Faith Over Fear to Fulfill Your Purpose - Esther 4
Pastor Dan Walker, PhD, MDiv
Sermon Introduction
Our message is entitled “Faith Over Fear to Fulfill Your Purpose.”
This week, it would be good to remember the people of Los Angeles who continue to face the devastation of wildfires. These fires have burned thousands of acres, destroyed thousands of structures, and many have lost their lives.
More wildfires have broken out again this past week. In the face of this destruction, firefighters are risking their lives to save others. The flames are unpredictable due to the Santa Ana winds, and the danger and fear is real. Yet, these firefighters press on, driven by a sense of duty and purpose that outweighs their fear.
That situation reminds us of Esther’s story in the Bible.
In Esther 3 last week, we learned that the Persian government had announced an upcoming day when every Jew in Persia would be killed—men, women, and children. Esther was facing a life-threatening moment that required courage and faith.
Like those firefighters, Esther had a choice: she could let fear hold her back or step boldly into her God-given purpose.
The truth is that God calls each of us to live with that kind of bold faith.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
You and I have been created for a divine purpose, just like Esther. However, fulfilling that purpose requires us to confront fear, trust God, and take bold steps of faith.
2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV): "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
Fear may seem overwhelming, but God has given us the power to overcome fear through the power of the Holy Spirit. Faith and trust in God will defeat fear in our lives.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV): "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
As we put our trust in God, He will show us the path forward in life to fulfill His purpose for us.
Today, as we study Esther 4, we’re going to learn how to recognize God’s call and face our fears with faith. We will discover how to step boldly into the good works He has prepared for us.
As the firefighters confront physical flames, we are called to face the challenges in our lives with the courage that comes from trusting in God.
Recognize the Urgency of God’s Purpose
Esther 4:1 (ESV): "When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry."
Mordecai was Esther’s cousin, who raised her after her parents died. Mordecai began to fast, pray, and mourn when he learned of the royal decree to annihilate all the Jews. His response was public and filled with urgency. His bitter cry reflected a deep awareness of the stakes of the crisis.
Esther 4:2 (ESV): "He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth."
Mordecai’s urgent response was not hidden away. He went out into the midst of the city and right up to the entrance of the king’s gate. He showed his willingness to risk discomfort and draw attention to the seriousness of the situation.
Esther 4:3 (ESV): "And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes."
Mordecai’s response to the death decree was followed by Jewish believers across the entire Persian empire. They fasted, wept, and lamented, seeking God to intervene in the situation and save the lives of all the Jews, God’s people in Persia. Dressing in sackcloth and ashes was an ancient way to express grief and humility before God in serious circumstances. They recognized their need for God’s intervention in this desperate moment.
Even though the decree’s execution was still 11 months away, they recognized the urgency of God’s purpose.
Application
What is the urgency of our hour and time?
Every day around the world, about 180,000 people die, passing from this life into eternity. Upon death, their eternal destiny is sealed, the majority descending into the horrific flames of hell and the minority ascending into the joy of heaven.
And we are still here on earth alive to seek God’s kingdom first, to see the urgency of the lost people all around us.
Recognizing God’s urgent purposes often requires us to step out of complacency. You may feel prompted by the Holy Spirit to witness to a family member or friend who doesn’t know Jesus, or to invite a co-worker to church. God may also call you to pray with someone outside of church who is struggling.
God does call us to pray for the lost each and every day. Pray for your five friends or focus people. Take time to reflect on the spiritual needs of those around you. Is there someone in your life who needs encouragement, kindness, or the message of the Gospel?
Be willing to boldly take action, knowing the urgency of God’s call and purpose.
Face Fear with Faith
Esther 4:4 (ESV): "When Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them."
Esther wanted to help Mordecai, not knowing at this point what was going on. Despite the death decree being signed by the King, Esther had not been told. Mordecai refused the gift of clothes and continued in his mourning and prayer.
Esther 4:5–6 (ESV): "Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city..."
Esther then sent one of the king’s servants to contact Mordecai and find out why he was in distress and mourning.
Esther 4:7–8 (ESV): "And Mordecai told him all … Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree … for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther … and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people."
Mordecai learned from the king’s servant what was going on and was able to read a copy of the death decree. He sent a message back to Queen Esther, commanding her to speak to the king and ask him to stop the destruction of the Jewish people.
Esther 4:9–11 (ESV): "Hathach … told Esther what Mordecai had said. Then Esther … commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, '… if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter …. I have not been called … to the king these thirty days.'"
Esther then sent a message back to Mordecai explaining to him the difficulty of following his instructions. The Persian law was that if anyone came into the king’s presence without being called, they would be put to death unless the king held out his golden scepter.
Finally, Esther added that the king had not called for her in thirty days, not a good sign. Esther hesitated at following Mordecai’s instruction to plead before the king to save her people. She understood the law and realized that making the plea could very well cost her life.
Her response reminds us that fear often paralyzes us when obedience seems risky. Yet God calls us to trust His plan over our fear.
Application
Facing fear with faith means stepping forward in obedience even when it seems risky.
None of us here today is facing possible death in fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. Yet, fear and anxiety can stop us from following God’s prompting to fulfill our purpose.
For example, God may be prompting you to join a Life Group to grow spiritually or to volunteer in a ministry where you feel unqualified. It may also mean stepping out in faith to give financially to the church, even when your resources feel stretched.
Faith is not the absence of fear—faith is trusting God to work through you despite your fear.
Ask yourself this morning: What step of obedience have I been avoiding because of fear? Trust God to give you the strength to take your next step.
Step Boldly into God’s Purpose
Esther 4:12–13 (ESV): "And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, 'Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.'"
Mordecai pushed back against Esther’s fear of losing her life by approaching the king. He warned her that the temptation to do nothing, hoping to be exempt from the death decree as the Queen, would not work.
Esther 4:14 (ESV): "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
Mordecai told Esther that if she remained silent, God would raise up deliverance from somewhere else. However, Esther and her father’s family would perish if she didn’t fulfill her divine purpose.
Mordecai ended his encouragement with this famous line: “Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” He was helping Esther realize that she had come to her position of influence for just this time. This was her purpose in life, and God had orchestrated everything.
Esther 4:15–17 (ESV): "Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 'Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf … for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.' Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered."
Through Mordecai’s encouragement, Esther chose to step boldly forward. She asked Mordecai to organize all the Jews in Susa, the capital city, to fast and pray for her bold plan. She and the other young women she knew would also fast and pray for three days.
At the end of the time, Esther would go to the king—even though it was against the law—to present her plea. She faced her fear and said, “If I perish, I perish.” Mordecai then organized all the Jews in the city to fast and pray for Esther. She chose to step boldly into God’s purpose for her life, her destiny.
Application
Stepping boldly into God’s purpose often requires trusting Him with the outcome.
For example, God may be calling you to help someone in need, to show kindness to a stranger, or to start praying for someone outside your usual circle. It might also mean leading in a church ministry, inviting a friend to church, or taking a stand for your faith in the workplace.
These kinds of steps often come with risks, but bold faith moves forward. We must trust God that He has prepared us for such a time as this.
Conclusion
As we come to the end of today’s message, let’s revisit the picture of the firefighters in Los Angeles. Each time they step near to the blaze, they face overwhelming heat and danger. But they do so with a clear purpose: to save lives and fulfill their calling. They don’t know exactly how the fire will behave or if they’ll succeed. But they press on with courage because the stakes are too high to do otherwise.
Esther faced a similar choice. When she said, “If I perish, I perish,” she was not making a reckless decision. She was stepping into her God-given purpose with faith, knowing that the outcome ultimately rested in His hands. Her courage wasn’t based on her own ability or confidence. It was rooted in God’s power, sovereignty, and faithfulness.
The same God who called Esther and gave her the courage to fulfill her purpose is calling you today. The risks might not look as dramatic as facing wildfires or standing before a king, but the calling is just as significant.
God has placed you where you are “for such a time as this.” He’s calling you to take bold steps—to share the gospel with a friend, invite someone to church, show kindness to a stranger, or serve in a ministry.
These moments may feel risky and intimidating, but they are opportunities to fulfill the good works God has prepared for you. Those good works will be used by God to rescue people from hell and bring them to heaven.
So, as we go out this week, remember that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. Trust Him to guide your steps, and take action with the faith that He is with you. Like Esther, you were created for a purpose. And when faith overcomes fear, you’ll find the joy of walking in that purpose for His glory.
