Holy Conspiracy

HOLY CONSPIRACY

Esther 3:1-11, 4:15-17

Today I want to talk to you about “Holy Conspiracy.” Somebody told me that any serious inquiry begins with the dictionary. So I grab my Webster Dictionary and look up the word. Here is what I found.

Conspiracy - A plan or agreement formulated, especially in secret by two or more persons to commit an unlawful, harmful, treacherous (deceitful), or evil act aimed at achieving personal advantage.

In other words evil people are planning to hurt you for their benefit.

We have all kind of conspiracy today from controlling oil prices, to overthrowing a government.

Children usually think that their parents are conspiring to make their lives uncomfortable and unhappy. Mom and dad are working on the same goal Yes! You can’t wear that jeans, I am not paying the cell phone bill, you can’t have that sleep out with your friends, you must clean your room or no allowance, if you don’t finish your home work you can’t watch that TV show.

Most parents that I know want the best for their children. But that’s not how it is communicate and that’s not what the children get. They see a conspiracy. Their parents want rule their lives to look good in the public.

Children usually conspire against their parents – How many of you watch Parent Trap? It is full of conspiracy. Twin sister conspire to make the life of their intended step mother unpleasant as they were on a hunting trip. What the real parents thought was a conspiracy was a plan to bring them back together.

• Conspiracy in school – some kids are given special privileges while others are not.

• Conspiracy at the job – you know that people are getting ahead of you will less education and experience and you are just stuck there.

• Conspiracy at the hospital – you are waiting in line and those who come after you are going ahead of you because they know somebody.

• Conspiracy against you because you obey God and worship him. You use a waist belt instead of letting your oversize pants fall to your knees; you come to church and sing and pray instead of resorting to your bed room with your lap top watching porn. You carry a bible instead of a knife or gun or drugs in school. You fall to your knees and cry out to God in prayer when your husband or wife is unfaithful instead of hanging around with hookers at the bar. You change your diet, and ask the church to pray for you instead of commit suicide when they doctor told you that you have a hole in your heart, or you have to cut off parts of your body because of cancer, or amputate your leg because of diabetes or your kidneys are failing and you have to be on the donor’s list. You claim the promises of God when your house is heading for foreclosure and you lose your job and the conspirators are saying to you its because of your religious life. Or you lose a son and daughter in death and the conspirators are telling you have to see and obeah man or witch doctor to break the spell. There seems to be a whole ton of conspirators trying to destroy you and they seem have fun doing it.

• Conspiracy in the church – to keep your blessing from flowing and your talents from using.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE LIVING IN A CONSPIRACY.

I got some good advice from a good friend - “Learn the rules, obey the rules and stay out of trouble.” Good advice, isn’t it? It’s good for ordinary people. They live an ordinary life without hurting anyone or getting into trouble.

I learned the rules and obey the rules and stay out of trouble but sometimes I feel like there is a conspiracy against me as I drive around town.

Conspiracy, conspiracy all around the city! Makes me remember a huge conspiracy in the Bible in the book of Esther. A wicked prince named Haman decided to kill a Jew name Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow down and worship him. Haman got so mad that he decided not only to kill Mordecai all the Jews living in Persia. He was like a Hitler. He bribe dthe King of Persia Ahasuerus (Xerxes) with ten thousand talents of silver and got the king to sign into law that all the Jews were to be killed on a certain day. At the advice of his wife, Zeresh, he built a gallows to hang Mordecai. It was a conspiracy with his wife, his friends and even the king to destroy the Jews.

But there was a Jewish young lady named Hadasah or Esther. She was beautiful, and was the wife of the king. She was raised by her cousin Mordecai when her parents died and was obedient to him like a daughter to a father. When she heard the news of this conspiracy she he did not use her beauty to charm the king, she did not use her popularity to stir up the seven princes against Haman. She did not even tried to raise more money than Haman to pay the price Haman had set on the heads of every Jew.