Mordecai urges Esther to appeal to the king to save the Jewish people from being killed, despite the risk to herself. He reminds her that she was made queen for such a time as this, and that if she remains silent, salvation will come from elsewhere but she and her family will perish. The pastor preaches that people like Esther, Jacob, David, and others were used greatly by God despite their flaws and excuses. He encourages the congregation to make themselves available when God calls them to act.

1. Champion Sermon Series
I’m Here For A Reason
SCREENS>Esther 4:13-17
13Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not
imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more
than all the Jews. 14For if you remain silent at this time, relief
and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place
and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows
whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as
this?”
SCREENS>I’m Here For A Reason
On Easter Weekend we started this new series entitled
“Champion!” The big point of this series is to remind
everyone under the sound of my voice that regardless of
your circumstances God wants to use you and can still use
you! And I would be crazy enough to suggest that God
didn’t bring you to Kingdom Central for you fill up a pew
ever Sunday, He brought you here to pull out the champion
in you and put you to work! I don’t care what you’re deal
with, God says, I can work with that! Yeah, God is looking
down aware of all of your issues, and He says I see what
you’re dealing with, I see what you’re struggling with, and I
want to use you anyway, can you be available to me!
 Jacob was a cheater and Peter had a temper,
 David had an affair and Noah got drunk,
 Jonah ran from God and Paul was a murderer,
 Gideon was insecure and Miriam was a gossiper,
 Martha worried and Thomas doubted,

2.  Sara was impatient and Elijah was moody,
 Moses stuttered and Zaccheus was short,
 Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead....
But they all made themselves available. Now, what's YOUR
excuse? Can God use you or not? -God doesn't call the
qualified, He qualifies those He calls![WORK]
 All He needs is somebody to be available!
As we tiptoe into today’s text, we run into Esther who has
found herself in an interesting situation. Now please allow
me to provide some context.
Esther has replaced the former queenVashti, who has been
deposed and banned from the King’s presence, and
according to some traditions she has been executed. Now
in order to get into our key text this morning, we have to
start with Queen Vashti. Because Esther would have never
had the opportunity to become great if it had not been for
Vashti’s refusal. Yeah, that’s why you can’t afford to get
sidetracked by people who are not doing what they’re
supposed to do, because their refusal is your opportunity!
 Their refusal is your promotion! [WORK]
See in the first chapter of Esther, you don’t have to turn
there just jot it down for reference, the queen is summoned
to display her beauty for the king’s friends, but for some
reason, she refuses. Now the Bible does not clearly identify
Vashti’s reason for refusing to appear, so anything that I say
will be isogesis at best. But it is obvious, that the king is not
concerned why she didn’t come, he just wanted her to
come.

3. Can I tell you that God is not concerned with your
excuses about why you can’t come, He just wants you
to come.[Push Church Attendance]
o Maybe Vashti wasn’t ready yet, but the King said
COME!
o Maybe Vashti was sick, but the King said COME!
o Maybe Vashti didn’t feel worthy, but the King said
COME!
In other words, no matter what my condition is, my King
is calling me. And when He calls, I must answer. David
said, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go in
to……(PREACH)
SCREENS>When you make yourself unavailable, you make
yourself unnecessary!
Yeah, because Vashti refuses to show up, she loses her
position and possibly her life. Because she wouldn’t make
herself available, she made herself unnecessary.[GO
CRAZY]
 Sometimes you miss God, not because you’re not
gifted, not because you’re not living right, but
sometimes you miss God simply because you were not
where you needed to be!
o Sometimes you got to fight through foolishness to
stay where you need to be!
o You gotta fight through emotions to stay where
you need to be!
o You gotta fight yourself to stay where you need to
be!
 No self, you won’t make me lose it this time!
I’ve got to play my part!!!

4. The King was not looking for Vashti’s excuses, He was
expecting her Yes! Can I preach to some people in here!
What happens when your “No’s” run out! Have you ever
considered what would happen if every time you said NO
to God, God said NO to you! Have you considered that
every time you refused to do something for God, you made
yourself unnecessary!
 What would happen if God looked on your NO and
said what I am keeping you here for!
 That’s why some of you, if you ain’t got nothing to
praise God for, you better praise him for the fact that
he let you say NO and keep your life!!!!
Back to the text!
So the king is now furious that Vashti has refused and
decides based on counsel that he needs to get rid of her
and find and new queen. This is where we find Esther, an
orphan being raised by her cousin Mordecai, who urges her
to audition for this new assignment.
I really wish I had the time to properly unpack Esther’s story,
because while this seems like a rosy situation, she’s actually
being pimped out by her cousin. If I had the time I’d deal
with the reality that sometimes Bad Things happen to Good
People to get you in the Right Place at the Right Time! [Work
That A Little Bit]
 It Had to Happen!
This weekend, my focus is on the opportunity. She’s being
offered the opportunity of a lifetime. She doesn’t have that

5. great of a life, she’s in exile, but if she get’s the position and
messes up, she dies. Now think about that for a second.
If I don’t bust a move, I’m broke but I’m alive
If I do bust a move and it don’t work, I’m DEAD!
o But if I’m going out, I’M GOING OUT SWINING!
 I’m A CHAMPION!!!!
Come on now, put yourself in Esther’s shoes! She says all my
life I’ve been looked over and locked out, and finally I have
a chance to make something out of myself! Perhaps she
says, I’m not going to let another opportunity pass me by!
SCREENS>The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized within
the lifetime of the opportunity
Okay, now let’s fast forward. Esther has seized the
opportunity, she has now become Queen, her cousin
Mordecai has also risen up in the ranks, but now Mordecai
has developed an enemy named Haman who happens to
be the king’s right hand man. Haman, becomes so upset,
that he convinces the king to issue a decree that will cause
the death of Mordecai and all the Jewish people. Mordecai
hears news of the decree and becomes distraught, he’s
flipping out, freaking out, and acting out, in sackcloth and
ashes, ready to lose his mind and then he remembers
Esther!!!! Man, I can shout right here. In the middle of his
breakdown, he remembers that Esther is in the palace.
Have you ever been in a place where you thought that
you were getting ready to lose your mind and then you
remembered that somebody owed you one!
Have you ever been stuck in a situation, but then you
remember that you knew somebody! (GO CRAZY)

6. What Mordecai realized, is that I don’t need an army to
fight this battle, I just need one person in the right place. All I
need is one! [JUST PREACH RIGHT HERE]
 The whole world may have turned it’s back on me, but I
still got one! Esther is in position!
See you missed it! That’s why you can’t just flake out on
church when something doesn’t go your way, because
somebody needs you to be in position! That’s why you’ve
got to fight through discouragement, doubt, and discredit
because somebody needs you to be in position! If nobody’s
paying you any attention, press your way through the
crowd like the woman with the issue of blood! Sometimes
you gotta learn how to make a scene in order to stay in
position! [GO CRAZY]
 Don’t push me!!!! Get off of me!!! Somebody needs me
to be where I am right now!!!
Now, we’re in the text. Mordecai is having a conversation
with Esther. Watch this, verse 13
SCREENS> Esther 4:13-14a
13Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not
imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more
than all the Jews. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief
and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place
and you and your father’s house will perish.
Watch this, what Mordecai is saying is, Esther don’t think you
can hide. He say’s don’t think that you’re not going to be
effected. He’s saying, you have the opportunity to bring

7. salvation to many and don’t you dare think that your house
doesn’t need it to. [WORK]
Mordecai apparently understands the biblical principle, that
SCREENS>What you make happen for others, God will make
happen for you!
In other words, Esther, if you stay faithful even when it’s
inconvenient, even when it’s uncomfortable, God will make
sure that people stay faithful to you! Be not deceived God is
not mocked whatsoever you sow, that shall you also reap!
Somebody’s about to catch this word! Why am I staying
faithful to my pastor and first lady? Why am I staying faithful
to my church?
 Because I’m tired of attracting fakes and flakes in my
life!
 Because I’m tired of people using me and leaving me!
 Because I’m tired of being caught up in confusion!
o But I know if I be faithful to the man of God and
the house of God then God will promise me
faithfulness!!! [WORK]
And Mordecai, he so slick, watch this. He says that even if
you don’t do anything, God is still gonna have his way! Now
as a pastor I can feel Mordecai right here! Because on one
hand, I want to encourage everybody to do what you’re
supposed to do! As a pastor I need every member to be a
tither, I need every member to be serving in some ministry,
and if you’re not serving you need to get busy! As a pastor, I
need you to be in position. But don’t get it twisted, I’m like
Mordecai, I’m just crazy enough to believe that if you don’t
do your job, God is still going to do His! Don’t you dare think,

8. that I’m going to break down because you said no, no
baby God is still able!
Can we just stop right here and celebrate God that other
people’s inability doesn’t hinder God’s ability to bless.
Just because you won’t help me, doesn’t mean God
won’t help me!
Just because you won’t promote me, doesn’t mean
God won’t promote me!
Watch this, just because you won’t show up, doesn’t
mean God won’t show up!!!!
Is there anybody in here that can remember a time the
people let you down, but GOD still showed up!
I need a church of people who know that God is able!
When you know that God is able you can’t be sidetracked
by small stuff, you can’t be moved by foolishness, you can’t
be subdued by fear, you only operate in faith!
Watch this, in the conclusion of his discourse, He says…
SCREENS>Esther 4:14bAnd who knows whether you have not
attained royalty for such a time as this?”
Please don’t miss this and I’m through right here! This whole
discourse revolves around Esther’s decision whether or not
to be used by God! She’s wrestling with the idea of is this
what I’m supposed to do and Mordecai’s response is
ultimately, “Consider your life. Look back over everything
God has brought you through! Look at what’s going on
around your right now! Don’t you think that it’s possible that
you’re here because this is where God wants you to be!!!”

9. CLOSE WITH STRONG ALTAR CALL!