The Hollowness of Hate

INTRODUCTION (Series Intro) Good morning. My name is David Sorn, and I’m the Lead Pastor here at Renovation Church. I love to read, and I try and read and listen to different types of books throughout the year And lately, I’ve been trying to read a few of the classics. Last year, I finally got around to reading George Orwell’s 1984. (1984 Book Cover) Orwell wrote it 1949, but it takes place in an imagined future where by 1984, Great Britain is controlled by a totalitarian government… … led by the dictator Big Brother. And his government oversees every part of his citizens lives. And one of government’s goals is to make sure that each citizen hates their current enemy, Eurasia. And one of the ways they accomplish this is by making every citizen participate in what is called the “Two Minutes Hate” And for two minutes, every day, every citizen must watch a video depicting their arch enemy, Emmanuel Goldstein, and all the terrible things he supposedly did. And during the Two Minutes Hate, everyone is supposed to scream out their hatred towards their enemies. And even throw things if they feel so compelled. And Orwell has one of his characters insightfully say this about “The Two Minutes Hate” “The horrible thing about the “Two Minutes Hate” was not that one was obliged to act a part, but, on the contrary, that it was impossible to avoid joining in.” – 1984 (George Orwell) There is something actually compelling and even attractive about hate. Each of us, in our own way, are drawn to it. It makes us feel superior, better than, righteous. And it lies to us…and makes us feel like we’re getting what we want against our enemies. But its promises are hollow. And we’re going to see that in a remarkable way as we continue our Summer Series in the Book of Esther today Go ahead and grab a Bible at your chair. Esther 5:9 – 6:14 Page 343 As you’re doing that, let me catch you up to speed if you’ve missed any of this series or if it’s your first time here. The Book of Esther starts in the year 483BC in the city of Susa, in the Kingdom of Persia…Susa is in modern day Iran. The Persian King Xerxes banished his wife, Queen Vashti, and decided he would pick a young woman from his Kingdom to be his new Queen. And surprisingly, Esther, the Jewish exile, is selected as Queen, but nobody knows she is Jewish at this point. But a man named Haman, who is now the 2nd most powerful man in the Persia hated Esther’s cousin, Mordecai. So much so that Haman convinced King Xerxes to issue a decree to kill (not just Mordecai), but all the Jews in Persia But Mordecai tells Queen Esther that perhaps she’s been elevated to Queen for “Such a Time as this” And last week, we read that Esther had just arranged a banquet with the King & Haman to ask the King to spare her people, the Jews…but she decides not to, and she’s put it off to a 2nd banquet the next day. And before that 2nd banquet happens, something quite remarkable happens. So let’s join the story there. HATRED NEVER SATISFIES (Esther 5:9 14) – NIV 9 Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. 10 Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” 14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up. (Title Slide) Okay, let’s pause here for a bit. We see a lot of hate here. A few of weeks ago, in chapter 3, we answered the question of “Why are God’s people often hated?” But today, I want to turn the tables towards us. And talk about how we can sometimes gravitate toward hate. And I want to show how hollow hate really is. So let’s look at a couple of principles from God’s Word about the hollowness of hate. Here is the first one: THE HOLLOWNESS OF HATE #1: Hate Never Satisfies So think about Haman. Haman is the 2nd most powerful person on earth at that moment in history. He has almost everything going for him. In verses 11 12, he’s literally boasting about it to his friends and family. He says he is rich, has many sons, and he’s been elevated by the king above all other nobles. And then look at verse 12: 12 “And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. Which is hilarious because the only reason she’s invited Haman is so that she can call him out as a villain in front of the King! So the irony is thick here! And so Haman is bragging about all of the amazing things he has going for him, but look at verse 13 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” BUT ALL THIS GIVES ME NO SATISFACTION… See, that’s the problem with hate. You can have seemingly everything going for you, but if you carry hate in your heart, you will not have rest in your soul. That is “the hollowness of hate” And so I want you to dare to ask yourself some hard questions this morning. Who is it that you haven’t forgiven? Who is it in your life, that you are carrying a hatred toward? Maybe it’s an old boss. Or coworker. Or an old friend. It can even be as seemingly innocuous as even hating the opposite political party. When I was reading 1984 last year, I thought, “This 2 Minutes Hate” thing actually isn’t all that different from cable news, or political radio or YouTube. Their aim is just to get you all riled up in hate, so that you tune in every day…and yell more hate. But is it working? Do you feel satisfied? Happy? Peaceful? And if not, maybe stop watching. For others of us, we carry around bitterness, anger, and hatred toward family members. Many of you have so many good things going for you…blessings from God: A place to live, food on the table, a job, children. And yet, there is a family member who lives rent free in your head, every day. And for what? Does the anger you have toward them satisfy you? Does it make you feel better? Surprisingly, I think a lot of TV & movies shockingly portray this Biblical truth fairly well. There are a lot of shows where you have a character who was wronged by someone…say in season 1 😊 And they spend all of season 2 seeking out their revenge. They’re carried along by their hatred. And do they look happy? No, they look miserable. And often, even if they get their revenge…it doesn’t change anything for them. This is why Jesus teaches on forgiveness SO OFTEN. The only way to find freedom and peace is through the doorway of forgiveness. Hate is hollow. It can never satisfy. HATE NEVER WORKS Okay, there’s more, so let’s keep reading. (Esther 6:1 10) – NIV That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2 It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 3 “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked. “Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered. 4 The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him. 5 His attendants answered, “Haman is standing in the court.” “Bring him in,” the king ordered. 6 When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” 7 So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, 8 have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9 Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!’” 10 “Go at once,” the king commanded Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.” Can you imagine Haman’s face right now? Okay, chapter 6 is where everything in this incredible book begins to turn around. And we learn a second principle from this very section THE HOLLOWNESS OF HATE #1: Hate Never Satisfies #2: Hate Never Works And I believe this chapter in the Bible is really important for Christians to fully understand HOW God works to bring about His purposes. Think about this for a second. If you had never heard this chapter before, and I told you that God was going to start turning things around for Esther, Mordecai, and then the rest of the Jews… …how would you have guessed that God would do that? I love what Bible Scholar Iain Duguid says about this: Notice that God’s plan in this case was worked out without thunder and lightning, or a parting of the sea in order to save his people. No one was delivered from a fiery furnace or miraculously preserved in a den of lions. God’s work here is every bit as subtle as Esther’s. It proceeds by unobtrusively nudging each of the characters in the story to behave exactly in accord with their own wishes and temperaments, while at the same time they do exactly what he has decreed. – Iain Duguid (Title Slide) So think about how God is saving Mordecai, and eventually all of His people: First of all, none of this happens if the king is fast asleep. But for some reason, he can’t fall asleep And then, to help him get sleepy again, King Xerxes chooses, of all of his endless options, a book to be read to him. And out of all of the books, he chooses the record of his reign And out of all of the places in the book, he’s read the story about how Mordecai saved his life. And then, out of all the possible times and people, it’s Haman that shows up early that morning (eager to enact his plan against Mordecai) This chapter really matters for your theology. For how you think of God. In fact, let me just, rather quickly, give you 3 ways Esther 6 should change how you think about God… …this is kind of a mini 3 point message within point #2! HOW ESTHER CHAPTER 6 SHOULD AFFECT HOW YOU THINK OF GOD #1: God works in the details not just the big stuff! Maybe you’ve got a situation in your life right now, and you’re pleading with God, “MOVE! Do something!” And then you conclude that God’s not doing anything because you didn’t FEEL anything, or hear an audible voice, or see a miracle. But truthfully, God may be doing incredible things behind the scenes right now...and you just haven’t seen it yet! Remember God does indeed work that way too! He makes Kings not fall asleep and causes servants to read specific parts of books. He works in the details! HOW ESTHER CHAPTER 6 SHOULD AFFECT HOW YOU THINK OF GOD #1: God works in the details not just the big stuff! #2: There is no such thing as luck, only God. My friends, or even my kids, will tell you that I’ve been trying to take the word “luck” completely out of my vocabulary. If I ever say, “Good luck at the game today,” they’ll say, “Dad, you said there’s no such thing as luck!” And there isn’t. Esther is not lucky to be queen. Mordecai wasn’t lucky to find out about the assassination plot. God is in control of the tiniest details. And we should properly think of Him that way. HOW ESTHER CHAPTER 6 SHOULD AFFECT HOW YOU THINK OF GOD #1: God works in the details not just the big stuff! #2: There is no such thing as luck, only God. #3: You cannot outmaneuver God This is similar to my 2nd main point here: Hate never works. It’s hollow in its effectiveness Haman is confidently strutting into the palace, with a smirk on his face about his amazing plans to have Mordecai impaled on a pole. He is imagining his hate is going to win the day. But while Haman was sleeping, God was at work…and He’s been at work Haman cannot win. Hate cannot win. And so listen to me, if you’ve been harboring hatred and resentment against someone. And you know…in your heart that it’s wrong…and that those thoughts of hate you have are working against God… Or maybe you’ve even been planning on getting that person back somehow. Hear me: You can’t win. You can’t outmaneuver God. Your plans will either fail, Or they will succeed and sin and hatred and rebellion against your God will just lodge itself deeper in your heart…which is an even worse failure. Let go of your anger…and the hollowness of hate. And embrace forgiveness, the way of Christ. HATE DOES NOT LEAD TO HONOR Let’s read the rest of chapter 6 and get to our 3rd principle (Esther 6:11 14) – NIV 11 So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!” 12 Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, 13 and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!” 14 While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared. And, spoiler alert, it’s at that very banquet that Haman will be exposed for the villain he is (he’s going to be brutally punished), and Esther will save her people. But what do we learn from the end of this chapter? It is this: THE HOLLOWNESS OF HATE #1: Hate Never Satisfies #2: Hate Never Works #3: Hate Does Not Lead to Honor It doesn’t lead where you want. Haman has somehow worked his way up to the #2 spot in the entire Kingdom. But he has about to reap what he sowed. And what he was sowed for years and years and years, is hate. And hate does not lead to honor. Xerxes says, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” And Haman thinks, “Oooo! That’s me!” But hate does not lead to honor. No, instead of being honored, Haman is humiliated. And here’s the point: If you sow hatred and bitterness for years and years and years…eventually you will reap sorrow…and maybe even humiliation. But what if you sow goodness, and righteousness, and faithfulness? Does that lead to honor?? I mean, what about Mordecai? Well to be real…and to answer this question thoughtfully…you kind of have to ask this question throughout Mordecai’s life. Because, as of last chapter even, it doesn’t look like Mordecai is being honored for any of those good things. In fact, he might even have thought, “God, what are you doing? I’ve been so faithful to you… “But you passed me up for that promotion, and gave it to Haman instead! What sort of God lets that happen? “And I saved the king’s life from those assassins, and then I didn’t even get recognized for it? Do you not remember me? Do you not see me?” “And now, there is a decree out to kill all of our people? Obviously, no honor ever comes to the righteous!” You ever feel that way?? Maybe you’re here this morning, and you feel like you’ve been overlooked, like Mordecai. You’re serving your spouse at home, and they never even notices. You’re working so hard at work, and no one seems to care. You’re serving God with all your heart, nothing changes. A lot of the brutally honest Psalms seem to reflect this sort of thinking: They say, “God, why do the wicked prosper?” And yet, they usually come to a conclusion like this: (Psalm 37:1 6) – NIV 1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. And so listen…even if you feel like nobody sees you, or nobody cares. God sees. And He cares. And honor comes…not to wicked (not to those who hate) but to the righteous. But like Mordecai, you won’t always see it coming. God works in the details. And behind the scenes. And not all of that honor comes in this life either. Many of our rewards will come all throughout eternity. GOSPEL (Title Slide) And let me say this too: I think this passage is also a strong reminder of how critical it is that we all humble ourselves before God Certainly this passage gives us a warning about those who do not submit and bow a knee to God. Haman thinks he’s one of the most powerful people on the planet. He’s got money, position, family, everything. And in a minute, it all starts to crumble. And soon he enough, he’s going to executed. Something he never saw coming when he woke up at that morning (probably whistling on his way to the palace) And there’s a warning here for us: And it’s to take the holiness of God seriously. You might have a lot of things going for you right now. But your life could end tomorrow. For all you know, within 24 hours, you could be standing in front of the judgment seat of God. And so passages like this, should also cause every one of ask ourselves, “Am I truly saved?” If everything were to change tomorrow, and I am standing before a Holy God, do I know for a fact (because you don’t want bank your eternity on a hunch.) Do I know for a fact that God will send me to heaven? The Bible says in Acts 4 that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus. In John 5, Jesus Himself says: (John 5:24) – NIV 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. So the only way you can be saved, that you can go to heaven, is to believe in Jesus. It’s to say, “Jesus I believe that I’m not good enough on my own, but that you died in my place for my sins, and I give my life to you” Because you cannot do it on your own. You will still have sin on you that needs to be punished. Despite how good you try and be, you need your sins forgiven. Thankfully the Bible says: (2 Corinthians 5:21) – NIV God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. And so Jesus gets your sin, and you get covered with His righteousness and goodness. The only way you can stand in front of God at judgment is if you are covered with His righteousness. And so are you covered? Have you accepted Him as your Savior, and turned your life over to Him as your leader? If you need to make this decision for the first time today…to tell Jesus that you need His forgiveness for your sins…to make Him the leader of your life…to believe He died in your place In just a minute, I’m going to ask you to raise your hand No one’s going to be looking at you, that’s why we had everyone close their eyes. But this is a way for you to accept that gift from God…and walk into a new life. And I urge you to receive Him now…as we never know what life will bring. And one day…it will be too late. Your life will be over. Or Jesus will come back. And the Bible says, at that point, it’s too late. Now is the day for you to decide to be forgiven and to receive Him in. And so if you need to tell God for the first time today that you do believe, and you want to follow Him and be forgiven. Then I invite you to raise your hand wherever you are. The Bible tells us that in this moment we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths. Repeat after me Dear God I confess to you, that I have sinned against you. But God I believe, that you sent your Son Jesus, to take my place And God I thank you, for forgiving my sins. And now I commit, to following you, with my life. (NEXT STEPS) AMEN! If you made that choice today, I’m going to give you some more instructions at the end of the service, but for now, let’s worship our God.