In Esther 9:11-19, Queen Esther asks King Ahasuerus for one more day to defeat the remaining enemies in Shushan—and there's a powerful lesson here for every Christian who's tired of fighting but hasn't finished their course. Sometimes when you think the battle's over, God whispers: "We're not quite done yet."

🗡️ This expository sermon was delivered at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Cookeville, TN on Sunday, December 11, 2025, at 6:00 pm. 🗡️

Pastor Fortunato delivers a compelling exposition showing why God sometimes asks us to go one more round, how to know when the fight is truly finished, and what it means to stand up and fight before you can sit down and rest. This isn't about fighting forever—it's about finishing what God started.

📖 KEY TRUTHS FROM ESTHER 9:11-19:

- Why "one more day" matters when you're close to victory

- The difference between standing to fight vs. sitting in false peace

- Biblical self-defense vs. Christian passivism (what Scripture really teaches)

- How to ask God for what you need to complete your course

- When it's finally time to celebrate and rest from your enemies

🎯 CORE MESSAGE:

"If you and I want rest from our enemies, we don't sit down and hope. We stand up and fight." God isn't asking us to fight forever—He's asking us to fight until we've finished our course. Don't quit prematurely just because you're tired. When victory finally comes, celebrate it together with your church family.

💬 POWERFUL QUOTES FROM THIS MESSAGE:

"Sometimes when we think that the battle's over, God's going to whisper. He's going to send a little note to you and he's going to say, 'We're not quite done yet.'"

"If you and I want rest from our enemies, we don't sit down and hope. We stand up and fight."

"God is not asking us to fight forever. God is asking us to fight until we've finished our course."

📜 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: Esther 9:11-19 (King James Bible)

"On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king. And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows..." (Esther 9:11-19, KJV)

✝️ THEOLOGICAL CONTEXT:

This sermon addresses the false teaching of Christian passivism—the idea that believers should never engage in spiritual warfare or biblical self-defense. Pastor Fortunato demonstrates from Esther's example that while New Testament Christians don't fight physically like Old Testament Israel, we are called to actively stand and fight spiritually with the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). We don't sit down and hope—we stand up and fight until our course is finished.

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