Esther 9:20-23,28      The Wildest Party

Rev. David Holwick   ZC                                   Esther, #4

First Baptist Church                                  [very well-received]

Ledgewood, New Jersey

September 22, 2013

Esther 9:20-23,28


THE WILDEST PARTY


  I. Baptists and wild parties.

      A. What was the biggest blowout you ever attended?

          1) Celeste and I were at Jeffrey Salmon's wedding last night.

              a) Lots of food, lots of music, lots of dancing, lots of

                    drinking.

              b) I was sitting by my choir director so I was absolutely

                    moderate in everything.

          2) College and high school parties are legendary.

              a) Drinking, dancing and dope seem to be key elements.

              b) At my college we couldn't do any of these things.

                  1> Our parties were very tame, and chaperoned.

                  2> Your college was probably different.

          3) Recent party in former football star's house.


             Brian Holloway is a three-time Pro Bowl player who starred

                with the New England Patriots in the 1980s.

             Over the Labor Day weekend his second house in New York

                state was broken into by over 300 teenagers.


             If the breaking and entering were not enough, the teens

                trashed Holloway's home, causing $20,000 in damage.

             They broke furniture, put holes through walls, spray-painted

                graffiti throughout the house, urinated on carpets and

                   stole several items.


             Holloway was alerted to the situation by his son who became

                aware of the destructive situation via tweets being sent

                   by teens at the party.

             Holloway told CNN, "I'm looking at these tweets, and

                they're saying, 'I'm partying with the NFL.'

                   'I've never seen so much alcohol in my life.'"

             Holloway contacted police, but the damage had been done.

                                                                   #64228


      B. Baptists are usually party-poops.

          1) We have a dour reputation for being against most things

                that the world considers fun.

          2) I found out this week that 120 years ago, Baptists didn't

                even celebrate Christmas or Easter.

              a) All you needed was Sunday.

              b) And each Sunday was pretty much the same.         #36359

          3) Today we believe in having fun -- as long as it is in a

                quiet, self-controlled sort of way.

          4) But there are occasions when you need to let it all hang out.

              a) When God does something great for you, celebrate it.

              b) Joy is something to be expressed, and shared.


      C. Book of Esther begins and ends with a party.

          1) The first party was very worldly.

              a) It last too long (half a year).

              b) It focused on pride and paganism.

              c) It belittled women.

          2) The final party has lasted for centuries.

              a) It is known as Purim.

              b) It was only for Jews.

              c) It celebrates the joy of their deliverance from destruction.

              d) Instead of selfishness, it emphasizes sharing.

                  1> A big focus was on giving food to the poor.


II. Purim is a popular holiday with Jews today.

      A. It is not very significant spiritually.

          1) Festivals in the Torah (first five books) have more weight.

          2) We just concluded Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

          3) Purim is way outside this league.


      B. Purim is special because of its exuberance.

          1) Jews let it all hang out.

              a) They have a feast and read the entire book of Esther.

              b) Drinking alcohol is commanded, not suggested.

              c) They dress in costumes, which alludes to how God is

                    disguised in natural events in Esther.

              d) As Esther is read, they cheer at name of Mordecai and

                    rattle noise makers at the name of Haman.

              e) Let's see how well you do...  [Hand out noise makers

                    and read Esther 3:1-6 as they respond to names]

          2) Going overboard is expected.

              a) As you might expect, alcohol plays a big part in this.

              b) Rabbis said you are done celebrating Purim when you

                    can't tell the difference between the names of

                       Haman and Mordecai.

              c) Purim is "Animal House" meets Sunday School.


      C. Few Christians do Purim.

          1) The Holwicks did it once when we homeschooled our kids.

              a) The kids liked the noise makers and funny hats.

              b) They could always tell the difference between Mordecai

                    and Haman because we didn't give them any booze.

          2) The closest New Testament equivalent is communion.

              a) The wine is only present symbolically (these days).

              b) The mood is very different.

              c) But communion and Purim do have something in common.

                  1> Both celebrate our deliverance from enemies.

                  2> For Jews it is Haman, for us it is sin and death.


III. Jesus was a party-person.

      A. Like Esther, the ministry of Jesus begins and ends with a party.

          1) Jesus' first miracle takes place at a wedding party.

              a) Jesus made a lot of wine at the wedding in Cana.

              b) Even the master of ceremonies mentioned that they had

                    saved the best for last.

              c) Jesus was invited to many dinner parties after that.

          2) When Jesus returns to earth he will have another party.

              a) It is known as the banquet of the Messiah and it is

                    mentioned in the book of Revelation, 19:9, where it

                       says, "Blessed are those who are invited to the

                          wedding supper of the Lamb!"

              b) Only those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior

                    can have a seat at it.


      B. There is joy in knowing Jesus.

          1) In his parable of the bridegroom, Jesus emphasizes

                celebration instead of deprivation.

              a) We don't fast, but we feast.             Matthew 9:14-15

          2) Jesus' disciples were not stick-in-the-muds.


IV. Christians can let it all hang out.                    2 Samuel 6:14

      A. Exuberance is acceptable.

          1) David danced before the Lord with all his might.

          2) He was ecstatic that God's ark was coming to his

                city.

          3) And he didn't care what others thought, either. 2 Sam 6:20-22


             Tony Campolo spoke at a Lutheran church in Lancaster,

                Pennsylvania, right after the Creation music festival.

             Creation had about forty thousand people that year.

             A lot of them found out Campolo was speaking at this nearby

                church on a Sunday morning, so they showed up.

             They were all sorts of semi-charismatic types.

             In addition to the three or four hundred regular attendees

                at the church, there was a host of these people filling

                   all the seats in the balcony.


             The minister, robed in velvet, got up and said in a very

                dignified manner, "Let us make a joyful noise unto the

                   Lord.

             Let us came into His gates with thanksgiving and into His

                courts with praise."


             Somebody in the balcony yelled, "All right!"


             People started jumping and clapping their hands.

                You could just see this minister being blown away.

             The last thing in the world he expected when he said, "Let

                us make a joyful noise unto the Lord," was that anybody

                   would.

                                                      Kerux sermon #20612


      B. We have a lot to get excited about.

          1) The penalty for our sins has been eliminated.

          2) Death can't touch us anymore.

          3) We have become part of a fellowship that cares for us

                like a family, sharing our hurts and our triumphs.


  V. We should party God's way.

      A. Remember those 300 teenagers who trashed the house?


           The football player collected the tweets and photos the

              kids sent to each other, and he put the images online.

           The police have already come up with 200 names.


           Holloway is a Christian, and he wants to bring some good

              out of the mess.

           He invited the teens who destroyed his home to take

              responsibility by coming to his home to help clean up.

           A single kid showed up.


           Several parents are upset with Holloway and have threatened

              to sue him, and even beat him up, for posting their teen's

                 tweets and pictures on his website.

           It may hurt their college chances.

           Aren't they upset their kids are drinking until they are in

              a stupor and trashing someone else's home?

                                                                   #64228


      B. Be filled with the Spirit, not spirits.           Ephesians 5:18

          1) We should have just as much joy as people at wild parties.

          2) But we don't need artificial substances that only give

                a quick high.

          3) That stuff wears off quickly and often gets you into trouble.


      C. Get in a party mood.

          1) We are excited about life itself.

              a) Joy at Kenny's funeral on Friday.

              b) Death cannot defeat us.

          2) God has a party when we are saved.

              a) Luke 15 has three well-known parables - the lost sheep,

                    the lost coin, and the lost son.

                  1> In verses 7 and 10 Jesus says there will be

                        rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents.

                  2> When the prodigal son returns, his overjoyed father

                        throws him a huge party.

              b) God wants to give a party for you.



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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:


Kerux sermon #20612  The Kingdom is a Party, by Dr. Tony Campolo,

           30 Good Minutes (Chicago Sunday Evening Club), program #3315,

           January 14, 1990; http://www.csec.org/Catalog_%20A-B.htm


#36359  Easter, A Worldly Holiday?  100 Years Ago, Southern Baptists

           Thought It Was, by Stephen Douglas Wilson, Baptist Press,

           http://www.baptistpress.org, April 5, 2012.


#64228  These Kids Need Salvation, by Kelly Boggs, Baptist Press,

           http://www.baptistpress.org, September 20, 2013; sermon

           version edits this article and adds other material from the

           internet.


These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be

downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html

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