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
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
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
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
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
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
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.