If I Perish, I Perish — Liam Goligher’s 4th sermon on the book of Esther

Update: December, 2023, February, 2024, and October, 2025. Liam Goligher has been proven to have been living a double life. Evidence here: Liam Goligher turns out to be a wolf in shepherd’s clothing, Police ticket proving Liam Goligher’s illicit sexual activity. He was disciplined by the PCA in late 2024 and no longer has any standing in the PCA. He has returned to the UK and is posting Roman Catholic-type prayers at his personal Facebook account.

I am not going to be taking down any of my posts which feature Liam Goligher’s work. I never scrub posts from my blog. To scrub a post would result in all the comments made on the post being scrubbed also. I don’t want to to de-voice victims of abuse! I always try to prioritise the voices and viewpoints of victims-survivors. [End of update.]

Update (22 Sept 2016): “If I perish, I perish ” — is highly relevant to the case of Jessica Fore (Abuse Survivor) who has been Charged by her PCA Church with Contempt. Jessica is telling the world, and we think she is displaying the kind of courage and faith that Esther displayed. If need be, Jessica is prepared to appeal her case right up to the General Assembly of the PCA.

If I Perish, I Perish
Esther 4:1-17

Pastor Goligher unfolds three aspects of chapter four: the sense of dismay, of destiny, and of duty.

In this chapter Esther becomes the chief character in the story. She is no longer just acted upon, she is active. She takes the responsibility of her vocation as Queen very seriously. It was God’s providence that put her in the position of Queen, but she doesn’t see that as diminishing her personal responsibility to do good where she is able to.

Dr Goligher says —

The women in the King’s harem were there just to look good and say nothing and not engage their brains. By the way, that’s not million miles away from the way some people think in our culture, is it?

But Dr Goligher doesn’t admire Esther for her appearance and for keeping silent. He likes Esther for:

• using her brains,
• her leadership capacity,
• her desire to live righteously,
• her faith,
• her courage,
• her initiative,
• her resolve.

Haman is plotting to annihilate the people of God, but Mordecai gets wind of the plan and passes the info to Esther. This is a riveting story of espionage and how to be wise as serpents when the Devil is trying to destroy God’s people.

We hope you take comfort and strength from this sermon.

[November 2, 2025: Editors’ notes:

—For some comments made prior to November 2, 2025 that quoted from the post, the text in the comment that was quoted from the post might no longer be an exact match.
—For some comments made prior to November 2, 2025 that quoted from the post, the text in the comment that was quoted from the post might no longer be found in the post.
If you would like to compare the text in the comments made prior to November 2, 2025 that quoted from the post to the post as it is now (November 2, 2025), click here [Internet Archive link] for the most recent Internet Archive copy of the post.]

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Posts in this series

Part 1: Liam Goligher’s sermons on the book of Esther (pt 1)

Part 2: Beauty and the Beast — Liam Goligher’s 2nd sermon on the book of Esther

Part 3: Of Plots and Kings — Liam Goligher’s 3rd sermon on the book of Esther

Part 4: Is this post.

Part 5: Battle Plans — Liam Goligher’s 5th sermon on the book of Esther

Part 6: Sleepless in Susa — Liam Goligher’s 6th sermon on the book of Esther

Part 7: Mission Impossible — Liam Goligher’s 7th sermon on the book of Esther

Part 8: Binding the Strong Man — Dr Liam Goligher’s 8th sermon on the book of Esther.

Part 9: Holy War — Dr Liam Goligher’s 9th sermon on the book of Esther

Part 10: Celebrate: Come On! — Dr Liam Goligher’s final sermon on the book of Esther