Not Against Flesh and Blood

But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which theLord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all yourenemies round about,
- Deuteronomy 12:10

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Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest;and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around.
- 1 Chronicles 22:9

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When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance,
‍- Deuteronomy 25:19

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Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, YourMajesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And sparemy people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to bedestroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male andfemale slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justifydisturbing the king.” King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where ishe—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” Esther said, “An adversary andenemy! This vile Haman!”
- Esther 7:3-6

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And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews,near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to establishamong them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth daysof the month of Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from theirenemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and frommourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, ofsending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.
- Esther 9:20-23

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And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between youroffspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
- Genesis 3:15‍

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For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create inHimself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting todeath the enmity.
- Ephesians 2:14-16‍

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And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
- Colossians 2:15

Mixer

1. Share about a time when you responded positively to a negative person or situation.
2. What happened in you to get to the point of responding in a positive way?

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Sermon

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 12:10, 25:19; 1 Chronicles 22:9; Esther 7:3-6, 9:20-23; Genesis 3:15; Ephesians 2:14-16; Colossians 2:15

Context:

The book of Esther reminds us that God is the God of reversals. As we recall, Haman plotted to get Mordecai humiliated and killed. However, in Esther 8, Haman, the evil force in the story is killed on the very thing that he wanted Mordecai to die on. Furthermore in Esther 9, the Jewish people are spared and saved. This celebration of the Jewish people is called Purim. This commemorates when God spared the people through Esther and is still celebrated today.

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This passage teaches us that the moment we get rest from one enemy, there is always another enemy around the corner. So how do we get rest and deliverance?

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It is through the good news of Jesus Christ who came to crush the source of all enmity.

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Discussion Questions

1. When you get rest from one enemy, another one is on the way. Is this true in your life? Please share an example.
2. Read Esther 7:3-6. God is the God of reversals. What can you learn about the character of God here?
3. Read Genesis 3:15. What is the definition of “enmity?”
4. In the sermon, Pastor Jared shared why Jesus came down from heaven to earth: “If I pick up the sword, I can crush the enemy. If I pick up the cross, I can crush the enmity.” How will this truth affect your life today?
5. One way we apply this passage is to not respond to evil with a hurtful force. In other words, to not mirror evil with evil or to become the hate in the process. What are some practical and specific ways we can apply this to our lives this week?

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Find your Circle!

Who can you invite to your Circle this week?

Life happens in circles. Your circle matters. If we are the average of our 5 closest friends then being intentional with your Circle could be the difference between elevating or evaporating your growth.

We are not meant to face our challenges alone. God has designed us to be in a community of faith - a Circle around us.

Invite one person to find their circle. Click here for details.