- Some fears: fear of failure (a leader’s failure is public), fear of mutiny, fear of criticsm (when Ortberg is following God’s call and challenging hardest, is when criticism is strongest)
- Greatest fear: Not pursuing God but pursuing some self-centered goal
- If we are not pursuing our godly mission, we will pursue our shadow mission
- One speaker said his shadow mission was “to watch TV, engage in a destructive sexual habit, while the world goes to Hell.”
- Book of Esther: Xerxes’ shadow mission is to make his kingdom about his power and greatness
- Vashti’s refusal to display herself as his beautiful possession is threatening his shadow mission
- One evidence that the shadow mission is succeeding is that your followers are more interested in your perception of reality than reality itself.
- Haman offers Xerxes a bribe equal to one year of tribute to exterminate the Jews. Xerxes says “ok, whatever.”: When a leader is seduced by his shadow mission he is not likely to challenge the shadow mission of another if it serves his purpose.
- When Mordecai tells Esther to intercede, she says that she is likely to be killed. Most friends would stop there, but Mordecai says “who knows but that you were called to royalty for such a time as this?”
- Esther does not do it by herself, using her beauty, skills, and excellence, though they are great. She fasts and prays.
- What is our shadow mission? Have we named it?
- It isn’t far off from our strengths, just 10 degress off—in the direction of Hell.
- What is your group’s shadow mission?
- Rome: to build an Empire
- Israel: exclusive club
- Ortberg’s church in Silicon Valley: “A successful church for successful people”
- Who is Mordecai in your life? Who will challenge you when you try to settle for your shadow mission?
- Esther uses excellent verbal skills and timing. In her request, she gets the King to pretty much agree before she even described what it was.
- Haman’s (and the U.S.’s) shadow mission is “More”
- One sign that you are on a shadow mission is deep soul dissatisfaction, because shadow missions cannot satisfy.
- Jesus’ shadow mission was to be a Savior without suffering
- Every temptation aimed at this, from the Devil’s temptations, to the jeers of the people passing by at the Cross: “he saved others, but he can’t save himself.”
- We need to speak the truth in love: Who knows but that you were put in this position for such a time as this?
- (Why was it that Mordecai, who saved the King, was the guardian of the most beautiful girl in the kingdom, who happened to be a Jew, who were about to be extinguished? God’s hand is clear)