The Conspiracy Of Grace

TITLE: THE CONSPIRACY OF GRACE

SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 11:6

To the Angel of this House and to the Officers, Leaders, and Members of the Exalted Ministries, I am honored to share in this great occasion of your fifth year church anniversary. I don’t say this lightly as we are seeing Churches close every month in our Nation and Pastors leaving the ministry. So I celebrate with you as you continue to labor and do God’s Work.

I am also honored to have been asked to come and share in the pulpit. If we are not careful we will begin to isolate our ministries to fellowship only with those that bear our Denominational name. So I also applaud you in your commitment to simply show yourself friendly, I pray it catches on throughout our great City of Ardmore. Certainly our Denominations should not divide us we should enjoy and celebrate the Richness to the Gospel they offer.

Let’s go to the Word. I invite your attention to your Theme and Designated Scripture Text. I want to lift up as a Secondary thought to go along with your Theme – The Conspiracy of Grace. I believe this thought goes along with and will enhance your theme which suggest this Church is still here because this is the Year of God’s Grace, you are still here after Five Years because of God’s Grace. You suggest to us in your Theme there is a particular reason you are still here after Five Years and going strong. So, again I want to examine the thought The Conspiracy of Grace.

I am not really into conspiracies, but there seems to be a whole lot of them out there these days.

• There are those who believe we never did land on the Moon - It was all fabricated by our Government

• There are some who believe the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers was all planned by the Government to justify going to war

• Let’s not talk about the assassination of JFK – many believe it was all part of a Government conspiracy (along with several other political assassinations)

• Some say it was a Conspiracy and ELVIS PRESSLEY is still alive

• Others believe Princess Diana was murdered by the Royal family

• Still others are certain the Government is hiding evidence of UFO’s and other evidence of extra-terrestrial life

• And of course, there are numerous conspiracies about the Bible

• Some claim that Jesus really had a wife, Mary Magdalene, and children

• Christ myth theory, portrayed in the novel The Da Vinci Code

• If you want to believe a conspiracy theory, take your pick - There are plenty of them out there

The fact of the matter is, there is a major conspiracy going on all around the world. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have been conspiring since before time began to save the people of this world from being lost forever without hope or life with God. It is a conspiracy designed to break people free from the bondage of their sins and turn their hearts back to God!

• This conspiracy is so simple that the intellectuals often miss it

• It is so free that the wealthy often overlook it, seeing it as having little value

• But for those who are broken and beaten down by life

• They sometimes become victims of this conspiracy

• Victims of Grace!

• They get swallowed up by the mercy of God and find His forgiveness and peace

Some of them even find this conspiracy removes their need to escape life through Drugs - Alcohol - Sexual Addictions. There sure is a conspiracy. But our God is conspiring for us, not against us! The Theme this afternoon suggests to us you are still here because of Grace! This implies Grace is doing something for this Church and that’s why you are still here after Five Years.

• Most Church Plants fail within the first 18 months – but you are still Here

• Most Church Plants struggle to gain members – but you are still Here

• The Question must be asked and already answered in your theme – how are you still Here?

• I call it The Conspiracy of Grace

Let me see if I can help you go with me this afternoon.

--There was a certain poor man who spent many years saving money to realize his dream of going on a cruise. When he finally saved the required sum, he bought a ticket. Knowing he could not afford the extravagant food on board, he took what he could afford—crackers and peanut butter.

--After a few days of observing the other passengers eating luxurious meals, his peanut butter crackers became stale and tasteless. Desperately hungry, he begged a porter to allow him to work for food.