A layoff notice right after taking out a loan, a leukaemia diagnosis instead of the university place you dreamed of, is there ever a good time for bad news? The sermon takes us to the book of Esther, where one man’s faithfulness brings a death sentence on a whole nation, and where Mordecai speaks the most important words in the book to his cousin: who knows whether it was not for a time such as this (Esther 4). Alongside it stands the testimony of a Chilean miner who, trapped 700 metres underground, became a signpost for thirty-two other men. Listen in and ask what God may have been preparing you for all your life.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Esther 3 Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman, and the result is a decree to destroy his whole people. According to the sermon, why could a devout Jew not bow, and what does this choice reveal about his faithfulness to God?
- Mordecai tells Esther that deliverance will come from another place, yet asks whether she came to royal position for such a time as this. What do his words show about his trust in a God who seems hidden in this story?
- The sermon says faithfulness to God sometimes costs us an unexpected price, like the man who fights for time with his family or the person rejected by loved ones after baptism. How do you respond when a right decision brings painful consequences?
- Esther first answers that she cannot go to the king because it may cost her life. What do you think helped her move from fear to a willingness to take a risk for others?
- The story of José Henríquez and the trapped miners shows that the worst time turned out to be the best time to share the gospel. In which difficult circumstances of your life do you see an opportunity for God to use you for the good of others?
- Where this week, at home, in your family, at work or among people from your own nation, can you be the one who makes a difference for such a time as this, and how will you begin?
