(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

All right, Esther chapter number 10, one of the shortest chapters in the entire Bible, but there's still some great truth that we can get from it tonight finishing up the book of Esther. The Bible reads in Esther 10 verse 1, and the king of Asher is laid a tribute upon the land and upon the isles of the sea. Now first of all, I want to talk about tribute. Tribute is a word that today we would call taxes. You know, that's an older word for what we would today refer to as taxes. Now if you would, flip over in your Bible to Matthew chapter number 17, and let's get the New Testament's teaching on taxes. Now if you study the Bible and you read up on all the different times that the Bible talks about tribute being taken, people throughout history have not really been under the level of taxation that we're under today. I mean historically, when the Bible talks about these great kings and emperors taking up tribute, it was not something that was just constantly happening every week, every month, every year like it is today. You know, they'll even refer to events taking place. That was in the year, you know, when the kingdom was taxed, because it wasn't happening every single year that they were being taxed. And it's interesting if you look at the different levels of taxation in the Bible. For example, when Joseph basically sold all of the Egyptians into complete servitude under Pharaoh, where they literally sold their bodies, their lands, and they basically said to Pharaoh, you own us. He took one fifth of their income. He took 20%. When they basically said, because you've saved us from famine, because you've saved our lives, and you own our bodies, you own our land, you own our animals, therefore, we will give you 20%. And what's funny is that today in America, we pay 20% under our government, or much, much more than that in most cases. And I mean, we still think that we live in a free country. That's what's funny about it. You know, this is freedom when, you know, one third or one half of what we make goes to the government, when in the Bible, people were considered to be in total slavery when they paid the fifth part, or 20%. Also, in the book of Nehemiah chapter 8, the people are being rebuked by Nehemiah that he had left in charge because they were taxing the people at the colossal rate of 1%. Did you get that? 1%. In Nehemiah chapter 8, the people paid 1% taxes, and Nehemiah said, you're abusing these people, you know, you need to stop exacting this 1%. It isn't right. Okay, so the idea that taxes are normal, and that, you know, we couldn't even function without income tax, and that we would have anarchy without income tax, is just not reality. There was no income tax in this country before 1913. It didn't exist. So to say that we just have to have it, well, you know, if you study the Bible, it has not always been so. But nevertheless, let's get the New Testament's teaching on taxes, and then I'm going to explain to you why we have so many taxes in our society today. But in Matthew 17 verse 24, Jesus teaches on taxes. Now, everybody's all heard the part where Jesus says, render unto Caesar the things that be Caesar's, and unto God the things that be God's. But this is a portion that's a little bit less quoted, and he actually taught this first. So I think this lays a good foundation before we get to Matthew 22. Look at what it says in Matthew 17 verse 24. It says, and when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, doth not your master pay tribute? Saying, doesn't he pay taxes? Does your master not pay taxes? Now, it's funny how they approach it with a negative question, and this is how the IRS always is. You know, like, you're always guilty until proven innocent, right? Like, it just comes to you, you're not paying taxes. Like, instead of just saying, does he pay taxes? They say, like, you're not paying taxes. No, no, he is. He has to defend himself. Doth not your master pay taxes? And here's the thing, they were always trying to trip up Jesus all the time, all throughout the Bible, and later when they asked him about taxes, that's what they were trying to do again. But they say, doth not your master pay tribute? He sayeth, yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him. And prevented him means that Jesus spoke to him before Peter could say anything. Jesus, being God in the flesh, he knew all things, okay? He knew what was going on. So even though he didn't hear the conversation between Peter and the IRS man, he knew what it was. So when Peter walked in, Jesus already knew what Peter was about to ask or what he was about to say. So Jesus prevented him saying, what thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children or of strangers? Now, custom is when you're importing and exporting things, right? When things are crossing the border from one country to another. It's a type of tax. It's something that you pay that's called custom, and we still use that term today. So he says, who do the kings of the earth tax? Of whom do they take custom or tribute? Of their own children or strangers? Peter sayeth unto him, of strangers. Jesus sayeth unto him, then are the children free. Now, what's interesting here is that Jesus defines being free as a lack of paying taxes. Everybody get that? Because he says, if you're paying tribute and custom, that's the opposite of being free, okay? Now, look, when I go to the store and something's free, I expect not to pay for it. I mean, when the Bible calls salvation in Romans 5 18, a free gift, that means I don't have to pay for it, okay? So basically, if I'm constantly have to pay to live in the United States, that's not being free. That's being charged to live here. You know, that's paying for it, okay? And it says here that the children are free, notwithstanding lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast and hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up, and when thou has opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money, that take and give unto them for me and thee. So according to verse 27, was Peter right when he said, yes, Jesus does pay taxes? He's right, because do they pay the tax in the end? Yeah, they go out and, you know, miracles perform where he catches a fish, he finds the money in the fish's mouth, and he gives that, and he's able to pay their taxes. And the reason why Jesus paid taxes, what he states here in verse 27, is not because Jesus feels it's right for him to be taxed. You can tell here that Jesus has an attitude that says we shouldn't be paying this, because when asked of whom do the kings of the earth take tribute or custom of their own children of strangers, Peter says in him of strangers, Jesus says on him, then are the children free? And then look at the next word, not withstanding. So he's saying in spite of the fact that we should be free, lest we offend them, we're gonna pay. So basically what he's saying is we're not paying because we owe money to these people, but rather we're paying these people because we don't want to offend them, because he doesn't want to give them a reason to be able to accuse him or arrest him or just put something in their hand to slay him with. And so he says not withstanding, lest we offend them, let's pay this. And they basically pay it. Now go over to chapter 22 of Matthew, and this is the more famous portion about tribute where Jesus makes his famous quote, but it says in Matthew 22 verse 15, then went the Pharisees and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. So they're trying to trip him up, they're trying to get him in trouble. And you know taxes are a pretty good way to get people in trouble, because probably no matter who you audit, you're gonna find something where they didn't cross the T or dot the I, because it's so complicated. So they're trying to trip up Jesus, so taxes is a, you know, that's a great subject. And it says in verse 16, they sent unto him their disciples with the Herodian saying, Master, we know that thou art true and teach us the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man, for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not? Now what's interesting is that first they butter him up with flattery. So we need to beware of people who give us too many compliments that are not really earned compliments, the flattering tongue. They say, well you know, we know that you don't care what anybody thinks, and we know that you're teaching the truth, we know you're a man of God. Now that's not really what they believed. Their whole goal was to entangle him in his talk. Does that sound like they believe in him and think he's a wonderful man that they want to follow? No, he's somebody that they're trying to get in trouble. They want to get him arrested, they want to accuse him, but yet they just lie to his face, oh we know you're a man of God, we know you're speaking the truth. The Herodians tell him, because they're trying to get him off his guard, because sometimes when you're buttered up and flattered, you're not seeing the trap that's being laid for you. And it says here that Jesus perceived their wickedness in verse 18. He knew that they were lying to him, he knew that they were just trying to trip him up. And you know, beware of the flattering tongue. By the way, a time that this is brought up is in Proverbs, talks about a young man meeting the strange woman out in the street, how she flatters him with her lips. She gives him a lot of compliments. And you know, sometimes young people, teenagers or young adults, are sometimes very shy around the opposite gender, aren't they? Because they're, you know, maybe a little awkward, maybe a little bit shy. And so what happens is, when they start to receive compliments as a young man or as a young lady, often that can get their guard down. When they get compliments about how good-looking they are, how strong they are, you know, you need to beware of these type of flattering lips and and strangers and people telling you things like it. But anyway, here he perceived their wickedness and said, why tempt ye me, you hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, man, what to God? That was the tribute money today, right? And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith the end of them, render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's. And unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marveled and left him and went their way. So he kind of just blows them off here when they ask him, you know, is it lawful to render it unto Caesar? He says, well look, his face is on the coin, just give it back to him. You know, it belongs to him. But here's what's funny. We saw in chapter 17 that Jesus clearly said, we don't owe this. Peter said, yes, he pays taxes, which indicates that he probably paid them in the past. And then here, he pays them in chapter 17 and he tells them to pay it in chapter 22, right? But here's what's funny. I'm not going to turn there for a second time, but in Luke, when they're accusing Jesus before Pontius Pilate, they say, this man is teaching not to give tribute to Caesar. Isn't that funny? In Luke, when they accuse him before Pilate, they accuse him of teaching that men should not pay tribute to Caesar. Did Jesus ever teach that in scripture? And he taught the opposite. Okay. Now you say, well, Pastor Anderson, you know, you're one of these government operatives because you're telling us to pay tax. Well, I'm just preaching you what the Bible says. But here's the thing. I firmly believe that we are getting a raw deal in America as far as the fact that we're paying these huge taxes, we're being burdened with all this debt, you know, the whole Federal Reserve System is meant to rip us off and to steal our wealth and to inflate the dollar and, you know, there are evil forces, the rulers of the darkness of this world that are at work behind it. Okay. I believe that. Okay. And you know what? I'm not one, and some people listening to me talk about taxes say, you're crazy, you're an anarchist, you know, you're always going to get attacked from both sides. But the thing is, you know, I must not be crazy or an anarchist if our country didn't have an income tax before 1913. How did we exist for hundreds of years without it? There's a way you take the taxes of strangers, that's what Jesus said, you know, you tax them, you tax the imports and exports and so forth and, you know, there's other, I'm not going to get into some political theory, it's not my job to run governments, I'm just here to preach the Word of God. And I'll tell you something, I pay taxes. Okay. I pay the taxes that I owe and I pay them every year and I don't like it and I have the attitude that Jesus has about it, that it's excessive. And you know what? You might, you probably don't even realize how many taxes you're paying because your boss has taken a lot of it out that doesn't even show up on your check. Whatever you see being taken out on your check, your boss is matching that. Okay. And that's all money out of your pocket at the end of the day. He's withholding it from you to give unto them. And we probably don't really realize always how much we're paying because we were taxed on the way in, we're taxed on the way out. But here's the thing though, okay, I pay the taxes because I don't want to get arrested and go to prison for not paying taxes. And I think that's what Jesus is teaching here. I don't think that it's right for me as a pastor to basically sacrifice soul winning, sacrifice pastoring, sacrifice raising my family to go on a political crusade that puts me behind bars to be a tax protester. I'm not going to do it. Now you say, well Pastor Anderson, you know, what's the other side? Because there are Christians who do not pay taxes and who believe that it is right for them and biblical for them not to pay taxes. Now let me give you their argument. Their argument basically, and if you would go to Romans 13 quickly. I'm only preaching short tonight because I know we're gonna have a big birthday party afterward and it's only three verses in Esther but I just want to talk about the subject of tribute and I'm gonna get back and apply it to Esther chapter 10. In Romans 13 the Bible explains what our taxes should be going toward. You know, the small amount of taxes that should be brought in. What they should be going toward. And it says in verse 3, for rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil. And evil again is someone who harms someone else. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good and thou should have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good but if thou do that which is evil be afraid. For he beareth not the sword in vain for he is the minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake. And here's the key in verse 6. For this cause pay ye tribute also for they are God's ministers attending continually upon a whole bunch of other stuff that's not mentioned in this passage. Is that what it says? No it says for they are God's ministers attending continually upon this very thing. He says the reason that you pay tribute is so that they can punish evildoers. See the Bible teaches that the the the job of government, okay, is to punish evildoers. That means, you know, murderers, thieves, rapists, people who harm other people. We have to have government in order to punish those people. We can't just have anarchy where people can just steal and rob and rape and pillage and have no consequences. So you have to have a government in place to punish the evildoers. But the Bible does not teach that it's the government's job to take care of us cradle to grave. Nowhere does the Bible teach that it's the government's job to feed us, to clothe us. Look we're supposed to look to God to feed us and clothe us. We're supposed to trust in him. We're supposed to look to our own right arm to feed and clothe us and to work. And when we can't work to take care of us then the church should take care of you and God's people should give you out of the goodness of their heart and take care of you. You say well I don't agree with I believe in government taking care of me. You are going contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible says that I'm supposed to pay taxes so that they can attend continually upon one thing, punishing evildoers. Does that say providing health care? Does that say that it's their job to feed and to clothe? Does that say oh but they do wonderful things. They screw up everything they do. Okay everything they do they mess it up. Okay it's that simple. And I you know you might disagree with this but the Bible teaches that you live in freedom when you have a government that basically just punishes evildoers. That's their only job. Not to dictate everything. And by the way it's none of their business what I preach. None of their business. And you know what they can make as many laws as they want about how I preach. I'm not gonna change how I preach. They can say oh don't preach against the homos. You know come stop me. You're gonna have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming in an orange jumpsuit before I quit preaching against the homos. You're gonna put me in shackles before I quit preaching every word of God. And I'm not holding back part of the teaching of God's Word because the fact that the government who thinks it's their job to clothe me and feed me and take care of me and come check on me and tell me how to raise my kids. They need to stay out of my home. They need to stay out of the church. They need to stick with the business of punishing evil people. And let me tell you something. I'm not an evil person. I don't harm anybody. I don't rob anybody. I don't murder anybody. And therefore I should never even have to deal with them. Okay that's what I believe. Now the reason why there are Christians who do not believe in paying taxes and I again I'm not one of them. I pay the taxes. Is because of the fact that they believe that because their tax dollars are going to kill innocent life. You know tax-funded abortion. You know they're just other things that they don't agree with that the government's doing. You know and and basically the government now through Obamacare paying for people to go on birth control which I don't believe in. Okay I don't believe in birth control. Paying for people to change genders. Paying for people to do all kinds of weird things and have abortions and all this stuff. Look I don't want to pay for that stuff and and you know they don't agree with the warfare. I don't agree with all the warfare that our that our country involves itself in and tries to police the world for the one world government and the new world order. Okay I don't believe in that. So they basically say well if you're funding it you're participating in it. That's their philosophy. Now here's the thing I don't agree with that philosophy because I believe that if Jesus left us scripture that showed us an example of just it's their face on the coin just give it to them. You know what I mean? Preach thou the kingdom of God and pay the taxes. Don't offend them. Don't worry about it. But I'll be honest with you I can see both sides. Now on most issues I'm real dogmatic because I think the Bible is real clear. I feel like here that the Bible is real clear that I'm not sinning by paying taxes because there's no you cannot point to me one scripture that will tell me I'm in sin by giving tribute under our government. Because I'm sure that the Roman Empire did things that they weren't supposed to do also. I'm sure that they were involved in some unjust warfare. Conquering and whatever okay. So what I'm saying is that I don't think you can biblically point the finger at me and say Pastor Anderson you're in sin for paying taxes. You're saying you like abortion by paying taxes. You know I don't believe that that's right. So I think that I'm doing right by paying taxes but I will say this even though I disagree with the other viewpoint I see where that viewpoint has some merits and therefore I'm not gonna judge someone who does not pay taxes. I'm not gonna go to them and say you're in sin. I'm gonna leave that between them and God on this particular issue because I can really see that they have a pretty decent argument for what they're saying. So therefore I'm not gonna judge them and you know you might be listening to sermon and you might say well I think that makes more sense. Well you know go ahead personally I'm gonna continue to pay tax and I don't think that anyone has the right to criticize me or attack me for following Jesus example and just paying the taxes even though he didn't agree with it and even though I don't agree with it. Okay but why do we have so many taxes in our country today? We'll go to Proverbs and the Bible has all the answers of course. Proverbs chapter 12 and I'm just preaching the Bible tonight. I mean there's a lot of Bible about government. I don't have time to turn to all the scriptures where God laid out a government for the children of Israel but it was pretty different than our government you know so I guess but I guess we're right and he was wrong. No I think he had a better plan but look if you would have Proverbs chapter 12 verse 24 and the Bible will tell us why we have lost a lot of freedoms today and why we are so bogged down in taxes today. The Bible says and oh but we get so much in return. I'd rather just do it myself and figure it out myself okay but anyway Proverbs 12 24 and this will explain why by the way it says the hand of the diligent shall bear rule. Now the diligent is one who works hard in the Bible. If you study the book of Proverbs the diligent is always contrasted with the lazy man, the slothful man, the sluggard or the hasty. Somebody who does jobs quickly. They don't really do a thorough job. They're just kind of in a hurry to get done so they do a slovenly job. So the Bible here says that the hand of the diligent shall bear rule but the slothful shall be under tribute. So what is it that puts us under tribute according the Bible? Laziness. So basically I'm not saying that you individually are lazy. I'm not saying that I'm lazy but I will say this as a nation when we become lazy we don't want to do things for ourselves and we want the government to do everything for us. We don't want to work hard. We want to just be on the take of all the good things that are out there. That is when we get under tribute and that's where we're at today. People want a free ride today. People today want to get money for free or they don't want to be diligent. They want to have just an easy job and get paid big money to do an easy job. I mean think about it there are so many people today that have this attitude of not wanting to work hard and by the way people sometimes today look down upon you if you have a hard-working type job. You know it's like if you tell them that you're a banker or a politician or something like that then they have great respect for you. Oh you're a doctor, a lawyer, a banker. Oh you're an investment broker. Oh you know and it's like oh that's really good and then it's like they'll look down on jobs like being an electrician or a plumber or a carpenter. You know what I'll tell you what man I love blue-collar jobs and you know what I've I've been blue-collar my whole life and I hope I'm blue-collar until I die. You know I like to work with my hands. I like to work by the sweat of my face and there is no more respectable job in my opinion and I'm not down on you. If you have a white-collar job great. If you have a computer job that's great too. I'm not down on you. I'm just saying society seems to lift up the white-collar job more and put down the common man. You know what Jesus chose of his disciples? He chose a white-collar guy. Matthew the publican you know he chose that guy but I mean he chose a lot of hard-working guys. He chose men that are fishermen and you know these guys had big muscles because they're lifting those those nets. You know I mean think about that nets all full of water and fish and they got to keep lifting it up and they're doing a physical man's job by the sweat of it and look I think Jesus purposely chose people from both sides. You know he chose a white-collar guy but he also chose a lot of fishermen and also don't you think that God and his foreknowledge could have caused Jesus to be brought up in any home he want yet he chose for him to be brought up in a blue-collar home with it with a carpenter as a father. You know and I think that you know it's it's just amazing to me and you know what's funny sometimes people with blue-collar jobs make more money than people with white-collar jobs sometimes. Not always but a lot of times they do. Some people make great money but it's just like our society has this attitude that a good job is one where you don't work that hard. That's what causes them to look you know they see a guy shoveling or they see a guy you know pulling wire running pipe bending pipe you know up on a roof and they just automatically look at that guy and he might even be making six figures a year but they just kind of look at that as oh that's not as good of a job as this guy over here who's got this white-collar job but you know what it is it's because see when I look at a job when I classify how good a job is you know just as a man who has to provide for a family where I have seven children you know I'm looking at okay what's the pay and if driving a garbage truck you know pays a good salary I say that's a good job. You know what I mean? Say oh man he's a garbage man. Look if that pays more than your medical assistant job or whatever, I'll be a garbage man you know I mean you're kind of a garbage man anyway when you're doing a medical assistant but that's a story. What I'm saying is it's a different kind of garbage but it's still garbage but what I'm saying is you know we instead of looking at man I can work hard and make good money and provide for my family it's like okay sign me up for the job that just where I just have to work the least and then I'm gonna go to the gas station and buy a bunch of lottery tickets just so that I can never have to work again and I'll tell you something I promise you if I won the lottery tomorrow which is impossible because I don't play but if you bought me a lottery ticket for my birthday you gave me a card after the service with some lotto tickets thrown in I think that was a little weird but anyway if you did great I'll scratch it off and you know what if I scratch that off and it says that I won ten million dollars you know what I'm gonna go to work next Monday and I'm gonna work and I'm gonna work until I die I don't care if I just unlimited money I'd work every day now I might do a different kind of work you know I might not I might I might not travel as much and focus more on soul winning and you know work of the Lord and everything if I could just do whatever work I want you know I would choose different work but I'm not gonna sit around and be lazy and do nothing and be slothful you know why you say oh it's just cuz you're you're you just care so much better breath no because you know what the most miserable people in the world people aren't working working as a man is what gives you your fulfillment in life okay and so the Bible says the slothful shall be under tribute you know when you work hard you just want the government to punish evildoers and stay out of your way because you're so diligent you're getting it done you're making money you're taking care of you know what and not only that you're making so much you're able to help others because I don't believe in being greedy or stingy I think we should be open-handed I think we should give and it shall be given unto us the Bible said we and the Bible says we should give to people that are never gonna give back to us give to the poor give to the to the lame give to the main give to the flight give to them that have not he says work with your own head so that you'll be able to give to him that hath not and you know we'd be able to work hard and give unto people but when you're lazy you're like man I need that safety net you know what I mean man I need I need the government to kick in I need them to take care of me look this is the truth the slothful shall be under tribute and by the way the hand of the diligent shall bear rule you know you work hard that's when you get made the supervisor that's when they put you in charge and by the way we're supposed to live in a country where the people rule it's a democratic republic right the people are charged we the people we're not ruling anymore we're being ruled over okay now go back to Esther chapter 10 with that in mind that's just you know I just want to give you a biblical view of taxes just a quick summary Jesus said well if you're free you don't pay all these taxes if you're free you know and look by the way Roman citizens didn't pay taxes in the Roman Empire remember when Paul said he was freeborn he didn't have to pay taxes his whole life he was tax-free because he was a Roman citizen remember if you killed Goliath they say you'll be tax-free remember that in 1st Samuel chapter 17 of course before chapter 8 everybody was tax-free before they had a king but that's another sermon but the Bible teaches that you know 20% means they own you 1% is oppressive I mean these are Bible numbers Nehemiah chapter 8 Genesis 47 I mean it's all in the Bible my friend okay but I pay taxes and I think you should too because of the fact that I don't think that we should you know get thrown in prison over that and they will come throw you in prison now here's the people that get away with it are people who make like no money so they wouldn't really owe that much but I mean if you make enough to support a family I mean they're you know they're gonna come after you believe me and I've been audited by them you know they audited me and thank God you know they didn't you know that when I was tried I came forth as gold you know but but it you know it wasn't fun being audited by them okay but I've done it I've been there but and they audited me personally they out of my business they went through everything with a fine-tooth comb and thank God I was you know paying what I was supposed to be paying but in chapter 10 verse 1 it says the king of has yours laid a tribute upon the land and upon the isles of the sea what's interesting here is that just in this tiny little short chapter of three verses you almost would look at it and say like why is this chapter even in the Bible because it just doesn't give that much information it tells us okay it has yours tax the whole world okay and then the next verse it says and all the acts of his power and of his might talking about the power and might of a has you hear us are they not written to the I'm sorry and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai were unto the king advanced him are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of media and Persia for Mordecai the Jew was next unto king of has you hear us and great among the Jews and accepted of the multitude of his brethren seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed so look we have two men contrasted here we've got a has you hear us is who we start the chapter talking about and we end up the chapter talking about Mordecai the first thing we hear about as you hear us is that he's taxing people he's taxing the people he's taking their money and then what's the last thing we see about Mordecai that he's seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all the opposite there one guy who wants to take and another guy who wants to give and here's what's interesting they're both leaders I mean think about it a has you hear us rules over an empire that spans a hundred and twenty seven provinces from India to Ethiopia he has great power Mordecai is second-in-command Mordecai is next unto king has yours now who filled that spot before Mordecai earlier in the book what was his name Haman now was Haman a guy who sought the wealth of the people or his own wealth Haman was a guy who was enriching himself off the people's backs he had tens of thousands of talents of silver to throw around he was building palaces he was using it to enrich and gratify himself Mordecai gets in that same position where he could have used his position to become very wealthy to increase his own power and might but you know what well as you hear it is increasing his wealth and his power and his might we see Mordecai on the other side of the coin he is seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed he's speaking the Word of God he's teaching people he's teaching them things that are righteous that are good is peace good he's teaching them the truth he's teaching them words of peace from the Prince of Peace he's teaching the people God's Word he's spending his time speaking God's Word and seeking their wealth and the Bible says in the New Testament that we should seek every man another's wealth and not our own wealth labor not to be rich cease from thine own wisdom we should have an attitude that puts others first now listen a leader like Mordecai is a rare leader most people when they get in power they use that power to enrich themselves the love of money is the root of all evil and when people have power they often abuse their power and use that power to enrich themselves we ought to use our power to help others look you you say well I don't have a lot of power but look as the husband in your home and as the dad in your home you're the leader you're the ruler and a lot of people you know the world looks at that right the world looks at a home that's a biblical home where the man is the head of the home and they look at that and they say he's a tyrant he's a dictator he's a control freak you know because he's leading and then they'll say of any wife who's a godly submissive wife or not even a godly forget godly just a submissive wife because there are even submissive wives that aren't even Christian there aren't even saved you actually believe in biblical roles but having the law of God written in their heart I mean it's just common sense that obviously there has to be a leader that men are the leader that women are designed by God to follow you don't even have to be a Christian I know people that are not Christian at all but yet the husband is the head of that home and the wife is very submissive on them have you ever known people like that they're not even Christian okay it's just human nature it's just common sense only when you've been brainwashed by feminism do you believe otherwise but here's the thing the world looks at that scenario and they say oh it's it's you know she's a doormat the doormat type you know or or oh you know she is just his little puppy dog or what you know and he's a tyrant and he's a brute and he's a dictator and but here's the thing you know what as a as a husband and as a father when you are the ruler in your home and when you are the head of that home you know you can either use that power just to gratify self right I mean you could you could be the boss and just use that to gratify self and every decision is made for what's best for you and every decision is just what you want to do and to give everything to yourself and to give what's left over and refuse under your wife and children and not take it good but you know what it's also possible to be 100% the boss and still think of others isn't it you can be loving you could you can make all the decisions but you can make them in a way that benefits your wife you could make them in a way that blesses your children you can make them in a way where you put yourself last and you're still the boss you're still leading you're still making the decisions but you know what you can put others first Jesus Christ was the master he said they called him master and he said you know what would you call me master and when you call me Lord you do well to call me that because he said I am your lord and master but he said now watch me as I get on my knees before you and wash your feet so even though Jesus has total authority all power is given unto him he made himself a servant and the Bible says that who will be greatest among you let him be your servant so we did not confuse authority with selfishness you can be in authority and still be unselfish and that's what Mordecai shows but here's the thing it's rare and it's rare amongst Christians it's even it's almost non-existent amongst the ungodly when it comes to government and today we have a government that is made of self-serving individuals you know the way our system is and the way it's become the people who rule over us they are multi-millionaires I mean the people in Congress today and the Senators 99% of them are pretty much millionaires are very wealthy because they're on the take they're not seeking the wealth of the people they're seeking their own wealth they're doing insider trading you know they're making laws that benefit them and their property and and they're there they really are in it for themselves more than the people we as God's people should use whatever power we have maybe you have power on the job maybe you're the manager maybe you're the boss maybe you're even the owner of the company you know what you should care about and try to help the people below you and be benevolent to them want them to succeed love them put others first but that doesn't mean relinquish your authority relinquishing your authority makes you a poor leader on the job when you start letting people walk all over you and letting people break all the rules no stay in charge stay the boss but be unselfish be benevolent Mordecai kept increasing in power he didn't relinquish his authority but he used his authority to be a blessing unto God's people and to speak peace unto them and to seek their wealth and their benefit totally different than Ahasuerus who from chapter 1 to chapter 10 has been a guy who really took really good care of himself you know the whole book of Esther Mordecai on the other hand always caring about others he's caring about Esther in the beginning then he's caring about the rest of the Jews now he's caring about the whole kingdom he's a rare man indeed that was chosen to be ruler here he wasn't chosen by the people he was chosen by God he's put in place by God through a miraculous chain of events let's be the same way and you say well I'm a woman but you know what what about your children you know you should be the don't let your children walk all over you but you know what take good care of them put that you know put them and their needs ahead of you sometimes and do what's right for them everybody usually has some kind of power authority in your life or if not you know work hard and eventually you'll get there let's buy rides and have a word of prayer father we thank you so much for the short chapter and it contrasts these two men Ahasuerus and Mordecai one who just wants to tax and oppress and and rule and get powerful and mighty and write books about how great he was in verse 2 and another man who yeah he had a lot of power but he didn't go out looking for that power he was he was put there by you and he used it for your honor and glory and he was a great example of what a benevolent leader looks like who's not just self-serving God please help us to think of others first always put others first to love other people help us to give unto the poor and help out those that are in need help us never to see our brother have need and turn away from him help us to be compassionate of the poor you know the government has trained us to just let them do it for us but help us instead to to to have a biblical view and in Jesus name we pray amen all right let's go ahead and one song before we go can anybody think of a song that ties in with this