FORSAKING ALL OTHERS, JESUS, I WANT YOU

May 7, 2000 am
MF Blume

Esther 2:1-3  After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king: And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:

Esther 2:12  Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)

Esther 2:15  Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.



In a nutshell, the story of Esther begins with the King's wife, Vashti, behaving herself unseemly before all the kingdom, in complete disrespect for her husband. This reminds me of Israel rejecting Christ with no respect for Him as King, and Christ puts Israel away and turns to the rest of the world, and any Jews who might believe, for His Bride.

But notice that in the choosing of a virgin among all the virgins gathered, each is told to request what she would desire in order for her to be presentable to the king, that he might choose her.

But Esther is different. While all the others did what they felt they should do, Esther knew that if she would win the King's heart, she must do what the King would desire her to do. And we read that the King loved Esther above all the others. That reminds me of many denominations in the world. That is the reason they have a form of godliness, but do not have the power thereof. Actually the Bible does speak against it. It does not matter what we assume God wants. In a marriage ceremony, part of the vows we give to a couple are, "Forsaking all others, I pledge my troth (or, Love) to thee." People who try to get away with as much carnality and worldliness that they can, simply never fell in love with God. In Matthew 19, Jesus was challenged about the issue of marriage and divorce. Jesus responded by saying a married couple are ONE FLESH. Upon asking why Moses allowed divorce, the challengers heard Jesus respond that it was never God's intention for divorce to occur. Notice that the issue is being made one flesh with another of the opposite sex. Let me say that the modern day church accepts divorce far too readily. porneia {por-ni'-ah}
AV - fornication 26; 26
1) illicit sexual intercourse
1a) adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse
with animals etc.
1b) sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18
1c) sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11,12

So it covers any sexual sin.

Think of this. In God's eyes, the most casual sexual relationship that people can think of, that of sex with a harlot, may seem casual and completely without commitment in the eyes of the perpetrators, but in God's eyes it is not so casual. Secondly, notice that the same act that unites two people as one, is also the same act that impregnates the female to bear children. Imagine Eve bearing a child without having the relationship with Adam and Adam's love. God created us in such a way that the same act in which we come into physical union with someone is the act that brings reproduction. LOVE is NOTHING without commitment and responsibility. God created us so that the union of flesh also is accompanied by union of soul and spirit. Thank God that if you are a mother, but are single and made a grave mistake while in sin, its all under the blood now! Thank God that even the divorce you may have experienced while in sin, is under the blood now and no longer a part of you. (And if you sinned and divorced while a believer, yourself causing the divorce, God can forgive you, too.  It is not the unpardonable sin).

And with all of that in mind it is wonderful to see that after Jesus speaks about union in marriage, and being made one flesh, he then Speaks about children.

Matthew 19:13-15  Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
Keep in mind that the same experience that unites two as one flesh, impregnates the woman to bear children. With that in mind, we then read of the rich young ruler who sought eternal life by the means of good works. The union of flesh between a man and woman is like the union of a believer and God's Spirit. And the marriage to Christ not only unites us to the Lord, but is the means of reproducing!
Romans 7:4  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
What are the children we bear? Notice that children are a little bit like their fathers and a little bit like their mothers.


And hear this!!

You see these believers all the time. Spiritual adultery is when you are married to Christ in His death, and you live like the world afterwards. Forsaking all other, JESUS I WANT YOU! If you love Jesus, it is the natural thing to commit all to Him and put Him first. Jesus saw that the rich young ruler claimed to have kept the commandments, but Jesus told him that in order to be complete, or to go all the way, he must sell all his possessions and follow Jesus. In Paul's day, tribulation was so drastic, and Jerusalem was ready to be destroyed as Christ predicted, that Paul recommended men to remain single. When Jesus told the rich young ruler to do that, he walked away sorrowful. The man wanted God's blessing, but did not want God. JESUS is the one whom we must love! I have seen many believers PRETEND to have children from God. These people pretend they have a relationship with God, but their CHILDREN, so to speak, are sharp tongues and attitudes that condemn others. (Condemnation comes to those who reject the truth of Jesus, but that is after He gave them words of life, not condemnation, and they rejected it.)
John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The same experience of UNION TO JESUS will also produce children, or good works. Jesus repeated the key thought again to His disciples after the young ruler left.
Matthew 19:28-29  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
The whole point is to FOLLOW HIM. Forsaking all others, JESUS, I WANT YOU!


Somewhere down the road, someone is going to offend you.

When I was a child, my brother made me angry, and I did not want to look at him. Forsaking all others, JESUS I WANT YOU..

SERMONS