --> 00:32:31 remarkable
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 a couple of
00:32:32 --> 00:32:32 verses earlier
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 I have
00:32:33 --> 00:32:34 given them
00:32:34 --> 00:32:35 the glory
00:32:35 --> 00:32:35 that you
00:32:35 --> 00:32:36 gave me
00:32:36 --> 00:32:39 I have
00:32:39 --> 00:32:40 made them
00:32:40 --> 00:32:42 what I
00:32:42 --> 00:32:43 am
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 that is
00:32:44 --> 00:32:46 unbelievable
00:32:46 --> 00:32:47 you see
00:32:47 --> 00:32:47 glory is
00:32:47 --> 00:32:48 not fairy
00:32:48 --> 00:32:49 dust
00:32:49 --> 00:32:51 glory is
00:32:51 --> 00:32:51 delight
00:32:51 --> 00:32:52 it is
00:32:52 --> 00:32:52 honour
00:32:52 --> 00:32:53 for those
00:32:53 --> 00:32:53 who bow
00:32:53 --> 00:32:54 in submission
00:32:54 --> 00:32:55 to Jesus
00:32:55 --> 00:32:56 who hand
00:32:56 --> 00:32:57 their life
00:32:57 --> 00:32:57 over and
00:32:57 --> 00:32:58 follow Jesus
00:32:58 --> 00:33:00 what awaits
00:33:00 --> 00:33:00 is not
00:33:00 --> 00:33:02 a life
00:33:02 --> 00:33:03 of religious
00:33:03 --> 00:33:04 subjugation
00:33:04 --> 00:33:06 what becomes
00:33:06 --> 00:33:07 ours
00:33:07 --> 00:33:07 is the
00:33:07 --> 00:33:08 praise
00:33:08 --> 00:33:09 of the
00:33:09 --> 00:33:09 ultimate
00:33:09 --> 00:33:10 one
00:33:10 --> 00:33:10 who's
00:33:10 --> 00:33:10 worthy
00:33:10 --> 00:33:11 of
00:33:11 --> 00:33:11 praise
00:33:11 --> 00:33:13 the glory
00:33:13 --> 00:33:13 and honour
00:33:13 --> 00:33:14 and the
00:33:14 --> 00:33:14 robes
00:33:14 --> 00:33:15 of the
00:33:15 --> 00:33:15 ultimate
00:33:15 --> 00:33:15 eternal
00:33:15 --> 00:33:16 king
00:33:16 --> 00:33:17 and when
00:33:17 --> 00:33:17 we know
00:33:17 --> 00:33:18 Jesus
00:33:18 --> 00:33:18 loves us
00:33:18 --> 00:33:19 like that
00:33:19 --> 00:33:21 when we
00:33:21 --> 00:33:21 know that
00:33:21 --> 00:33:22 the horror
00:33:22 --> 00:33:22 of the
00:33:22 --> 00:33:23 cross
00:33:23 --> 00:33:24 was the
00:33:24 --> 00:33:24 cost
00:33:24 --> 00:33:25 of our
00:33:25 --> 00:33:26 pride
00:33:26 --> 00:33:27 and the
00:33:27 --> 00:33:28 solution
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 to our
00:33:29 --> 00:33:29 pride
00:33:29 --> 00:33:33 that in
00:33:33 --> 00:33:33 fact is
00:33:33 --> 00:33:33 what our
00:33:33 --> 00:33:35 ego needs
00:33:35 --> 00:33:37 to divert
00:33:37 --> 00:33:37 it from
00:33:37 --> 00:33:38 us
00:33:38 --> 00:33:39 and constant
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40 self-assessment
00:33:40 --> 00:33:41 to look to
00:33:41 --> 00:33:41 him
00:33:41 --> 00:33:42 and to
00:33:42 --> 00:33:43 finally be
00:33:43 --> 00:33:45 self-forgetful
00:33:45 --> 00:33:45 and at
00:33:45 --> 00:33:46 rest
00:33:46 --> 00:33:48 you see
00:33:48 --> 00:33:48 it's not
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49 enough just
00:33:49 --> 00:33:49 to say
00:33:49 --> 00:33:49 well I
00:33:49 --> 00:33:50 believe that
00:33:50 --> 00:33:50 God exists
00:33:50 --> 00:33:52 that doesn't
00:33:52 --> 00:33:52 make us
00:33:52 --> 00:33:53 humble
00:33:53 --> 00:33:54 what we
00:33:54 --> 00:33:55 must see
00:33:55 --> 00:33:56 and know
00:33:56 --> 00:33:56 and push
00:33:56 --> 00:33:57 down into
00:33:57 --> 00:33:57 the driving
00:33:57 --> 00:33:58 centre of
00:33:58 --> 00:33:59 our life
00:33:59 --> 00:34:01 is God
00:34:01 --> 00:34:02 coming down
00:34:02 --> 00:34:03 and reversing
00:34:03 --> 00:34:04 places
00:34:04 --> 00:34:05 with us
00:34:05 --> 00:34:07 at infinite
00:34:07 --> 00:34:08 cost
00:34:08 --> 00:34:09 to himself
00:34:09 --> 00:34:11 to know
00:34:11 --> 00:34:12 that he
00:34:12 --> 00:34:13 had to
00:34:13 --> 00:34:13 die
00:34:13 --> 00:34:14 for us
00:34:14 --> 00:34:15 humbles
00:34:15 --> 00:34:15 us
00:34:15 --> 00:34:17 to know
00:34:17 --> 00:34:18 that he
00:34:18 --> 00:34:19 was glad
00:34:19 --> 00:34:19 to do
00:34:19 --> 00:34:19 it
00:34:19 --> 00:34:21 chose
00:34:21 --> 00:34:21 to do
00:34:21 --> 00:34:21 it
00:34:21 --> 00:34:23 actually
00:34:23 --> 00:34:23 affirms
00:34:23 --> 00:34:24 you
00:34:24 --> 00:34:25 in a
00:34:25 --> 00:34:25 really
00:34:25 --> 00:34:27 infinite
00:34:27 --> 00:34:27 way
00:34:27 --> 00:34:30 and that
00:34:30 --> 00:34:31 ultimately
00:34:31 --> 00:34:31 is what
00:34:31 --> 00:34:32 causes the
00:34:32 --> 00:34:32 Christian
00:34:32 --> 00:34:33 to be
00:34:33 --> 00:34:33 strong
00:34:33 --> 00:34:34 enough
00:34:34 --> 00:34:34 to be
00:34:34 --> 00:34:34 weak
00:34:34 --> 00:34:38 strong
00:34:38 --> 00:34:38 enough
00:34:38 --> 00:34:38 to learn
00:34:38 --> 00:34:39 from
00:34:39 --> 00:34:39 mistakes
00:34:39 --> 00:34:42 strong
00:34:42 --> 00:34:43 enough
00:34:43 --> 00:34:43 and humble
00:34:43 --> 00:34:44 enough
00:34:44 --> 00:34:45 to not
00:34:45 --> 00:34:45 try to
00:34:45 --> 00:34:46 exert
00:34:46 --> 00:34:46 power
00:34:46 --> 00:34:48 or influence
00:34:48 --> 00:34:48 people in a
00:34:48 --> 00:34:49 negative
00:34:49 --> 00:34:49 way
00:34:49 --> 00:34:51 strong
00:34:51 --> 00:34:51 enough
00:34:51 --> 00:34:51 to take
00:34:51 --> 00:34:52 jobs
00:34:52 --> 00:34:52 and get
00:34:52 --> 00:34:52 involved
00:34:52 --> 00:34:53 in
00:34:53 --> 00:34:53 relationships
00:34:53 --> 00:34:54 and to
00:34:54 --> 00:34:54 serve
00:34:54 --> 00:34:54 others
00:34:54 --> 00:34:56 that don't
00:34:56 --> 00:34:56 just make
00:34:56 --> 00:34:57 us feel
00:34:57 --> 00:34:57 good
00:34:57 --> 00:34:57 about
00:34:57 --> 00:34:58 ourselves
00:34:58 --> 00:35:00 it means
00:35:00 --> 00:35:01 we won't
00:35:01 --> 00:35:02 be constantly
00:35:02 --> 00:35:03 down on
00:35:03 --> 00:35:03 ourselves
00:35:03 --> 00:35:04 or constantly
00:35:04 --> 00:35:05 elevating
00:35:05 --> 00:35:06 ourselves
00:35:06 --> 00:35:08 or in fact
00:35:08 --> 00:35:08 anything about
00:35:08 --> 00:35:09 ourselves
00:35:09 --> 00:35:12 it is a
00:35:12 --> 00:35:12 place
00:35:12 --> 00:35:13 of
00:35:13 --> 00:35:15 stability
00:35:15 --> 00:35:16 of
00:35:16 --> 00:35:17 freedom
00:35:17 --> 00:35:20 so
00:35:20 --> 00:35:20 freeing
00:35:20 --> 00:35:20 so
00:35:20 --> 00:35:21 refreshing
00:35:21 --> 00:35:21 so
00:35:21 --> 00:35:22 restful
00:35:22 --> 00:35:23 and so
00:35:23 --> 00:35:24 beautiful
00:35:24 --> 00:35:28 and that's
00:35:28 --> 00:35:28 what we
00:35:28 --> 00:35:29 offer our
00:35:29 --> 00:35:29 society
00:35:29 --> 00:35:30 as we
00:35:30 --> 00:35:30 look forward
00:35:30 --> 00:35:30 as a
00:35:30 --> 00:35:31 church
00:35:31 --> 00:35:32 a church
00:35:32 --> 00:35:33 of
00:35:33 --> 00:35:34 diverse
00:35:34 --> 00:35:35 people
00:35:35 --> 00:35:36 growing
00:35:36 --> 00:35:37 downward
00:35:37 --> 00:35:37 in
00:35:37 --> 00:35:37 humility
00:35:37 --> 00:35:39 as we
00:35:39 --> 00:35:40 grow
00:35:40 --> 00:35:40 upward
00:35:40 --> 00:35:41 embracing
00:35:41 --> 00:35:42 the Lord
00:35:42 --> 00:35:42 Jesus
00:35:42 --> 00:35:43 and all
00:35:43 --> 00:35:43 that he
00:35:43 --> 00:35:43 has done
00:35:43 --> 00:35:44 for us
00:35:44 --> 00:35:47 a church
00:35:47 --> 00:35:47 that is so
00:35:47 --> 00:35:48 beautifully
00:35:48 --> 00:35:50 countercultural
00:35:50 --> 00:35:51 that it
00:35:51 --> 00:35:51 makes in
00:35:51 --> 00:35:52 fact Jesus
00:35:52 --> 00:35:53 and Christianity
00:35:53 --> 00:35:54 compelling to
00:35:54 --> 00:35:54 our society
00:35:54 --> 00:35:58 Amen