Sermon Central
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"A Cold Dish Of Vengance."
Contributed by Kevin Smith on Nov 16, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: Encourage people that though they’ve been hurt and wounded by their enemies, it is more advantageous as the text implies, to let God get vengeance instead of taking matters in your own hands.
Transition & remarks
Reading of scripture/prayer/seat people.
I. Introduction:
-Present sermon title/theme.
We are living in a day and time where a great number in the body of Christ are seemingly finding themselves in situations where it appears as though the enemy, the adversary the devil himself even has overcome and defeated us through the use of other folk who have caused so much hurt, pain, and hell in our lives and walked all over us, dragging us through the mud, the muck, and the mire, draining us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, all the while seemingly moving on after the fact, living a great, lavish, and consequence free life. While in the process we are the ones stuck suffering going through, dealing with the anguish, pain, hurt, and heartache, while God is seemingly sitting back “chilling”, not giving a care in the world. And it can seem so coincidental sometimes that your enemy’s seemed to get away unscathed, and that God is apparently chilling, that if not careful you’ll almost start thinking that God and your enemies are in cahoots with one another. It seems as if ALL hell has broken loose in your life and God isn’t lifting a finger. (Elaborate on opening statement)
-Talk about how this can be dangerous b/c we feel as if God has not “sufficiently” or quickly enough gotten back at our enemies, so we begin to think of ways to get back at them ourselves.
-This also happens b/c we don’t draw close enough to God to be healed from our wounds.
-We become wounded animals, walking zombies as a result of all this. (elaborate)
-Talk about how this creates painful “Hurt and be hurt” cycles in our lives.
-How many times have you lost sleep, lying awake at night, trying to figure out ways to get back at those who hurt you? (We’ve all done it in reality.) (Elaborate)
-This text enlightens us to the fact that I don’t have to worry about losing another night of sleep, etc. thinking of ways to get back at my enemies, but I’m better off just holding my peace & letting God handle getting revenge on my enemies!
-Scripture support:
1.) Psalms 37:1: “Fret not thyself because of evil doers for like the grass they will soon wither away.”
2.) Levit. 17:18: “Vengeance is mine…”
3.) Psalms 37:7: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently, do not fret when men succeed in their evil sins and when they carry out their wicked ways.”
4.) Proverbs 26:27: “If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it, if he rolls a stone it will roll back on him.”
-So preacher what you’re trying to tell me is….?
-Transition into body (move #1)
II. Body: Three Reasons why it’s better To Let God Handle Your Enemy.
A.) When you let God handle your enemies, you “keep your hands clean.”
-Talk about Esther being the main one to orchestrate “getting back” at Haman, even though the one he directly conspired against was Moredaci. (Elaborate on how this happens in text)
-Moredacai didn’t have to “get his hands” dirty by putting himself into a situation where his actions could be questioned or consequence later.
-It’s almost like someone hiring a hit man.” (Elaborate)
-Talk about how this truth relates to people today. (Let God handle your light work!)
- (Move #2)
B.) When you let God handle your enemies, He will flip the script!!
-Describe what happens in text when King returns from running out into the garden in a blind fury, and how Haman interacts with Esther in the process.
-Haman thought He had Moredacai in his hands, but God turned it around!!!
-God has a funny way of flipping scripts & turning things around! (Elaborate)
-Talk about how this truth applies to the people today.
- (move #3)
C.) When you let God handle your enemies, they will cause their own demise.
-Talk about how Haman had the gallows built outside his house for Moredacai to be hung on, but the King ultimately had Haman hanged on the gallows himself!!
-If you let God handle your enemies, they will hang themselves!!
-Lion King Example.
-What happens when your focus is on hurting others rather than on God!
- (Move #4) Relate all this to the title of the sermon)
-“What the devil meant for evil…”
III. Preach the text (Celebration)
-Must go back to chapter 3 to understand totality of this text.
-King elevates Haman to office of Prime Minister, everyone but Moredacai bows down. (When you go against the crowd you can expect great oppos.)
-Haman becomes enraged, loses it, and goes to King Xerxes and has a decree made that allows the killing of not only Moredacai, but the Jews too!
-So angry he was willing to pay King off for the decree!
