The Power of No (Righteous Disobedience)

Esther 1
February 28, 2021 – Hatcher Baptist Church
INTRODUCTION
 Good morning Hatcher! I am so glad to be here… my name is Corey Hise… I am a student at Liberty University…
from KY…I love Jesus, the church, and people… I also love my beautiful wife… so excited for what God has in store
today…
 Let’s pray… thank you for the opportunity to worship…help us to hear from you and follow you better today…
Amen
TENSION
 STORY ABOUT DWAN… first job in high school… Habitat for Humanity ReStore… hard work for a good cause…
fun coworkers… and I had a boss… a fun guy, loved the Cowboys, always wanted to hang out… but he had a
problem with forgetting… he would forget things all the times… the crazy part… he would get mad at us for his
forgetfulness… one time he screamed at us for forgetting to lockup one night… but he was the only one there!
 How many of you have ever had a crazy boss/leader?… Maybe a boss at work, church leader, school teacher?…
Maybe your boss threw temper tantrums, or expected you to do crazy things, or was just plain dumb…
 These people can be hard to deal with & can put us in hard situations… so we often wonder, how do we deal with
them?
EXPOSITION
 The Bible actually answers this question for us… the book Esther gives us biblical precedent of how to handle
leaders, specifically leaders with bad character…
 This book begins by introducing us to a very powerful leader, King Xerxes… this was the most powerful man in the
world leading the most powerful country in the world (Persia)… but it turns out, he is one interesting character…
A Generous King
 Xerxes, like many powerful kings, sets out to celebrate his reign with a massive celebration, 6 months!… but he then
followed it with a week-long banquet for every person in his fortress-city…
 Esther 1:5-8… here he is praised as a generous, kind king… he builds this image, reputation for all the people…
 LOUISVILLE CENTRAL STORY… huge pre-game entrance…big reputation… they were terrible…all an act,
façade
 He throws this huge party not only to celebrate himself but to infatuate his people… he wants them to love him, to
believe he is the most generous and kind king ever…
 So he builds this grand façade, this fake public persona… and like always something happens that brings it all
down…
 [APPLICATON]… the truth always comes out (cf. Lk 8, 12)…because we serve the just and true God who is
sovereign
 Bring your secrets to the light…your secrets don’t have power in the light… don’t wait for someone to do it for you…
you don’t have to live under a mask anymore…
A Disobedient Queen
 Sometimes God does this through the people we love most…during this time, his wife Vashti was hosting a party
herself
 Esther 1:10-12a…the entire story is built around this moment…what a powerful refusal…she righteously disobeys…
while Vashti was prob not a worshipper of Yahweh, we can learn from her…doesn’t say yes because she’s supposed
to
 Vashti says no… in the face of her husband… who with all his money, power, & public affection is refused by his
wife… many believe that Vashti was expected to show up nude with only a royal crown, or she simply didn’t want to
pose in front of many drunk men… regardless, Vashti chooses to righteously disobey…
 Many times we are not called to step away, but to step up … in the face of hard situations, scary people… with our
finances, our jobs, or even our lives on the line… this is a theme of the entirety of Esther…
 24 ILLUSTRATION…President Taylor…refuses to step away…stands up for justice & truth…sends daughter to
prison
 Many times we’re faced with impossible decisions, to be safe or honorable? Do you cover up an alcoholic father’s
behavior or bring shame to your family? Do you lie about the company finances to cover up your boss’s sins or risk
the loss of your job? Often we are forced between unrighteous obedience or righteous disobedience…
 Righteous disobedience reveals true character… both of the disobeyer and especially of one’s leader…
 Specifically, a leader with good character responds with humility, honesty, and repentance…
The Grand Reveal
  Unfortunately, most leaders don’t respond that way… and Xerxes is no different…
 The moment Vashti refuses Xerxes, there is a switch in him (story and him)… Esther 1:12b-13, 15-22
 In response to Vashti’s refusal… this once “generous” king does a complete 180… this façade he has built comes
crashing down… his generosity becomes control… his happiness, anger… his public affection, fear of the mob…
 She refuses to aid and abet his arrogance… she refuses to enable his egotism… she stands for what is right…
 It all happens because of one word… the courage to invoke one word… NO!… never forget the power of no…
 INSIDE OUT ILLUSTRATION…family made me watch animated movie, Inside Out…girl named Riley…Joy,
Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust…parents say no, she blows up, says & does things she regrets, changes direction of
life
 When Vashti says no, his true character comes out in two rash responses… but before I address these responses…
 Not only are we all led by bad leaders at times, but we are all like Xerxes in a way… we have bad character… we
respond to disobedience in sin… and these are great signs of a bad response…
 1. The first we see is Rage…verse 12b… this is more than just anger because he becomes reckless and rash…he
makes insane decisions… rage is especially dangerous because we become intoxicated in our rage…
 This rage is in response to feeling disrespected… he will do whatever it takes to protect his sense of superiority… he
will hurt anyone in his path… makes decisions he regrets (cf. Esther 2:1)
 Often times in our anger we make irrevocable decisions, we say or do something that damages our relationships…
 If you’re inclined towards losing your temper, this can be hard… we must rely on the Holy Spirit for self-control… it
takes honesty and accountability… we need true, wise counsel, unlike Xerxes’ counsel…
 2. Xerxes doesn’t just respond in rage; he responds in Fear… he becomes fearful of others’ response… verse 18…
 In his fear, he becomes controlling… he makes a rash decision out of his fear… a decision that he regrets later (cf.
2:1)
 How often do we do this?… try to control the narrative (damage control) about our lives…
 In our fear, we try to control… we try to control the outcome… when we start to lose control, we try to grip tighter…
 But as Christians, we don’t have to try to control… because we know the one who is in control…
 When we give our lives to Jesus, we are ruled by the Perfect King who is in complete control… this king is never
reckless, enraged, or fearful… he is always generous and loving… never wrong… and he never banishes us… we are
always invited into his presence… he is our defender and our king…
CONCLUSION
 In fact, our King often calls us to be bold and courageous, to step up in the face of sin and fear and anger…
 Just as Vashti (and Esther) did… we are called to righteously disobey… and to do so despite the
consequences, despite the response of our leader…
 Maybe you’re here and you don’t think this applies… that you’re never called to righteously disobey… many
times that’s because God is building us up, preparing us for a courageous moment…
 I encourage you to be ready… be prepared to step up and say no…to invoke the power of no… because
often times, our hardest no’s are our greatest yes’s…
 Let’s pray… Thank you for giving us the courage to say no… for giving us your Spirit that we can trust
and follow… help us to be prepared to stand up and say no… help us to be able to honestly examine our
own hearts when we are disobeyed… help us to not respond in rage and fear but simply to trust you
because you are always in control… we love you and thank you… In Jesus’ name, Amen.
KNOW (BOTTOM LINE): Righteous disobedience reveals true character
DO: Be prepared to step up and say no.

Key:
Important Lines/Ideas
Stories/Illustrations
Bible Verses
Slides
Videos/Pictures
On-stage Movement/Props/Crowd Participation
Funny/Joke

Dynamic
Important

Temporary or to-edit