Hey, church family. Let me start off this morning's message with a question. Do you believe you were made for this moment? Have you ever stopped to think? Why did God choose to place me right here right now. We're excited to gather on October 11th at our new location at CB live located in the heart of Desert Ridge. But I think we can all agree that this year 2020 has been pretty crazy for the church we haven't met in person for six months now. And now when we gather together again, it's in a new spot for our community. We're facing a global pandemic, financial stress, social unrest and a country who seems to be anxious about this year's election. Hey, and don't even get me started on how we're having to go through all of this for schooling our kiddos. But what if God has placed you exactly where you need to be with the exact resources you need to have in order to impact the people that God has specifically called you to reach church? What if God has made you for such a time as this flash back with me? 2500 years to an area known as Sousa, which was in the ruling country of Persia, located in modern day Iran, the king of Persia exerts was a little unhinged to say the least you see, he got rid of his queen and he was looking for a new one. So he decided to host a contest, a pageant. If you will to select his new queen, everyone was afraid to challenge any of his ideas or decisions. Because if you spoke up against the king of Persia, you could be put to death right there on the spot. The Jewish people in that day and age were found to be in captivity and in exile. What's interesting about the book of Esther is that in all of its 10 chapters, there's one character's name missing God. Where was God? While his people were in suffering? The name of God. Uniquely in this book of Esther is nowhere to be found throughout the book. Yet readers of the Old Testament gem will notice that God's handiwork is all over this story. So even when you don't see God, he is still at work, even when you don't feel his presence, he is still moving and he's still listening to you right now. It's a good reminder for you and I today that even if we don't see God or hear God, he's moving and he's here and he's with you and he's with me anyway, let's go back to our story. The Jewish people had one hope. A woman named Esther. Esther was selected by the king exes to be his new queen. However, the king's right hand man, Haman had just convinced the king to pass a decree that would ultimately eliminate the Jewish people from the existence on this planet because they didn't decide to worship King Xerxes as God Hayman hated the Jewish people in part because a man named Mordecai, who happened to be Esther's relative and legal guardian refused to bow down to him even though Mordecai had saved the day earlier from protecting um a revolt against the country. So Hayman in revenge against Mordecai decided that let's get rid of all the Jewish people. I know that's a crazy time to live in, right. So Esther who had kept her Jewish heritage a secret from the king up to this point was considering confronting the king and asking him to change his decree. But in doing so, she would be risking her life. Mordecai in helping her process. Her decision offers this thought that is found in the book of Esther chapter four verse 14. He says, 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 come not to this kingdom for such a time as this. Mordecai tells Esther if you choose not to go through with this plan God can find another way. However, what if God made you for such a time as this after prayer and processing this decision a little more Esther would eventually go through with the plan, throw a couple of banquets and, and during that, convince the king to save the Jewish people. And in doing so, they revealed Haman's evil plot exposed and, and foiled his plans. And ultimately, Haman would be executed in the way that he had planned for Mordecai to be killed. The Jewish people are saved and God used Esther at positioning her right at the right place at the right time there in front of the king to save all of the Jewish people such a time as this church. What if we were made for such a time as this? What if God has positioned Mission Grove in the heart of Desert Ridge and only our second year of existence in the middle of the marketplace here in the middle of a global endemic to reach this community with the good news of the gospel. What if God has placed you in your family or you in your business or in your specific neighborhood for the specific purpose of sharing the love of Jesus with the people around you. The early church had no building, they had no budget, they had no political power, no formal presence in the society and they didn't even have a formal book yet in the form of the new Testament because the letters were being written during the early existence of the movement called the Church together. And yet God chose to use these ordinary people to launch the movement known as the church that would shape world history as we know it. We stand here today proclaiming the gospel because of the faithfulness of just a few. There. In the first century. In Matthew chapter 16 verse 18, Jesus promised to build his church and he said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it with that promise in hand church. It is time for us to go on offense. Let's get out there and share the hope of the gospel with the world who is desperately seeking and who needs it now more than ever. Jesus also says in the gospel of Matthew chapter nine verse 37 he says to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. So let me ask you, will you join me in the harvest? The early church had four things that we still have access to today as Mission Grove, a local expression of God's church. They had number one, the message of Jesus. Number two, the power of the Holy Spirit. Number three, love for one another. And number four, the mission to make disciples. Those four truths are so amazing. I want to repeat those to you that here at Mission Grove, we have the message and hope of Jesus. We have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We have love for one another that produces unity and we have the mission to make disciples. So what are we waiting for? Will you join me on mission to help every man woman and child here in this north valley of Phoenix, Arizona to experience Jesus. You were made for such a time as this. You were made for this moment right now in the fall of 2020. As we prepare to regather on October 11th, several people have come up to me or emailed me or messaged me on social media and asked John, what can I do to help? Well, today, I wanna share with you four practical things that you can do right now. First, you can pray. Prayer isn't the only thing we do, but it's definitely the first thing we do. Prayer is a lot like taking the ball out of your hands and placing them into the hands of someone who can do so much more as we live here in Phoenix. And I'm a big sports fan. I want you to consider for just a moment what you can do with the football compared to Kyler Murray, the current quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals or consider what you can do with the basketball versus what Devin Booker can do. The all star, uh starting guard for the Phoenix Suns can do with the basketball. Now take that same idea, but apply it in a spiritual and an internal sense. Without God, we can do nothing as a church. But with God, nothing is impossible for our God who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we can ask, think or imagine or dream. All according to the power of the work within us. To God, be the glory in his church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Paul prayed that prayer 2000 years ago in Ephesians chapter three. And that's still ringing and echoing into our lives today. So church, I'm asking you to pray that God would bring revival right here in our community and that he would move in such a mighty way that only God can be explained of what happens through Mission Grove. Second, I want to ask you specifically and intentionally to give, you don't simply give to Mission Grove, rather you give through Mission Grove and together we can be for the community along with local projects like paying for the medical debt for 700 families in our community like we did this summer or giving to missions and and other causes that we've done over here in 2020 we are getting ready to launch a full scale digital ministry. And by moving into a new location, there are new supplies and there are new um safety protocols and uh pieces of equipment that we need to purchase. So if you already give, I want to say thank you. It's because of gifts like yours that we can be generous to our community and the people around us. But if you haven't given yet, I wanna encourage you to join the generosity by giving securely on our website today. Third, I'm asking you to serve with new ministries, launching a second Sunday service and all these new cleaning and safety protocols that we are putting in place to offer the best and safest experience for our community. We need more people now than ever to help us reach our community. If you are interested in serving, please fill out the connection card found on our website and I promise you someone from our team will contact you this week and we'll get you plugged in, in ways that you can make a difference in our church and in our community. Finally, I'm asking everyone to invite two families to come with them to our re gathering on October 11th. Now, hear me on this. If you are facing some medical issues or you don't feel ready to rejoin a public worship gathering. I want to encourage you to stay safe and to stay home. We're gonna be streaming our services online as well as offering other ways to connect with us digitally through the church. But if you're already going out in public on a regular basis, if you're sending your kids to school, making trips to Costco and maybe you've even returned back to work. I wanna encourage you to invite two people or two families to worship with you. On October 11th, we're going to practice social distancing and we're going to follow all CDC guidelines. But now is the time to reach people. COVID is not the only pandemic sweeping our nation. Right now. Many people are facing anxiety, depression, addictions or feelings of isolation. Some people are questioning the very purpose of their life when idols that they've grabbed hold to have come to the wayside because they haven't been able to work or get out or find their worth in the things of the world. What our world needs right now is not another program or I'd be as bold to say what a world needs right now is not the right candidate, but they need the person and the power of Jesus Christ. And you could be the one who brings someone to Jesus and it could start with a simple invitation to join you for worship at church at CB Live there on October 11th, invite a friend or family member or coworker come to service right there at CB Live and then take them out to lunch or brunch after service and connect with them on a deeper level. There. You have a church family. We've been made for such a time as this. We have the message of Jesus. We have the power of the Holy Spirit. We have love for one another that produces unity. And we've been given the mission to go and make disciples. Those four things haven't changed in 2000 years, we need your help to get ready for re gathering. And so I'm asking everyone to pray. I'm asking everyone to give, I'm asking everyone to serve and I'm asking everyone to invite. Will you join me in making a difference for God's eternal kingdom and recognize the fact that even in all the craziness of 2020 you've been made for a time such as this, God loves you. God is for you. I am for you. And together, let's be for our community. Will you join me on this mission? Will you join me in the harvest? Will you take a bold step like Esther did that ultimately saved a nation? Who knows? Maybe God is on the verge of revival right here in the valley and maybe just maybe it starts with a few ordinary people like you and like me who believe in the power of God. And we ask for Him to move. Let's pray dear heavenly Father. Thank you for using people like Esther who you positioned her in the right place at the right time to accomplish what you called her to do. And in that moment of doubt in that moment of wavering in her faith, you placed Mordecai in her life to encourage her to just ask the question, what if you were made for such a time as this God we know 2020 has been crazy. We know that there are many challenges ahead. But guy, we're just asking, we're just believing that. What if you made us? What if you made the person watching this online or listening to this on a podcast? What if you made that person to view this message in this exact moment to stir in their spirit, to jump on the mission of Mission Grove, to help every man woman and child experience. You Jesus. We have your message, we have your power, we have your love and now we have your mission God. So I ask our church family that as we rally together, that we will pray regularly specifically, often that we will give, that we will give and join the generosity, not to just give to mission growth, but to give through mission growth so that we can reach more people for you. God, I ask that people would step up and serve within their abilities and opportunities. And God lastly, for those who will be coming, I pray that they would invite two people or two families to join them at either the nine o'clock or the 1030 service as we launch a brand new series there on October 11th. And we celebrate our two year anniversary as a church. God. We wanna see you move like never before. So it's in your power. It's in your grace that we humbly come before you. We love you God. And we ask that you have the glory in your son's name. We pray. Amen.