Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.highlandparkbaptist.net/sermons/95062/the-holy-spirit-being-obeyed-part-1/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] We have been looking at, in essence, Esther's response to Mordecai. [0:21] ! Remember Mordecai representing the Holy Spirit,! While Queen Esther is representing the human spirit. And so, coming to the understanding and knowledge of Haman, which is the natural man, and his work within the palace, in particular, the terrible, terrible decree that he wrote in the hand of the king, if you will, that all the Jews and Shushan should be put to death on a particular date. [1:00] And so, Mordecai has gotten word of that, gets that word to Esther, you remember about that. [1:37] Because your queen says, you've got to go in and speak to him. So, she has to fight, remember, with that reality that she has been confronted with. [1:51] And so, we've looked at the idea there, then, about the Holy Spirit being grieved. Esther, chapter 4, verses 1 and 2. This is just to refresh our mind here. When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on a sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud and bitter cry, and came even before the king's gate. [2:17] For none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. And so, we saw that, remember. Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 30, remember, says, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. [2:35] The word grieve there signifies pain, and signifies pain of body and of mind, or to cause pain or grief, to distress, grieve, to make sorrowful, to affect with sadness, to cause grief, to throw into sorrow. [2:56] And so, there's the picture of the word greed. So, he reminds us here, we are not to grieve the Spirit of God. All right? Now, this is a general exhortation. [3:10] When he says stop, literally, the literal rendering in the original is, stop grieving the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit. The reason being is because it is the Holy Spirit. [3:24] Now, this goes back to the previous verse in Ephesians, that talks about not letting any evil communication come out of your mouth. And the idea that Paul is rendering there is that it is beyond them, as believers in Christ, as children of God, it is beyond them to have that type of communication come out of their mouth. [3:46] So, we get the idea here that anything that does not conform to the word of God, for what God has shown and what God expects, any of that, that does not conform to that, is then sin, and that brings grief to the heart of the Spirit of God. [4:05] Now, the strength of that instruction is simply that it's not just the Spirit of God, but it renders the idea of the Holy Spirit. All right? [4:15] I'm fearful that we, in this generation of Christianity, have lost sight of the holiness of God. [4:28] Esther is having to see, in reality, the impact that Mordecai is having on her life. Mordecai representing the Spirit of God. [4:38] And what He is attempting to do in her heart and her mind. All right? She's coming to that reality here. Likewise, you and I need to recognize afresh who God is. [4:51] That idea of holy has an interesting definition here. It's literally the absolute holy one, who was holy in His purity, holy in His majesty, and holy in His glory. [5:12] Then, as a result of that, He's worthy of reverence, respect, and awe. So, when's the last time? Here's a good question for us. [5:24] When is the last time that we stood in awe of God? When's the last time we did that? You know, it's a shame that we have to ask that question, when was the last time? [5:41] Because we always, every day, ought to stand in awe of who God is. And give Him that reverence and respect that is due Him because of who He is in His holiness. [5:55] That goes to the Father, that goes to the Son, and that goes to the Holy Spirit as well. He is the Holy One. He's the Holy Spirit. [6:06] The absolute Holy One. Especially in our times of worship, when we come together to worship God. We need to reverence Him, be in awe of Him, because of who He is in His holiness. [6:23] Now, that was grieving the Holy Spirit. Now, in chapter 4, verses 10 through 12, we saw the Holy Spirit quenched. Again, Esther spake unto Hadesh, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai, All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king, into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. [6:58] But I have not been called to come unto the king these 30 days. And they told to Mordecai Esther's words. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 19 says, Quench not the spirit. [7:14] And the idea is to extinguish, to quench, metaphorically to quench, that is to suppress or to stifle. It comes from the idea of putting out a fire. [7:26] All right? Putting water on a fire to extinguish that. And the idea here is that we are not to extinguish the influences of the Holy Spirit upon our heart, mind, and soul. [7:39] All right? We're not to do that. But are we not all at some times guilty? If nothing more, wishing within our mind, boy, Lord, I wish we hadn't have said that. [7:53] I wish you hadn't have told me to do that. trying to quench the spirit of God or making all kinds of excuses to the Lord why we can't do that. [8:04] All right? Why we just can't do that. Isn't that silly? Isn't it silly to argue with the Lord, argue with God? Has anybody here ever argued with God and won? [8:16] Won the argument? It's even silly to think of, isn't it? Of course not. But we've got to be careful not to let those things that the Spirit of God influences upon our heart and mind for us not to put those out of the way. [8:35] Now, then we begin to see what we like to see. And that is the Holy Spirit being obeyed. So, the case has been laid out now before Queen Esther and the issue is clearly defined. [8:49] Here's the, here's the, the edict. It comes down by the authority of the king through Mordecai. all the Jews are to be put to death on a particular day. [9:03] Now, that's clearly defined. You've got to go in and do something to get this changed. Which in itself is almost an impossibility. [9:15] Now, she has responded now with determination and great courage and paints for us a picture of what true discipleship is. That begins in chapter 5 verses 1 and 2. [9:27] We'll look at that in just a minute. Well, actually, the last part of chapter 4. She emptied herself of herself is literally what she does here. Turn with me to Philippians chapter 2. [9:39] Turn there with me just a moment. Philippians chapter 2. A good picture that we see here that, that shows us about the Lord Jesus and, what he has done. [9:55] always, again, remind you here, always remember that though Jesus was God in the flesh, he was still in the flesh. [10:07] And what I mean by that is every aspect of his, of his earthly ministry, everything he did, all the things he performed in his earthly ministry was done through his humanity. [10:23] All right? Done through his humanity and thusly led by and directed by, empowered by the Spirit of God to conduct those things the Father wanted him to do. [10:37] Always keep that in mind. All right? Now, in Philippians chapter 2. Now, I'm reading this out of the King James, by the way. Yours will read a little different if you don't have it. [10:48] All right? Verse 5. All right? Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. [11:08] Now, the word form there is defined as an outward expression of the inmost nature. All right? His humanity assumed at his incarnation a contrast here. [11:23] The contrast is what Jesus was in himself and that was God and the other aspect of it is what man saw him to be. [11:35] They saw his humanity but he was still God in the flesh. That's what God has made him. God in the flesh. [11:45] Now, he came who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God and that's the idea remember. He did not think of robbery to be equal with God. [12:00] In other words, he did not sense that being God now, let me rephrase that. He did not feel that the outward expression of being God was something to be held on to at all costs. [12:15] all right? Yeah. Now, so what did he do? He made of himself no reputation. [12:28] That word reputation is the idea that he emptied himself of himself. Put on the body of a man. All right? [12:39] Look what he says. Made himself, in verse seven, made himself of no reputation. He emptied himself of himself and took upon him the form of a servant. [12:51] All right? And was made in the likeness of man and being found in fashion as a man. A different word. Fashion is an expression assumed from the outside and does not come from the inside. [13:08] All right? So, when they saw Jesus when they saw him walking down the street, if they knew, if they didn't know who he was by reputation, they'd just think, here's another man walking down the road. [13:28] That's the idea there. Now, with that idea, they'll never get this question. [13:40] what is the strength of that in the ministry of the Lord Jesus? He, in essence, took off that outward identity as God. [13:58] All right? Like you would take off a coat, or a shirt, or whatever. That outward expression that showed that he was God. He took that off. Put on the outward form of a man, of a servant, a lowly man. [14:18] All right? That outwardly had no expression of being God. So what, what is the strength in his doing that? [14:29] they heard God. They saw God at work. Now, they may not have agreed with what, of it being that. [14:41] All right? But that is what he demonstrated. So the idea of emptying himself of himself, removing that outward form of deity. [14:52] Now, I said outward form, remember. He's still God, but outwardly he put on that form of a man and a servant, so that everything he did be done in the power of the direction of the Spirit of God, can be thus God at work in him and through him. [15:15] And that's what Esther is beginning to understand and beginning to see here, and what you and I need to understand and see here as well. [15:28] Now, Esther 4 verses 15 and 16. Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer. [15:42] Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me. Neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. [15:55] I also and my maidens will fast likewise. So will I go in unto the king which is not according to the law and if I perish, I perish. [16:08] Now, what's happened? What's happened there? Why is there such a change all of a sudden in Queen Esther? [16:26] You know, earlier on she thought this is unreasonable. I'm the queen here and I'm, my people need me in this position. [16:38] it would be ludicrous for me to in essence put myself to death because I'll have more influence as queen than I will be dead. [16:53] So what's changed her mind here? What's changed her mind? she realized this was their only hope. Okay. [17:06] Okay. She realized the only hope that the Jews had as well as herself is for her to do what Mordecai said. I really think that what we see here is the strength and the power in the influence of Mordecai to Esther. [17:33] Don't you think after she got word back from Mordecai you got to do this or else she spent that night mulling that over in her mind she couldn't get to sleep and then that little voice seemed to say if I perish I perish. [17:58] Now I don't want to get ahead of myself here. The course that Esther set before herself now was a determinate one and it was a sure one. [18:08] All right. Only the consequences remained unsure. She did not know what was going to happen here. at that particular time. [18:21] All right. And the only consequence she knew was death. [18:34] Now even the idea of talking the king into changing his mind about this decree was almost as impossible as her walking in there without the sentence of death on it. [18:47] the decree made that king's signet ring was placed upon that document it was an irrevocable law. [19:01] All right. Now notice something. she knew more than likely she's going to die. [19:16] Consequences would be left up to Mordecai because he's the one who told her to do this. All right. But notice no indication here she went out and sold all her beautiful clothing that was given to her. [19:31] all right. She didn't turn loose her servants all right. Didn't renounce the luxury of the royal court. She didn't relinquish her crown. [19:45] Didn't do that. She didn't need to. The die was cast. The decision was made. [19:57] And the issue she had faced was final and embraced all lesser issues. Nothing else mattered. Esther was now. [20:08] Now notice this. Esther having made this decision of yielding herself to what Mordecai had said. In essence us yielding ourselves to what the spirit of God shows us and tells us. [20:26] she was now alive to God alone and dead to herself and all self-interests. [20:36] Completely dead to that. Nothing else mattered. All right. Three days and three nights. [20:48] Esther was already buried. All right. Fast for me. Three days and three nights. Hardy seemingly buried. Resolved to die. [20:59] She had forsaken all and she was as good as dead. She knew well that only the golden scepter could raise her from the dead on that third morning. [21:13] She entered uninvited into the presence of the king. Now, notice there's a wealth of significance in three days and three nights the third morning. [21:33] what is so significant about three days three nights see it throughout the scriptures what's the significance of it go with me to the gospel of John chapter 11 John chapter 11 Now, you know this story well. [22:01] This is the idea of Lazarus having died. Jesus delayed his coming to them when he got word that he was sick. He has now died and Jesus knows that. [22:15] And so he comes remember comes to where Mary and Martha are his sisters Lazarus his sisters and they greet him one at a time Lord had you been here our brother would not have died. [22:29] And all that scenario goes on. And finally notice Jesus said where have you laid him? In verse 34. [22:42] Where have you laid him? They said unto him Lord come and see. Then Jesus wept and the mourners all those with them did the same. [22:53] And verse 38 Jesus was therefore again groaning in himself comes to the grave. It was a cave and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said take away the stone. [23:06] Now notice what Martha said here. Take away the stone. Martha the sister of him that was dead saith unto him Lord by this time he stinketh for he has been dead four days. [23:24] Now here's the picture that we have here from Jewish tradition. All right. You know they embalm the dead. They anoint him with spices and fragrances. [23:39] But after three days those fragrances dissipate. and you do have as James said decomposition starting to set in and set in well. [23:54] Now here's some interesting tidbits that I found because this really caught my attention about three days and three nights. to search out the significance of all this. [24:05] And before modern medicine however far back modern medicine began it was almost impossible to be clear to determine between when a person was comatose in a coma or when he was actually dead. [24:24] So what they would do is they would go ahead and bury the guy thinking he was probably dead but they would spend three days going back to that tomb to that sepulcher to see in those three days if there's any sign of life. [24:49] Alright? On the fourth day he's dead. Alright? They figure if three days comes he's not stirring he's dead. [25:01] Alright? That's why in the literal sense of the word when he talks about Lazarus here he's been dead four days the literal rendering is he's four days dead. [25:12] Alright? He's four days dead. He's past that time of possible resurrection if you will to life at this point not having really died just in a coma. [25:23] Alright? Now the historians have given some indications. It said they do the thing for the period of three days and they do that without any fear of people thinking they're doing like the Amorites did and undergoing some specific crazy superstitious practices. [25:49] So he said once there was one time a man who had been buried was examined and found to be alive. [26:01] Don't you know he was glad that they came back? He lived another 25 years and then he died. Now there's another such person that lived was alive in the tomb came back they found him alive and he had five children before he died. [26:22] So that was a particular crazy thing wasn't it? But that was the reason back then for some of this for the three day waiting period. [26:33] Now Dr. Hammond whoever he is said dead bodies after 72 hours naturally tend to purification or putrefaction I should say. [26:45] And the Jews say that by the fourth day after death the body is so altered that when you look at it you cannot even be sure it's the person that you thought was buried there. [26:57] That's how quickly decomposition takes place and decay. So that's why Lazarus was considered a fourth day man. [27:08] All right? Now why was Jesus raised on the third day? Well it says he said he would rise after three days but not after the fourth day. [27:29] Of course you look at the Jewish calendar in the daylight and daytime hours and so forth get a picture here. But the idea scripture said he was not to see corruption. [27:42] All right? His body was not to see corruption though he died. His body was not to see corruption. Now why is that? Why is that? [27:56] God is able to raise a corruptible body or corrupted body even one that has been cremated. But why was he not to see corruption his body? [28:17] That's it. That's it. Thank you. Yeah. Tom is the incorruptible God. All right? Yeah. He was the holy one. [28:31] All right? And his holy one will not see corruption. Raised at the end of three days. All right? Now so another thing according to popular Jewish belief there was no hope for a person who had been dead for four days. [28:51] Again by then the body showed recognizable decay and the soul which was thought to hover over the body for three days then had left. That was the Jewish belief that for three days the soul of that person hovered over that corpse at the end of three days it left because he was dead. [29:15] right? That's the significance here. But again look at some other things here. All right? it was on the third morning that Joshua and Israel were brought through on dry ground into the land of promise having been taken into the place of death in the depths of Jordan. [29:41] They were preserved miraculously by God's intervention and they were brought through on dry ground realized into the land of promise. [29:53] Three days and three nights Jonah was in the belly of the whale. All right? What happened to Jonah? He was thrown overboard you remember? [30:04] Why did they throw him overboard? Yeah that's it. He told him to do that at his own request if you will and his own disobedience. [30:16] He died good picture here. He died of his own self will here and died to his own disobedience buried with the weeds and all that but the whale coughed him up remember? [30:31] He ended up on dry ground. What did God do to him after he was brought up on dry ground on the third morning? [30:43] What did he do? God recommissioned him. told him to go into Nineveh and in essence preached to the barbarians there which he despised the idea of having to do that. [31:06] Amen? But that's what God did. He commissioned him for the purpose of saving people from perishing. It was on the third morning that Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place far off. [31:22] Genesis 22 4 the place where a knife was to be plunged into the heart of Isaac his only son and whom was comprehended for Abraham all of the promises of God and life itself. [31:38] Now as that think about that as that knife flashed in the sunlight on that third morning what happened here? What happened? They're walking there to the mountain where God told him to go. [31:59] Isaac says Dad you've got the torch you've got the fire I've got the firewood in my arms where's the lamb? Where's the lamb we're going to sacrifice and offer? [32:15] God will provide himself an offering and that's where we hear when he was about to bring that knife down on his only son the son through whom the promises were to be conferred there was a ram God said hold yourself back hold that knife back I've seen your faithfulness I've seen your obedience and he sees a ram caught in the thickets now Hebrews 11 chapter 11 verses 17 through 19 this is out of the amplified by faith Abraham when he was put to the test that is while the testing of his faith was still in progress he had already brought Isaac for an offering he who gladly received and welcomed God's promise was ready to sacrifice his only son of whom it was said through [33:18] Isaac shall your descendants be reckoned for he reasoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead potentially sacrificed he he did exactly receive him back from the dead now what a picture that is amen of all of these instances of the third day what so you see in essence you see victorious things take place at the end of all of these on the third day what is it in all of these that enabled that and all of these to be victorious events the tradition said faith which is good if you if you use my working definition faith faith is always you look it up you look at all the examples of people who lived a life of faith it's a positive response of obedience to something [34:37] God has said something God has done who God is anything you want to label in there but it's a positive response it's a response of obedience it's not just something blindly put out there it's response to God in whatever way God has revealed himself and spoken to the heart of man that's what faith is so all of these responded! [35:04] in faith trusting! as one years back said God is too wise to error and too good to make any mistakes we can trust him when he shows us and speaks to our heart about what he wants to do in and through our lives now then on the third day in the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher behold there was a great earthquake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it his countenance was like lightning his raiment white as snow and for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men and the angel answered and said unto the women what a message fear not amen stones roll back bodies gone don't be afraid fear not for [36:23] I know that you seek Jesus which was crucified ain't here amen he is not here for he is risen just as he said come see the place where the Lord lay what a triumphant picture that we get there now go back to Philippians just a moment while we're thinking about this back to the book of Philippians chapter two once again being found in verse eight being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself became obedient unto death even the death of the cross now there's the strength of all of that writer of the Hebrews proclaims that though he were a son he learned obedience by the things that he suffered he was obedient unto death now look at verse nine wherefore [37:34] God has also exalted him highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow now remember that name that he gives him is not the name Jesus God said to Moses when Moses said whom shall I tell them who sent me God said tell them I am hath sent you I am Jehovah that is my name forever the name Jehovah is literally the name that is given to the Lord Jesus that at that name every knee should bow of things in heaven things on earth things under the earth that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father the picture that we see there is the idea that [38:38] God honored the obedience of the Son alright he honored the obedience of the Son likewise you and I as sons of God obedient to God God is going to honor and does honor our obedience mark it down he does that now exactly how he honors this those are varied but he does honor those that obey him alright no matter what anybody else says no matter what anybody else does he honors that amen I will honor them that honor me but them that dishonor me I will lightly esteem alright that's the picture that's somewhere in 1st or 2nd [39:38] Samuel alright willingness to die is the price one must pay if we want to be raised from the dead to live and work and walk in that power of the third morning sharing the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus here on earth in this we are identified with him in the unfolding of God's redemptive purposes and those purposes will find their final consummation in the glorious appearing of our triumphant risen heaven's going to be an interesting place don't you think yeah we have no clue we really have no clue we get glimpses of it in the scriptures but we have no clue and I you got to be careful with this but I'm just thinking here that when we when he calls us home in the rapture gives us the glorified bodies see him with the nail pierced hands but see the multitudes and see what transpires afterwards we can see that all that work that he's done through the ages to bring it all to pass is now consummated amen it's over it's done this is a crude way of putting this but but went to a funeral of our son-in-law's dad the other day yesterday it was wasn't it a few days earlier we went to see his his widow his wife and [41:28] I was sharing with her about my dad when he died and I think maybe I've told you about this before but my dad was career navy guy and as long as he could talk he loved to talk about his navy days I mean he was just so proud of spending 20 plus years in the navy and and so he liked to talk the story he even got a phone call I felt just before he even got a phone call one day and my sister was there with him or maybe I was there too he picked it up he talked for an hour and a half and when he finished he said who was that he said I don't know some lady called got the wrong number yeah but they just struck up a conversation talked an hour and a half so he liked to talk when he Calvita and I were there at journey home with him when he passed away and he was just laying in his bed there you know the breathing was shallow and I could tell it was getting even more shallow by the minute and he was laying there like most of them do with his mouth open breathing through his mouth but you know what happened when he took his last breath no no his mouth went to the degree you could hear it you could hear it slam shut [43:03] I told Calvita I said did you hear that I said yeah I said that that spoke to me that the last chapter of the book has been read it's done close the book amen he closed the book on his life on his stories not to tell another word yeah oh I like to shout it when I heard that what a joy Jesus when he comes to get us and we see him in all of his glory we'll close the book on our earthly life and the life and after the millennial reign the tribulation and all of those things eternity is ushered in we'll just rejoice with him forever and ever and ever with none of this ungodliness and wickedness and stuff being remembered because we will be in the glorified body just like [44:10] Jesus is the body Paul calls in 1st Corinthians the glorified the heavenly body spiritual body that will be ours to share yeah Colossians 3 verses 1 through 4 if he then in the literal rendering is since ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affections on things above not on things on the earth for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall you appear with him in glory amen hallelujah praise the Lord forever as they used to say in North Carolina glory to God and lamb forever amen let's pray father again thank you for your loving kindness and goodness grace to us and again for the privilege of being together this evening to look together in your word and let you feed us through your word tonight thank you father for what you've shown us thank you for the encouragement and the joy that you show us can be ours when we yield to and obey the spirit of God and his leading in our lives thank you for being so good to us thank you for loving us the way that you do all through your son [45:44] Christ Jesus so now enable us to walk in the remainder of this week gloriously rejoicing in you and serving you as the spirit of God directs us and we'll thank you and praise you for it now in Jesus name amen Thank you.