November 12, 2023 / Hope, Faith, and Future

Welcome to Walk in the Truth podcast. How do we know where to find answers to the toughest

questions in life? While the simplest answer is the Bible, where do we start this search

and how do we discover this truth? Today, in this teaching podcast, John Meador, lead

pastor of Cross City Church, takes a specific text of the Bible and helps us find truth

for the life we're searching for. We are so glad that you've joined us this morning

and I do want to reiterate next week is a special week because it's a mission conference

week, conference day, and Paul Chetwood is the name of the president of the International

Mission Board, largest mission sending organization in the world and he'll be with us in all

of our services and you will not want to miss this because this guy really helps lead more

than 4,500 missionaries serving, sharing the gospel all around the world and we're very

involved in supporting them and I think next week will be a very, very special week. This

week is Foster and Adoption Sunday and we're going to be talking about that not only in

the message but also as you lead today. If you'll go through the comments area, there

are different displays of the various ministries that help in the foster adoption process and

we'll talk about that just a little bit in the message. You'll hear some great stories,

great testimonies of people in our church that are actually adoptive parents and we

want you to know about the power of adoption. Now I want you to take your Bibles this morning

and turn to the book of Esther today, the book of Esther. The Old Testament book of

Esther is in between the book of Nehemiah and the book of Job. So we want you to know

that and if you can't find those two then go to the table of contents if you would and

the table of contents is always so helpful. Today the title of the message is Hope and

Faith and Future, Esther chapter 2 beginning in verse 5. Esther chapter 2 beginning in

Esther 2 · chapter mention Esther 2 · chapter mention

verse 5. By the way we have hardback versions of the Bible at the doorways and we always

encourage you to pick up one of those if you don't have that with you or your Bible with

you, you want to pick that up, that's great. You can use it or you can take it home and

we'll have page numbers on our screens for those different verses as well, make them

easy to find. You won't have to look at the table of contents at least, you'll know what

page number it is. So let's stand together as we turn to Esther chapter 2 beginning in

Esther 2 · chapter mention

verse 5 and I want to say as we dive into this particular subject, this particular topic

today that the emphasis of the book of Esther and we've been here not too long ago as we

walked through that book but the book of Esther is a topic of how God works in unseen and

unheard ways. Now for most of us that's how God works all the time because God doesn't

speak out loud to us and sometimes we don't see how God works and we have to trust that

he's working in unseen and sometimes unspoken ways but the book of Esther is the only book

in the Bible that does not have the name of God in it. It's also the only book where God

is not quoted, where there's not a prophet speaking or there's not someone else saying

the Lord has told us this but it is a book in which you look at the characters in the

book and you realize God is in work in incredible ways in their lives. You can see God all the

way through the book of Esther. So let me set the scene for you before we get into the

text. Esther is set during a time when the Jews are in exile to Persia and King Ahasuerus

so they have been removed from their homeland and there they are about 450 years or so before

the coming of Christ. They're captive, they're slaves and they're really subject to the whims

of this King Ahasuerus and so that's the situation. King Ahasuerus has deposed his queen for reasons

I'll tell you about in just a few moments and Esther is one of those young women who

has been selected to go and so to speak audition before the king. So many unjust, unfair things

going on here that we won't take time to explain however here she is in the presence of the

king and she's talking with her cousin Mordecai so you'll understand something about the background

when we read these verses. Chapter 2 beginning in verse 5. Now there was at the citadel in

Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shemai, the son of Kish,

of Benjamin, who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives that had

been exiled with Jeconiah, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had

exiled. So if you want to know in a summary form what's just happened, war has happened.

Persia has kidnapped those out of Jerusalem and brought them into exile away from their

homeland in this capital city of Susa. It says in verse 7 he was bringing up Hadassah,

that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, that is Mordecai is doing this, for she had no

father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face and when her father and her

mother died Mordecai took her as his own daughter. So it came about when the command and decree

of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into

the custody of Hegai, that is Esther was taken to the king's palace into the custody of Hegai

who was in charge of the women. Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him

so he quickly provided her with cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from

the king's palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem.

Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, that is she didn't tell them that

she was a Jewish girl, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known.

Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how

Esther was and how she fared. Alright we'll stop there for a moment before we dive into

this message. Father today we're going to take just a piece of this whole book, it's

a part of this whole story and father we're going to look at the amazing adoption that

took place for Esther placed into the care of Mordecai. Father my prayer today that we

would see your redemptive power in the very picture of adoption and certainly in the life

of Esther and how you used her in such a big way at that very critical time in Israel's

history. Lord give us eyes to see, a heart to understand and a will to follow you. We

ask this in Jesus name and everybody said amen. Please be seated if you would. I love

the book of Esther, I love the Old Testament books where stories are told about people's

lives, I love the narratives. And this is one of those stories that I often say a movie

needs to be made about this and I know there is a movie made about Esther's life but I

think I can make a better one than what I've seen and a movie needs to be made, there's

more spiritual truth to share. But it's such an incredible story of a young woman at a

crossroads in her life and a nation at a crossroads as well. And it's a sensational story because

here's this girl who is virtually homeless until she's adopted by Mordecai and all of

a sudden before too many chapters go by she's now queen of this whole region. And what's

amazing and sensational about this story is something is lost as we read through it very

quickly and that is the picture of her adoption by Mordecai. I know people that have read

the whole book of Esther and never really pick up the idea that Mordecai adopted his

younger cousin who is Esther of Hadassah and that really enables the entire story to be

told as it should be told. So here's a young girl that's a victim in the seemingly endless

war between the people who hate the Jewish people, the people who hate Israel and Israel.

Now just for some awareness it's 479 BC specifically, the nation that King Hazris is over is the

land of Persia in biblical times that was its name today is the land of Iran which is

in the news right now. They were known those 2500 years ago for their hatred of the Jewish

people and much is happening in the same way today as a matter of fact if I was preaching

a message about Israel and where she is today and what's going on with that war I might

even start from the book of Esther but that's not the title of this message or the topic.

That's just what's happening. She's in the midst of a war and she's a captive to a nation

that hates her people which is why she doesn't reveal who she is. It's a horrific culture,

it's sexist, it is predatory. So many bad things can happen to a young woman who is

in that culture and if she's not rescued her prospects for the future are dismal. But here's

what we find in the book of Esther. We find that God placed Esther in a unique family

and a unique time and an amazing moment of history. Now I want you to see this as we

walk through the book because you won't read this in a verse but what you'll see is behind

the scenes God's unseen hand moving and placing people in the perfect situation for him to

be glorified. Do you know God is a placer? God places people. I want you to say the word

placer. Are you ready? Placer. God is a placer. Say it one more time. God is a placer. We

don't say that in that story. It's not a word we use a lot. But have you ever felt like

God has placed you in a situation and you look around and go, wow, I don't know how

I got here but I know God placed me here. Anybody ever experience that? Let me just

tell you that's the way God works. God is a placer. He puts people in the places that

he wants and you see that all the way through the scripture. God placed Adam and Eve in

the Garden of Eden. God placed the nation Israel into the land of promise. If you're

here as a believer in Jesus Christ, God placed you in this body with gifts and talents and

a heart and a passion to walk with us. He places us in the world to represent him. We

are in the world but we're not of the world. He's placed us here for incredible reason.

He places people and families through birth and he places people and families through

fostering and adoption. I want you to see that today. I want you to see how you placed

this young woman Esther into the family of Mordecai. Now you've heard me, if you've

been around for long, you've heard me tell the story of my belief that God is the ultimate

chess master. That we're just pawns on the chessboard. We have no idea where to go, forward,

backward, sideways, diagonal. We don't know. We don't know the strategy that comes against

us but what we do know is as God moves us into place, he's aware of the future, he's

aware of the path, he's aware of the threats on all sides. God is the ultimate chess master

and the greatest way to view your life is that perspective. He has got this. We don't

but he does. And you'll see that in the life of Esther. God has moved her around the board

so to speak. Now I also want you to know as I walk through these points this morning to

realize that there's nothing coincidental in this adoption story or in your life. God

is the God of purpose and significance. Everything he does, he has a reason for it. Isn't that

reassuring? I mean in a chaotic world, in a confusing world, a world where not much

makes sense, isn't it good to know that God always has a purpose? He always has a significance.

So I want to give you some things today coming out of the story of this adoption by Mordecai

of Esther that will bring hope and encouragement to you today. First of all, I want you to

notice that adoption brings hope to hopeless situations. Adoption brings hope to hopeless

situations. We start there in verse 7 and the scripture states it very plainly, for

she had no father or mother. And then it clarifies later on in verse 7, when her father and mother

died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. In other words, to tell the story, it's clear

that she has no mother or father at that moment, but she had a mother and father and they had

died presumably in the war. Presumably in the occupation of the Persian people of Jerusalem

and as they came and invaded Jerusalem and as they took them off to exile, they died

in that process. Now I want you to take a moment and imagine the hopelessness of the

situation. I don't want you to view Esther as a quick flyby of a larger book. I want

you to take a moment and think about her as a young woman. Imagine being in exile in a

foreign land, slaves to those that captured you. Take a moment to think about what it

means to be a slave, to have no rights, to absolutely be at the mercy of your captors,

to have to do whatever that person who owned you is a slave required of you. Imagine that

your parents have died and there's no one to protect you, no one to speak up for you,

no one to stand in the gap for you. Imagine now being a young girl all alone without protection

in this predatory kind of culture. All you have to do is read the first chapter of the

book of Esther. King Ahasuerus and all he's doing and you know everybody else in the nation

is living in that kind of immorality, in that kind of mindset. If you went back and read

chapter one, King Ahasuerus has called a big party to take place and he's required of his

queen, Queen Vashti to dance in a seductive way in front of all the soldiers and the captains

that have gathered for this party. Now Queen Vashti must be a person of character because

she absolutely refuses to dance for the men and in response King Ahasuerus is embarrassed

by her response and the fact that she dared disobey him that he deposed her as queen

and said I know what I'll do, I'll find another queen, I'll find someone who will do what

I ask them to do. That's the leader of this particular culture. Can you imagine this young

girl unprotected, young and without anyone to speak up for her, can you imagine what

her life might have been like without intervention? Can you imagine how she would be exploited,

perhaps become a prostitute or worse in every way used up? It's a hopeless situation. You

know the word hopeless is one of those words that we don't use a great deal but hopelessness

is the word that we do use when we no longer believe a situation can be redeemed. When

we no longer believe that this situation with its circumstances by itself can be redeemed.

When we say hopelessness we mean somebody needs to step up and rescue somebody else.

There needs to be someone to stand in the gap, to intervene, to bring change to that

circumstance which is exactly what this picture gives us today. It's a hopeless situation.

Now enter the man named Mordecai. Actually in the scripture Mordecai is mentioned in

the book of Esther before. Esther is really given detail as to her life. He's a compassionate,

he's a God-fearing Jewish man who is actually her older cousin and knows of the death of

her parents. And God divinely, here's his word, he places her into his custody under

the compassionate care of his older cousin who is doing the right thing and he adopts

her as his own daughter. I love that line. He considers her his own daughter. How many

fathers in the room have daughters? Would you raise your hand if you're a father and

you have a daughter? Would you raise your hand? I have three daughters and three sons

and I'm not saying I wouldn't come and rescue my sons but I'm saying I would absolutely

come and rescue every one of my daughters. I consider it a personal charge in life to

protect them from everything they need to be protected from. I would do anything, go

any distance, do anything I would have to do to keep them safe and to keep them going

in the direction they need to go in. My favorite movies are daddy rescue movies where they

rescue the daughters. You know those movies, I've mentioned those before, no need to bring

them up again. Something goes on in the heart of a good father towards his daughter. And

Mordecai, the Bible says, considered Esther as his own daughter. And everywhere in the

story you've got amazing depictions and interactions and conversations where he's watching out

for her, where he's listening to what's going on, where he's shepherding her in every way

he possibly can. And by the way, that's just what foster and adoptive parents do, what

Mordecai is doing. Now certainly I'm not saying that birth parents don't do that. I'm saying

that every foster parent, every adoptive parent has this heart of Mordecai who wants to show

compassion towards someone in need. And by the way, the Bible is filled with the abominations

from God that we are to pay attention to those in great need. In fact, God as a father says

I care about those that are in such a need. Let me just kind of go back and look at some

scriptures with you. In Psalm 149, verse, 146 rather, verse nine, there's a great passage

that kind of reflects the heart of God here. And here's what it says. It says the Lord

protects the strangers. He supports the fatherless and the widow, but he thwarts the way of the

wicked. You're going to see this play out in the life of Esther, but this is just the

heart of God, the compassion of God. Now God's compassion is not just an objective, standalone

compassion. God's compassion is often exercised through people who show compassion. In this

case, Mordecai, this adoptive father, and in our emphasis today, the foster parents

and the adoptive parents of children who are in need. Then there's Psalm 31. We often quote

this Psalm when, or rather, Proverb 31 when we talk about speaking up with the unborn.

And here's what it says. Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate

open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the afflicted and needy. So

this is actually a command to God fearing people, God following people to speak up for

those that cannot speak for themselves. They may be in horrific circumstances like Esther

was and like others are, and were to speak up on their behalf. Then there's just a great

account of Jesus interacting with the disciples about little children that have come to him.

You can't get a better picture of the compassion of God than Jesus saying to the disciples,

whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. If you want to know what God

thinks about children, look right there at the expression of God in the flesh about the

little children that are coming unto him. James chapter 1 verse 27, another great, great

James 1:27

verse to the church of Jesus. James in his bold and straightforward way says it like

this, pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God and our father is this to visit orphans

and widows and their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. What a command.

The church cannot ignore widows, orphans. We have to come along beside them and around

them and help them in every way that we can possibly help. In recent months, I've met

some pretty incredible people as we've begun to embark on talking about an adoption and

foster ministry. I've met people that are like Mordecai, people who have responded in

these ways to the biblical call to compassion. What they do is they see hopeless situations

in terms of children that have been placed up for adoption and they're willing to step

in the gap. They're willing to pray through this and bring themselves and allow themselves

to be brought to a place of conviction and they really embark on a spiritual journey,

a financial journey and certainly a physical journey, an extraordinary effort to get to

the place where they can make a decision to foster or adopt a child. Even though sometimes

the crowd around them will say it may never work, you may not know what you're getting

into, sometimes there are all those negative voices and then they sense this conviction

from God and they take the step forward. You've got to admire people of courage and conviction

who do that. Amen? Are you with me this morning? Some time ago, the couple that goes to our

church came up to me and handed me a long letter and that letter told a story. They

were aware of a child in their not immediate family but nearby family and this child was

in need through the dysfunction of her family and this husband and wife were kneeling right

over here during a Jericho prayer time years ago. We've been doing this for years and

in that prayer time they felt the Lord lead them to step up and adopt this young girl

and it was just in that prayer time that they began to have that conviction and heard the

call of God and they stepped forward to do that and that's exactly what took place and

their story unfolded in a beautiful powerful way which is happening today. It's incredible

what God does in people's lives when they surrender themselves to do that and I've

heard these stories, these are amazing stories. It's really interesting that in all these

stories every story that I've heard recently has a phone call moment, a phone call moment

where they've done all the prep work, adopted parents have prepared and prayed and persevered

and waited and waited and waited. They've been on a spiritual journey, a physical journey,

a psychological journey, they've got their houses already, they've got their homes and

mines already and finally the day arrives where they get a phone call and it's a shocking

kind of thing even though they've prepared and that phone call person on the other end

of the phone says come get your child and all of a sudden it all comes rushing back

to them oh okay this is the moment that I've been preparing for and that phone call means

all the legal steps have taken place, all the money has been raised, it means the details

are all taken care of and it's time for the new beginning in that child's life and it's

time really for a new chapter on the part of these parents like in Mordecai's life,

like in Esther's life, change is on the horizon and hope has dawned. Adoption brings hope

so adoption also brings faith to the next generation. I see that in the life of Esther.

Now as we started this text we started in verse 5 which gives a little bit of the background

of Mordecai. Notice what it says again now there was that the citadel of Susa a Jew whose

name was Mordecai the son of Jair the son of Shemai the son of Kish of Benjamin and

right there you have the history of Mordecai. This history is Jewish history it is replete

with and full of stories of how God has worked in powerful ways to protect the Jewish people.

So we know this about Mordecai he was a descendant of Saul and the Talmud identifies him as a

prophet even though he wasn't speaking as a prophet during this time he was known as

a prophet this man knew the ways of God. He knew how God had worked in the past he knew

how God leads how God rescues how God redeems he knew about God. Now the way the Jewish

people passed on their faith and their awareness of history was by what we know as oral tradition

they shared with the next generation at the dinner table so to speak and at the festivals

and feasts of Israel here's what Jehovah Almighty has done in our history here's why we know

we can trust the Lord our God here's how we know that. And so Esther would have heard

from her parents first of all for however long they lived and now she's hearing from

Mordecai faith is being passed from one generation to the next. She's going to need it because

she's going to be the queen of a pagan wicked ruler. She's going to need every ounce of

faith her parents could have imparted or that Mordecai could impart. She's going to need

every ounce of faith that history could have provided her but she was given that faith

and it's really remarkable to see how it all unfolds. In fact when I read the story of

Mordecai and Esther I thought they have so much to teach us about passing faith on to

the next generation. Can you think about this for a moment? We don't know what the next

generation is going to face in America or in the world but it's not looking real optimistic

if you ask me. How do we prepare them for that? And the way we prepare them for that

is by their faith in an Almighty God who rises above the ups and downs of a nation or a world.

Here's this young woman faith is being passed on to her and the reason we know that is even

though the name of God is not mentioned and even though there is no command from God in

the book of Esther so to speak you see faith being reflected in their conversation. So

Esther realizes by the time she's a queen that there's a wicked man named Haman who

wants them all dead. All the Jews are his target. He wants to completely exterminate

them and the only way she can really intervene is to have an unrequested audience before

the king and that day and time even if you're a queen you can't just walk into the king's

chambers and say can we talk? That's not how it worked back then. If you went into the

chambers without an invitation you might be put to death. And so the whole conversation

between Mordecai and Esther was how will you get word to the king that wicked Haman wants

to put us to death? How are you going to do that? And Mordecai says to her in Esther chapter

Esther 4:14

4 verse 14 it's reflecting faith all the way through. If you remain silent at this time

relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place. He's recognizing

the sovereignty of God right there. If it's not you God will raise up somebody else and

you and your father's house will perish and who knows whether you have not attained royalty

for such a time as this. Who knows that God has placed you in this position at this moment

at this time in this history so that you can speak up. And what does Esther say? She says

maybe the most famous lines in the book of Esther. She says so I'll do this you fast

and pray for me for three days and I'm going to go into the king and here's what she says

she says and if I die I die. Now that's either foolishness or faith. But we know it's faith.

You see what's happened in Mordecai's shepherding of Esther is he has helped her know that the

most high God the God of Israel Yahweh Jehovah will rescue them. And she's positioned to

do that very thing to intervene on behalf of her nation. God has placed her in this

place. There's a woman that goes to our church many of you know Deanna D'ar she's in our

choir she sings on our stage from time to time. I interviewed for her for a podcast

with her some months ago and it's on our website where I asked her about her history of being

adopted. And in that interview she talked about her adoptive parents and the fact that

they introduced her to faith in Jesus Christ. And she just talked about the incredible thing

that God did in letting her be placed for adoption and letting those parents step in

and actually receive her in adoption and share faith with her. And later on she went back

and met her biological mom realizing if I had been raised in that home I would not have

known Christ as early or in the same way that I know him now. In other words from her perspective

she sees adoption from the perspective of God and placing her in the perfect home at

the perfect time for her to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Now Deanna is a high school

teacher and she influences many hundreds and thousands of kids towards Jesus in her ministry

that she has in those schools. Adoption really does bring faith to the next generation but

it does something else. Adoption brings the future to many. The future to many. Now if

you know anything about the book of Esther you know where I'm going with this. Israel,

the people of God are rescued. It's an amazing story. There are all kinds of ups and downs

in this story. There's this crazy crazy but not coincidental string of events where only

God could have orchestrated the things to happen in the book of Esther but eventually

led to the hanging of Haman and led to the giving of permission by King Ahasuerus to

the Jewish people to defend themselves and they do and they do it well. So in Esther

Esther 9:1

chapter 9 verse 1 we read this. On the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain

mastery over them it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery

over those who hated them. 2500 years ago that's the statement that was made by how

God intervened. If you want to know how I pray for Israel I pray for them like this.

Right there. So that those that hate Israel will all of a sudden realize they have no

mastery to carry that out but that the Jewish people would be protected. God does this over

and over and over for the Jewish people to just read the Old Testament to see what happens

time after time. But I want you to see one thing with clarity. Don't let what I've said

make all these other things get lost in those words. Here's what I want you to see. Esther's

adoption and her faith along with how God allowed her to become queen brought a future

to all of the Jewish people in that city. The rescue was significant. Targeted for extermination

they instead see God saw God turn the tables on the whole picture. Now let me just say

this to you today. In any scenario adoption brings a future to many that would not be

possible without the compassion and dedicated acts of adoptive parents or foster parents.

I told you about some families that I've gotten to know recently. We actually have a video

that introduces three families and just their journey for fostering and adoption. And I

want you to see what we've said today the background behind that the prayer the conviction

the provision the open doors and watch what the result is. Early on I knew I wanted to

be a mom. Ever since a student pastor I had adopted I knew I would like to have an adopted

child of my own. We were talking about how we wanted to have kids and you know what our

family would look like and I mentioned to him that I was interested in adoption and

his response was I've always been interested in it too. I started being interested in foster

and adoption when I knew I could offer a stable loving home to a kid who needs that. The Lord

just guided and directed us step by step to the point where we were you know a licensed

foster family. So we have Wren who is 10 years old she's in fifth grade and a couple years

after she was born we had a miscarriage. We just felt like God was continuing to show

us that the next child for us it would be through adoption. We were about to have a

discussion with our adoption agency about what steps we take moving forward and we get

a call to come pick up Mila. We picked her up at the hospital and walked out with a baby

girl and she's a riot. All gas no break and never stops moving and never stops cracking

jokes. She's a delight. When we were ready to try for a second child and we went through

the same exact protocol after quite a few months and a whole lot of money my doctor

just said it's not working. Honestly thought God had forgotten my family and it just so

happened that our friend Beth Wright who is another adoptive mom she and I were talking

and she looked at me dead in the face and she said Amanda God has not forgotten your

family and that for me as sweetly as she said it was the truth that I needed. When we got

the phone call the lady's like hey is this Amanda? Yes ma'am how can I help you? And

she said well you have a daughter and I just stopped breathing for a second and I just

thought oh my gosh it's it. You have a daughter? Wait a minute she's here she's a she oh my

gosh she's here like what? And she goes yeah you have a daughter when can you get here?

My family doesn't look like every other family. I am a single mom of three of the best kids.

I have Sean he's 16 years old and Nevaeh is 14 and Callie is 12. Even though we don't

have the same DNA she is as much mine as Ren is. She is 100% right. There was not a shadow

of a doubt that little girl wasn't meant for us. She fit so perfectly. Main reason of foster

adoption matters is because it's the hands and the feet of Jesus. The thing about the

church family it is adoptive in its own nature. And we get to be you know sons and daughters

of God as if we were brothers and sisters of Christ. Don't let fear keep you from doing

what God's called you to do. Some of the most fearful times in my life is when I've done

really hard things that God's wanted me to do. There are so many things that you can

do to bless those adoptive families. As families step into fostering and adoption we as a church

have to wrap our arms around them. There's lots of ways to get involved and nothing is

too big or too small. Let's celebrate that together for just a moment. Would you do that?

Wow. Some of those people on the video you know them well. Come along behind them and

just love on them and let them know that you see them as the courageous compassionate people

that they really are. What a great thing to be able to do. Here you have this biblical

picture of adoption. You have these real life stories of how adoptions take place and how

incredibly important it really is. And I want to ask you a couple of questions today. Do

you see how this works? Do you understand how it is a huge decision that people make

but a compassionate decision that really reflects the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. And

I want you to see also how God can use a foster and adoption ministry in our church. It's

something that's emerging, something that's beginning but something that's very, very,

very exciting. And that's why we're compassionate, we're passionate about it. But let me tell

you that the other side of this picture that depicts the need. You may not know this but

if adoption doesn't take place there are children who are placed for adoption who are never

really adopted to parents. According to Buckner Children's Home more than 7,000 children await

adoption in the state of Texas alone. More than 120,000 nationwide. Their parents' rights

have already been terminated. In other words, it's been determined that these parents cannot

raise them and so they are now waiting for adoptive parents and they have not yet been

adopted. If never adopted, 1,000 children will age out of the system every year. If

they age out of the system, nearly half will become either homeless or incarcerated. Seven

of ten young women who age out of the system at the age of 18 are pregnant by the age of

21. And I look at that and I think 7,000 kids. There are more than 7,000 evangelical churches

in the state of Texas, way more. What would happen if churches simply had a burden and

a passion to help being part of the solution and stand behind parents who are willing to

do this fostering and this adopting and for the church to support them and love them and

encourage them and make it possible. The kingdom of God can meet the need that culture has

created if we will and that's why we emphasize what we're emphasizing today because we can

and should do everything we possibly can. Whether God's calls you to be an adoptive

parent or a foster parent or not, everybody can do something to help make sure that this

process works well. You know, one of the great things about the story of Esther, the subject

of adoption, is the reality that each one of us, every single person in this room, if

you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you too have been adopted. You've been adopted by

God the Father. Now think about that for just a moment. Think about what that means. Romans

Romans 8:15

chapter 8 verse 15 says, for you've not been given a slavery leading to fear again, but

you've received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out Abba Father.

Adoption is an illustration of really what happens to every one of us who come to faith

in Jesus Christ. Today I want you to think about something. I also want you to take a

little bit of a walk. It won't take you long. You won't have a whole lot more steps on your

step counter, but you will walk away far more educated about what adoption and the process

is all about. In our lobby today, in our commons area, we have set up at least six stations

and those six stations have representatives behind them for the different ministries that

are available for fostering and adopting parents. For example, there's MCWC, which we have for

where a young woman comes and gets counseling about her unplanned pregnancy. Often they come

to faith in Jesus and more often than that, they actually keep their child in the sense

of having the child instead of aborting the child. I think we've celebrated close to 40,000

kids that have been basically rescued and born because of MCWC. I celebrate that all

the time and I know you do as well. Amen. 40,000. A lot of kids. There's Embrace Grace represented

in our commons area. That's where moms come in who are at the point of decision and they

are discipled and lovingly led through the decision process and many of them end up keeping their

child or placing them for adoption. It's an incredible ministry. There are adoption agencies

out there. There are fostering agencies out there, but the important thing is that the

body of Christ become aware of how we can come alongside foster and adoptive parents, how we can come alongside

the kids that have such a huge need of seeing the compassion of God. No contribution

of time, talent and prayer is too small. Everyone can do something that first you have to know.

So do a favor for me. Walk through the commons, browse through, take just a few moments and

you'll walk away with a sense of how God is working in this whole picture of adoption.

I've got three invitations for you or more today. Number one, if you would like to talk

to someone about putting your faith in Jesus Christ, today our decision station is open.

I talked at the end of this message about what it meant to be adopted as sons and daughters

by God the Father. It means putting your faith and trust in Christ. We really want to talk

to you about that. Number two, I ask you if you're a guest to come to guest reception

room right outside the center exit doors and out into the hallway. Glass-den room there,

I'll be there to talk to you about the church and about ways you can connect. Thirdly, I

invite you to come back. Next week is a big mission Sunday week and fourthly, I invite

you to go through the commons area on your way out today. All right? Thank you so much

for being here today. Let's stand together as we close out in prayer. Father, I am so

grateful for the story of Esther. Grateful for the living illustration of adoption. Grateful

that you, Father, adopt us as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ. Grateful for people

who have already made this journey of physically adopting a son or a daughter into their home.

Father, I thank you for the ministries that serve to that end to help people know and

take steps to support this. Lord, today I pray for those 7,000 children that are yet

unadopted, yet not placed. And Father, I ask that you move in a powerful way to help that

take place. Help us as believers to live out the compassion that you've shown to us. We

ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you. Have a wonderful Lord's Day.