Grace Exceedingly Abundant!
I wanted them to sing their hearts out! That was my job as hymn director. Three thousand worshipers filled chairs and risers in the annual Campmeeting worship service. My turn at the podium came. The organist and pianist were ready. Would the Spirit use my introduction? It was time to see.
I hefted my pasteboard carton and strode to the mic lifting the box high. "These are our IRS records for last year," I said. "In here are bills for rocks, docks, stocks, clocks, Pox, and the White Sox. Now, imagine if they were all due right now at the same time! That would be some debt." I placed the carton on the stage floor where the crowd could see it.
"Now imagine every one of you had brought a box with all of your bills and they were all due right now, too. All those bill boxes would stack to the ceiling filling this stage."
Taking as big a breath as I could inhale, I tore into the rest of the introduction. "In that many boxes would be bills for dry cleaning, rent-due notices, office lease payments, bills for new shoes pews, mules, and screws, bills for things baked, staked, raked, and caked, tuition statements, library overdue fines, internet service provider bills, trash collection bills, receipts for your tithe, alumni association phonathon reminders, auto registration fees, lawn mower repair bills, bills for uniform service rental, car payments, electric power, mortgage payments, doctor's bills, IRS audit results and fines, insurance premium due statements, grocery bills, fuel bills, property taxes assessment, water bills, lawn care invoices, all the bills from all our families, all due at the very same time!
Now, we've got an immense expense beyond any individual's or our combined ability to pay, an enormous unpayable debt!!!" I paused, drooped my shoulders, and let my face fall into my most-depressed expression. "But Romans 5:20 says, 'Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound!' So, imagine this," I said, launching into a description of all the gymnasium doors swinging wide so forklifts loaded with pallet after pallet stacked full height with freshly printed one hundred dollar bills could drive inside. Load after load from Bureau of Engraving 18-wheelers imagined their way into the auditorium displacing people and covering all four full-size basketball courts!
Timothy's punchline had waited for just this moment so I let it fly! "And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant!" (1Timothy 1:14,NKJV) "Now for the last and best imagination," I said. "In your mind's eye see me step aside as Jesus leans into the microphone and says, 'All of you who will accept this grace can relax about your unpayable debts, for I have paid them, every one!'"
The accompanists followed my peppy tempo. I dropped my hands for the downbeat as the joyous congregation burst forth! And dust filtered from the rafters as 3,000 human voices merged with individuals from the angel host pumping out the strains!
"Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt, Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
"Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin!"
Isn't exceeding abundant grace wonderful?
Write me a note about how you feel about Him!
