The Tabernacle Today

Why You’re There                  Esther 4

The Power of Uniqueness

Tonight we’ll see that Queen Esther had been placed by God in a key position that God could use to save her people if she would let God work through her.

Mordecai’s    P________________________                        V. 1-3

Esther’s     D__________________________                                    V. 4-12

Mordecai’s    P________________________                        V. 13-14

Three Truths in verse 14:

What God wants to happen will __________________________

Many times He wants it to happen ________________________

When we don’t allow God to use us our disobedience can be measured in __________________________________________

Esther’s    D___________________________                       V. 15-17

What if Esther had not risen up?

Nine Traits of a Christian Leader Part 2                    Gal. 5:22-23

Christian leadership is developing people through work, living and speaking in such a way that those led are drawn toward Jesus Christ.

The second trait of an effective Christian Leader is Joy.

The word for joy in the Greek Language is Chara (5479) and occurs 59 times.

The Christian Leader has joy because of their past _______________

I Peter 1:8                                Luke 10:17, 20            

Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.  -John 16:22

The Christian Leader has joy because of their future _____________

Matthew 25:21

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore!  -Psalm 16:11

The Christian Leader has joy because God is _____________ in their present      And there was great joy in that city.             -Acts 8:8

Acts 20:24                               Romans 14:17-18

Hebrews 12:2                          James 1:2                    Hebrews 13:17

The Christian leader’s job is to honor the past, energize the present, and cast vision for the future.

The Christian Leader makes _________________ his joy and crown

In I Thessalonians 2:19-20

Leaders who have God’s joy will celebrate the accomplishments of the team as a whole and of the individuals on the team.

A merry heart does good, like medicine; but a broken spirit dries the bones.                      -Prov. 17:22

Hear these warnings about the use of humor…

Humor should never be inappropriate or unprofessional; Humor should never be used to pick on awkward people; Humor should take into account different people’s personalities. You must be able to recognize when it’s not a time for humor.

Ecclesiastes 3:4                       Proverbs 25:20

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The third essential trait for Christian leaders is peace.  

The word for peace in the Greek is Eirene (1515), which occurs 92 times. It conveys the idea of tranquility, harmony, and safety.

Romans 5:1                

As she grows in Christ, the Christian leader is discovering her identity in Christ, and that makes her a _______________ leader who doesn’t worry about proving herself.

John 16:33                               Philippians 4:6-7

As you read your people, you will want to encourage those who bring peace to the workplace, and deal with those who _________ things up.

Matthew 5:9                           Romans 14:19

Leaders who have God’s peace are not threatened when those they lead __________________ – they are thrilled.

Another thing God’s peace will do is help older leaders ___________ from younger leaders rather than be threatened by them.

Exodus Chapter 8

A “tipping point” is the critical point in an ongoing situation that leads to a new and irreversible development.

The Second Plague: The primordial goddess is dealt with  V. 1-15

Last time we saw that the first plague was on the Nile. The Egyptian god Khnum was the Giver of the Nile, the Creator of Mankind.

Heket was the Egyptian Primordial Goddess who was represented as a Frog. Primodial means elemental, or __________________.

Now perhaps Pharaoh was beginning to realize that each time we defy God, the consequences of our disobedience get increasingly ___________________.

Moses knows if Pharaoh picks the time for the plague to stop, and Moses prays at that time and it does stop, it will ______________ be something YHWH has done!

Moses had done everything according to the command of the Lord (7:20), and now YHWH was doing according to the word of Moses (8:13).         See Psalm 37:4

The Third Plague: The earth gods are dealt with                             V. 16-19

Geb was the Egyptian god of the earth, styled as a human. Thoth was the Egyptian god of magic, styled as a _________________!

When they say, “This is the Finger of God,” I think the “_______________ point” had come.

The Fourth Plague: The god of resurrection is dealt with               V. 20-32

Khephri was an Egyptian god of resurrection, creation, and movement of the sun; Khepri was styled as a beetle like insect

What new wrinkle is added in verses 22-23?

What does Pharaoh try to do in verse 25?

One way we know biblical repentance is not happening is when someone ______________________ with God instead of throwing themselves on His mercy and doing what God says!

Interesting – Moses poll numbers had been terrible with his people back in chapter 5, but he kept obeying God, and now the ________________ has come – it is Pharaoh who is in trouble with his own people!

There didn’t need to be any plagues, let alone ten. But when we harden our hearts like Pharaoh, and refuse to repent, God graciously sends the next attempt to get our ___________________

Memoirs from the Hall of Shame                  Esther 2:21-3:15

Expositional Preaching

The record of the ______________________ of Jewish people looks like kind of “hall of shame” when you trace it down over the centuries

The Ninth of Av

Mordecai the model _____________________                   2:21-23

Mordecai the model _____________________                   3:1-4

When obeying the king’s command means disobeying God’s command you go with what God says _______________ time

How to pick a ____________________ with God                3:5-15

Satan is behind all the acts of anti-Semitism this world has seen

Satan has intense hatred for 2 things God has instituted:

Revelation 12:13-17

When you pick a fight with God, _________   _________   _________

Let me suggest 3 Christian Responses to our Jewish Friends:

1. The Christian’s Appreciation for the Jew must be ________________________
2. We must allow the nation of Israel to ____________________ itself
3. We must in love continue to ask our Jewish friends to take another look at Jesus, and passages like Isaiah 53

If Jesus is not the Jewish Messiah He is not the __________________ of the world 

Nine Traits of a Christian Leader Part 1                    Galatians 5:16-25

If you had to say who the best kings of Israel and Judah were in the Bible, who would you say?               2 Kings 15:3-4

Each of us does have a sphere of ______________ we are leaders in, and will give an account to God for how we used those positions to advance His causes.

The Apostle Paul, himself a tremendous leader, contrasts 2 ways to walk in this world. The first is to walk in the flesh, and the second is to walk in the ___________________.             Eph. 1:13-14    I Cor. 3:16

The secret of victory in the Christian life is to say “__________” to God the Holy Spirit, one decision at a time.

Personnel determine the potential of the organization; Relationships determine the morale of the organization; Structure determines the size of the organization; Vision determines the direction of the organization; Leadership determines the success of the organization.                     -John Maxwell

Now let’s think about of the three tasks of a Christian leader.

First, leaders have task (s) they need to get ______________.

Second, leaders have _______________ to help develop.

Third, Christian leaders live and speak in such a way that those they lead are drawn _____________________ Jesus Christ.

Christian leadership is developing people through work, living and speaking in such a way that those led are drawn toward Jesus Christ.

The first trait of an effective Christian leader is _______________.

Why is love the first trait of an effective Christian leader?

Because people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Biblical love is a decision to deeply care about the welfare of others, and to act toward them and speak with them in ways that meet their __________________ needs.

I Corinthians 13                       Ephesians 4:15

Now here are some ways you can show love to those you lead –

_____________________ for those you lead.

_____________________ their big days.

Spend time ____________________ with those you lead.

Schedule ___________________ time between “have-to’s” so you can spend time with people.

__________________ people when their job is the toughest

This episode was recorded on July 28, 2019 at the Tabernacle in the sanctuary of the main building.  This was recorded during the Sunday evening service at 5:00 P.M.

This is a re-posting of a previous "Tabernacle Time" radio broadcast.  This episode originally aired on November 8, 2017.  

Thanksgivers Unite                Luke 17:11-19

Basic Outline of Luke:

The most extensive information about Jesus’ early life        Ch. 1-3

Jesus’ words and deeds establish that He is the Messiah      4:1-9:20

Jesus moves toward His impending death for sinners in Jerusalem                                                                                                  9:21-19:27

Jesus’ Passion Week in Jerusalem                                        19:28-24:53

Jesus makes time for people who cry out to Him, even ___________                                                                                           V. 11-13

Luke 9:18-22, 30, 51   Luke 13:22, 33-34       Luke 18:31-33

For Jesus people who needed Him were never a ________________ to fulfilling His mission – they were His mission!

Jesus ______________ turns anyone away who asks Him for mercy!

Our God Jesus can Heal from a ________________             V. 14

Leviticus 13-14 had detailed laws about lepers showing themselves to the Priests and getting the all clear before they ___________ society.

___________ are called to praise and thank Jesus              V. 15-18

Here’s the difference between praise and thanks - We praise God for who He is, and we thank Him for what He does! The 2 ____________ in grateful hearts!

The Samaritan man gets _______________                         V. 19

Matthew 1:21            

“The nine were declared clean by the priest, but this man was declared saved by the Son of God!”                 -Warren Wiersbe

Isaiah 1:18

Exodus Chapter 7

God generally gives one or more chances to repent before __________________ comes.

Ezekiel 18:32                                   Romans 2:4                          2 Peter 3:9

God is more than able to multitask, and as He acts to deliver Israel He will also be judging the false gods of Egypt. Every _________________ judgment corresponds to a false god Egypt worshipped, including Ruler worship.

Egypt is about to see the One True God at work                                        V. 1-7

Pharaoh will do exactly what he wants to as a sinner, and God will let him. Pharaoh will experience the built-in consequences of his sinful _______________, including judgment. God will use these things to let Israel and Egypt know who YHWH is.

The unifying theme of the Bible is the __________________________ of God. His glory is seen in all things, including Creation, Redemption, and the Just Judgment of those who don’t repent. 

How old were Moses and Aaron when they spoke to Pharaoh?

The first man-wrought ___________________ in the Bible                    V. 8-13

What we do not see in the Bible until Exodus chapter 7 is a miracle done directly by a human on behalf of God. This is a little over 2,500 years after creation. Even in the Bible miracles were rare, and are part of _________ events like the Exodus.

There are two possibilities for how the sorcerers replicated what Aaron did:

Perhaps they did it through the power of ___________________, which is behind almost all so-called magic tricks. Or perhaps they did it through the power of ________________ forces, which is also a reality on earth. (Revelation 13:11-14)

What Pharaoh doesn’t know is that God’s moment has come, and from now on Pharaoh will be the one on the _______________, even when he thinks he is on offense!

The First Plague: The gods of the Nile are dealt with                    V. 14-25

The Nile is not the largest river in the world, but it is the ___________________. It is 4,132 miles. Only the Amazon river is also 4,000 miles (and is the largest).

Khnum was considered the giver of the Nile and Creator of mankind. He was depicted as a human with a ram’s head. It’s no surprise the True Creator began the plagues with judgment on the ________________ creator!

Who stretched his staff out over the Nile?

Who struck the waters and turned them into blood?

Now what do you suppose Moses’ frame of mind was at the end of chapter 7 in comparison to the end of chapter 6?

Perhaps when ungodly people act toward us as God has said they would act toward us, we should say under our breath, “God told me it would be like this!”

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”             -Jesus in John 16:33

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”                                              -2 Timothy 3:12

Exodus Chapter 6

Exodus is the true story of how God used Moses to deliver God’s people Israel from slavery in Egypt and then gave them the Ten Commands and the Tabernacle, positioning them to return to the Promised Land.

In times of discouragement it is important to go back to the _________________ of God – and that’s what God reminds Moses of in Exodus chapter 6.

The Three Promises of the Abrahamic Covenant:

Blessing/ Greatness for the people of Israel                                                   “B”

The Promised ____________ would be Israel’s forever                             “L”

The ___________ of Abraham would bless all peoples (Messiah)           “S”

God Will Act Based on His Covenant with Abraham                      V. 1-13

Four times in these verses God reminds Moses that He is the LORD and that He has made irrevocable promises to Israel; Seven times He speaks of what He now WILL do for Israel based on His promises and their ___________________!

God loves it when our prayers to Him are based on His promises!

The Seven “I Wills” given by the Great “I AM” in Exodus Chapter 6:

I will bring you out from under the _________________ of the Egyptians

I will _______________ you from their bondage

I will _______________ you with an outstretched arm and great judgments

I will take you as My people

I will be your God/ You shall ______________ that I am the LORD your God

I will bring you into the land which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

I will give it to you as a ____________________

We have to continually remind ourselves and our hearers that it will be worth it to _________________ God and do what He says!

Time and time again Moses will have to remember His own faith in God, and his experience seeing God act to do His will. Moses will have to buy in afresh, and keep getting His people to buy in afresh. So it is with the leaders _____________.

The “Playbill” of the Human Actors in the Exodus                         V. 14-30

This important genealogy gives us a good number of the participants in the rest of the Torah and beyond, with there even being a hint of the coming ____________!

Why are a few descendants of Reuben and Simeon given before the details about Levi’s descendants?

Now look at the chart I gave you of these genealogies.

As we go along in the Old Testament, we are going to see many responsibilities given to the Levites, and _______________ assignments for the descendants of each of these three men Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Amran took for himself Jochebed, his father’s sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Later we learn their sister’s name is Miriam.

Genesis 46:8-11                 Numbers 26:59

Korah will be part of a ________________________ against the Priestly line of Aaron that Moses is going to have to deal with.

We only here learn that Aaron’s wife’s name was Elisheba, but the Bible is careful to tell us that she is Amminadab’s daughter, and Nashon’s sister. That means she is from the tribe of Judah, marrying into the tribe of Levi.

So the priestly line has a touch of the tribe of Judah in it here - Elisheba. King David and the Messiah, are direct descendants of her father and  ____________!

Ruth 4:18-22

Luke 3:32-33