What Is Enough To Secure A Place In The Kingdom?

For today we're in 2 Samuel chapter 1.

2 Samuel 1 · chapter mention

Our passage is only the first 16 verses.

! So verses 1 through 16.

! I read this and I invite you to receive it, trusting that it's God's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, sufficient word.

It's his very own word for you and me, his people.

2 Samuel 1.

Now it came to pass, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites,

and David had stayed two days in Ziklag,

on the third day, behold, it happened that a man came from Saul's camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.

So it was when he came to David that he fell to the ground and prostrated himself.

And David said to him, Where have you come from?

So he said to him, I have escaped from the camp of Israel.

Then David said to him, How did the matter go?

Please tell me.

And he answered, The people have fled from the battle.

Many of the people are fallen and dead.

And Saul and Jonathan, his sons, are dead also.

So David said to the young man who told him,

How do you know that Saul and Jonathan, his son, are dead?

Then the young man who told him said,

As I happened by chance to be on Mount Gilboa,

there was Saul leaning on his spear.

And indeed the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

Now when he looked behind me, he saw and called me, and I answered, Here I am.

Then he said to me, Who are you?

So I said to him, I am an Amalekite.

He said to me again, Please stand over me and kill me,

for anguish has come upon me, but my life still remains in me.

So I stood over him and killed him,

because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen.

So I took the crown that was on his head and the bracelet that was on his arm,

and have brought them here to my Lord.

Therefore David took hold of his own clothes and tore them,

and so did all the men who were with him.

And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul

and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord,

and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

Then David said to the young man who told him,

Where are you from?

And he answered, I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.

So David said to him, How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand

to destroy the Lord's anointed?

Then David called one of the young men and said,

Go near and execute him.

And he struck him so that he died.

So David said to him, Your blood is on your own head,

for your own mouth has testified against you,

saying, I have killed the Lord's anointed.

The word of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God. Please be seated.

Let's pray.

Oh Lord, we trust your promises about your word,

that your word is sharp.

It pierces through where no man can,

in the hand of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, we ask that your Holy Spirit will take your word,

even this ancient narrative,

and that your spirit will shine the light of Jesus Christ

on this ancient passage,

and apply it to our lives in a way, Lord,

that you intended when you gave this to your church.

We pray that you will help the preacher, Lord,

to proclaim truths that exalt you,

that are right, and that edify your body.

We pray for your church, Lord,

to receive you by faith,

to have discerning ears,

to be pulled deeper and deeper into your word.

And we thank you, Lord,

for how though we are so limited,

you are so powerful.

And we pray, Lord,

that you will minister in your powerful way,

despite our weaknesses,

that you'll do this for your glory in our lives,

we ask.

Amen.

Well, to survive in this world,

we have to find out what is enough.

What's enough study time to get an A for that teacher?

How fast do I have to run a mile in order to make a team?

How many times do I have to practice my lines

to be ready to perform them live on the stage?

For some of you,

it's how much do I have to go above and beyond

to get the bonus,

to get the five-star rating?

How much is enough?

And today's passage forces us to face the same question

as this young Amalekite.

He wants to secure a place in David's rising kingdom.

David has been anointed by God.

The word anointed is Messiah.

The word Christ is anointed.

So David is a shadow for us of the coming kingdom.

And there's no question more important

for you and me today than that as well.

What is enough to secure a place in the kingdom?

I think we can learn from this non-example

four things that are not enough.

And then with God's help to answer from Scripture

what is enough.

So number one,

is it enough to secure a place in God's kingdom

knowing who the true king is?

I want to argue that it's not enough

to simply know who the true king is.

Look at verse one.

It came to pass after the death of Saul

when David had returned from the slaughter

of which group?

Which people?

The Amalekites.

Remember the Amalekites,

the predatory parasites

that sneak in and prey on the weak?

The ones who burned down Ziklag

and carried off all the women and children?

That's who David just went out

and with God's power they slayed them.

Now 400 of them,

I think it was,

they fled off on camels.

And David had come back now

having rescued the women and children,

they're back in the ashes of their town.

He stayed there two days,

smelling that smell,

the fire that these Amalekites

had set to their city.

But at least it's with his family,

with their wives, their children.

They get to see one another again.

Verse two says,

on the third day,

behold it happened

that a man came from Saul's camp.

The narrator unfolds

small but important details gradually.

That's all we get for now.

You can see almost the silhouette

walking towards them of a man.

And it's from the direction of

where this battle took place.

And as he gets closer,

they can see his clothing,

their torn clothes.

And there's dust on his head.

This is what you would do

if you're grieving and mourning publicly.

You want people to know right away,

I'm a person that's hurt and injured emotionally.

Give me space.

And ask me what's going on.

Outwardly,

this man appears to be

emotionally distraught,

undone.

And so it was,

when this man now gets very close

and he came to David,

he falls to the ground

and prostrates himself

before David,

the man anointed to be the king

under the Lord

over his people.

Well, this initial impression

we get of this man

is one who outwardly appears

to be on the side of Israel.

Outwardly, he appears to be humble,

meek,

and one who belongs

to the kingdom of heaven

coming to earth

in this shadowy form in Israel.

And let's just pause right here

because

it's hard to interpret

these Old Testament passages correctly

and the science of

correctly interpreting God's word

is called hermeneutics.

And then when we go to apply God's word,

we often get it wrong as well.

So here's a very simple rule

we need to remember

on difficult passages like this.

We are always

the worst person

in any narrative.

That's us.

Let's just start with that.

And then the next part is

what does this reveal about God?

So right away,

let's recognize

that this Amalekite,

this man approaching David,

prostrating before David,

this is who we need

to identify with.

Some of us have known

the emptiness

of this type of worship.

Maybe some today who

this is the only type

of knowledge of God

that you have.

Let me put on

an outward show

of reverence to him

and maybe he'll remember

me when he comes

in glory and power

one day.

Brothers and sisters,

for you and me,

that's been part

of our testimony.

Is that enough

to know who the true king is

and put on an outward show

of religion?

It's not enough,

is it?

in Matthew 8,

29,

the demons

recognize the son of God

walking the earth

and they say to him,

what have you to do

with us,

son of God?

Have you come here

to torment us

before the time?

The demons knew

who the true king is.

It's Jesus Christ.

Christ.

And that's not enough

to have a place

in his kingdom.

Not only is

that superficial worship

and knowledge of God

insufficient,

but also doing

what we guess

the true king

wants done

is also not enough.

Doing what we guess

the true king

wants done

is also not enough

to secure a place

in his kingdom.

That's what the Amalekite

tries next.

Look at verse 3.

David said to him,

where do you come from?

So he said to him,

I have escaped

from the camp of Israel.

Well, the immediate thought

that David has here

is I want to hear

the report

because again,

he's been off

fighting a different battle,

saving back his women,

the women and children

from Ziklag.

And he's been wondering

now for two days,

is the battle over?

How did it go?

And this is the first report

he gets.

So it's what's on David's mind

in verse 4.

David said to him,

how did the matter go?

Please tell me.

And he answered,

the people have fled

from the battle.

All of Israel retreated.

They ran away.

Many of the people

have fallen dead,

including Saul

and Jonathan,

his son.

They're also dead.

We can put ourselves

there with David.

This is his beloved friend,

his brother in the battle,

the one who had recognized

David as the one

that God has anointed

and chosen.

I would love to have

a place in this kingdom.

And he hears these words

that Jonathan and Saul

are both dead.

What's on David's mind

in verse 5?

David said to the young man

who told him,

how do you know

that Saul and Jonathan,

his son,

are dead?

Isn't that one of the

early stages of grief?

It's shock and denial.

I just got to know

if this is going to even

sink in.

Are you an eyewitness?

Do I need to accept

this hard truth from you?

Verse 6,

then the young man

who told him said,

as I happened by chance,

it already makes you wonder

if that's a stretch.

That's what this

Amalekite's claiming.

As I happened by chance

to be on Mount Gilboa,

there was Saul

leaning on his spear.

Well, you can look back

to the last chapter

of 1 Samuel,

1 Samuel 31 · chapter mention

chapter 31,

verse 4b,

says that Saul

leaned on his sword,

not his spear.

Now, we know more

than David knows.

We've heard

the narrator's account.

David hasn't.

But we're already

even more suspicious.

If at first

it was profiling him

for just being

an Amalekite,

maybe that was wrong,

but now we're suspicious

of his report.

And then what he says next,

indeed the chariots

and horsemen

followed hard

after Saul.

Well, chapter 31,

verse 3,

says it was the archers

who got Saul.

Three times in one verse,

the archers,

the archers,

the archers,

not the chariots.

Verse 7,

now when he looked

behind him,

he saw me

and called,

and I answered,

here I am.

This Amalekite's

positioning himself

as a servant

to the king of Israel.

Here I am.

In Hebrew,

it's a heavy word.

It's the same response

of Abraham to God.

Here I am, God.

I'm your servant.

It's the response

of Moses

at the burning bush

to God.

Here I am, God.

And Isaiah

in the throne room,

here I am.

It signifies

total availability

and submission

to the greater king.

And this Amalekite's

portraying himself

as faithful,

obedient servant

of the king of Israel.

And he's trying

to say that

anything I did

was just out of

my duty now

to the one

who I've said

is my king.

In verse 8,

he said to me,

who are you?

So I answered him,

I am an Amalekite.

He said to me again,

please stand over me

and kill me

for anguish

has come upon me

but my life

still remains.

The word anguish,

Shabbat,

it's rare

and difficult

to translate this.

Some scholars

suggest it refers

to a seizure,

like a spasm

of all the muscles.

Perhaps implying

that Saul's armor,

there's the armor

of Saul

making another appearance,

had become a trap

for him

and he's suffocating.

Maybe he was paralyzed

by the terror

of the moment.

The Amalekite

uses this specific

medical sounding term

and it adds detail

to the story

and maybe this part

is true

that he did seesaw

there.

By the way,

he walked away

with the bracelet

and the crown.

He did get those somehow.

So maybe those details

are accurate.

Verse 10,

so I stood over him

and killed him

because I was sure

he could not live

after he had fallen.

So the Amalekite's claiming

I did the right thing.

I took the old man

out of his misery.

He was in anguish

and I just was doing

a gracious thing.

I was mercifully letting him

die in peace,

end his suffering.

But he's saying

that I'm the one

who killed Saul

and now we know

he's bearing false witness.

He's lying.

Chapter 31,

verse 4b says

that Saul killed himself.

The Amalekite

is most likely

trying to take credit

for something he thought

the true king,

David,

would want to have done.

He's guessing

at what the new king

wanted to happen

and telling this report

to promote himself

in the eyes

of the rising king.

But doing what we guess

the true king wants

done

is not enough

to secure a place

in his kingdom.

How many of us

have approached God

that way?

I don't know

what God wants

but I think God wants me

to do this or that

and so I'm going to

do these things

and my intention is

to get some points

in God's eyes

and be able to present

this back to God.

Look what I have done

for you, Lord.

And our Lord Jesus

warned about that

in the New Testament.

He doesn't want

our sacrifices.

He wants us

to obey him.

And what he's called us

to do is very simple.

Believe in me.

Follow me.

I will be the king

of your life.

I will be your good shepherd.

Abide in me.

That's what he calls us to.

Our flesh,

we want to go around

doing what we guess

he wants us to do.

Adding on

what we think

are good works

in order to secure

a place in his kingdom.

And that's not enough.

Number three,

giving what we think

the king wants

to receive

is also not enough

to secure a place

in his kingdom.

Giving what we think

the king wants

to receive

is not enough

to secure a place

in his kingdom.

Look at verse 10.

The Amalekite continues,

I took the crown

that was on his head

and the bracelet

that was on his arm

and I have brought them here

to the Lord,

to David.

I could have sold these,

I could have bartered them away.

It's a lot of gold

and silver in my hands.

My clothes are torn

and I'm bringing them

to you, David.

But it's a transaction.

It's bartering.

These are very valuable.

But what's even more valuable

is a high place,

a standing secured for me

in the kingdom

of this new king.

The Amalekites saw

a power vacuum

over the Israelites

who David had just

defeated the Amalekites.

And by bringing the crown

and the bracelet to David,

he was essentially

crowning David himself.

Likely hoping for

a high-ranking position

or some kind of

massive financial reward

for delivering the news

and the emblems

of the power

David would soon hold.

In verse 11 we read,

Therefore David

took hold of his own clothes

and tore them.

And so did all the men

who were with him.

And they mourned

and wept

and fasted

until evening

for Saul

and for Jonathan his son,

for the people of the Lord

and for the house of Israel

because they had fallen

on the sword.

It shows you David's heart

one more time.

It's not for the crown.

It's not for what

this world could offer.

His heart is for

the Lord's anointed

and his son

and the people of God.

The whole house of Israel

for his brothers in battle

who were all

slain by the sword.

Many of these

would have been

those same 3,000

skilled soldiers

who had been chasing

David and his men

around in the wilderness

all these years.

These Benjamites

who they could have viewed

as their enemy.

And this is

tearing David up

in his heart.

Instead of celebrating

the death of his rival,

his reaction was one

of genuine sorrow.

And as goes the king,

so goes his kingdom.

All his people,

his men with him,

share his heart

for the Lord's people.

Verse 13,

Then David said

to the young man

who told him,

Where are you from?

And he answered,

I am the son

of a stranger,

an Amalekite.

This is the same

question and answer

that Saul used

with this young man.

Who are you?

Where are you from?

I'm an Amalekite.

And now,

the new king

asked that same question

and answer.

So Saul's interaction

with the Amalekite

is set up

as a contrast

with David's interaction

with the Amalekite.

The downfalling king

and the uprising king

set in contrast

one to the other.

Saul represents

the way of the world,

a king like

all the other nations.

And David represents

the kingdom of God.

In verse 14,

David said to him,

How was it

you were not afraid

to stretch forth

your hand

and destroy

the Lord's Messiah?

That's the word he uses.

You have attacked

the one that God anointed.

This is not just

a crime against man.

It's an assault

upon God himself.

Here the Amalekite came

bringing to the king

what he thought

the king would want

to receive as a gift.

The crown.

The thing that David's

been very patiently

waiting for

in God's timing.

Here it is

in your hands.

And instead,

David's heart

has been reserved

by the spirit

for God's timing.

For God's way

of doing it.

Giving the king

what we think

he wants

is not enough.

we can fall

into that same

temptation

of the Middle Ages.

I'm going to

drop some coins

into the offering box

and God will use

that to overlook

a portion of my sins.

Or I'm going to

sacrifice and give

in all these other ways.

But yet,

my heart isn't

the Lord's.

My heart's not

for his people,

for his coming kingdom,

what he's made

very clear.

We need to repent

of that

and instead of

trying to bring

a gift

we think the Lord

may want from me,

we need to give him

ourselves.

We need to surrender

our whole lives

to the Lord.

That's what he's after

with God's people

all along.

It's our heart.

Well,

the fourth observation

is the last one.

It's still no solution.

But to sum it all up,

it's this.

There is nothing

we can do

or bring

or know

to secure a place

for ourselves

in the kingdom

that is coming.

There's nothing

we can know,

do,

or bring

that will ever

be enough.

Verse 15 says,

Then David called

one of the young men

and said to him,

Go near

and execute him.

And he struck him

so that he died.

In a military

or royal context,

this term,

young man,

that's been used

of the Amalekite,

it refers to

a servant

or an armor bearer

close to someone

important.

And that's how

the Amalekite

had portrayed himself.

I'm Saul's helper.

I'm this young man

associated with

Israel and Saul.

The irony is that

David uses

his own young man,

his own armor bearer

to execute

this man

who bore

a false witness

and who killed

the Lord's anointed.

It creates

a measure

for measure

parallel.

This servant

is now killed

for being an assassin.

In verse 9,

the Amalekite claims

that Saul had said

that he was in

anguish

and pain.

And in verse 16,

David said to him,

Your blood

is on your own head

for your own mouth.

You testified

against you saying,

I have killed

the Lord's

anointed.

Saul's not

letting him

off the hook

even if his

story was true.

Even if King Saul

had asked you

to do that,

your blood,

his blood

is on your hands.

You're guilty.

David's acting

as a king.

The king

in a monarchy

judges.

He makes decisions.

He rules

in hard cases

like King Solomon

had to judge,

be the supreme court.

And David

has now declared

this man guilty.

He says,

Your mouth

has answered

against you.

You have said

I killed

the king.

We know more

than David.

We also know

that this man

is bearing

false witness.

He's lying.

Someone commented,

Anytime that the

witness of an

Amalekite disagrees

with the witness

of the narrative,

never listen

to the Amalekite.

The narrator

is inspired

by the Holy Spirit.

Of course,

the cynics

and critics

will point to this.

Oh, see,

the Bible

contradicts itself.

The Bible

has even errors,

some have said.

No,

the Amalekite

bore false witness

and under Torah law,

a malicious witness

who seeks

the death

of another

through lies

deserves

the same punishment.

So the irony,

even though David

didn't know

as much as we know,

is that he had lied

about killing Saul

to get this reward

and that lie

was now the legal

basis furthermore

for his execution.

Luke 18,

14,

Jesus said,

all those

who exalt themselves

will be humbled

and those

who humble themselves

will be exalted.

Saul had exalted

himself over

and over

and over again

and he has been

brought low.

And in the kingdom

of God,

this pattern

will stop.

the first person

trying to creep

into David's kingdom

is an Amalekite

trying to pretend

like he's not

an enemy

of God's kingdom

and God's people,

trying to exalt himself

and he ends

with execution.

This will not happen

in the kingdom

of God's anointed

where the Lord

truly rules

over his people.

It's those

who humble themselves

low before

the anointed one

of God

who kiss the son

lest he be angry

and you will perish.

Those are the ones

he is pleased

to exalt.

There is nothing

we can do

or know

or bring

that will ever

be enough.

Think of

what other stories

this reminds you of.

Probably a lot.

God's word

is so rich

and there are really

only so many themes

in all of scripture

but they're rich

and beautiful

and they all work together.

The Amalekite

wanted to trade

these pieces

of gold and silver

for a place

in the kingdom

of God

under David.

He was self-promoting,

manipulating,

leveraging

to get a reward

for himself.

The Amalekite

viewed the death

of the Lord's anointed

as an opportunity

for gain

in this life.

He was like

a shadow of Judas.

Aren't you picturing him?

Both men

viewed the Messiah

as a commodity

to be traded

for personal advancement

and financial gain.

They saw

the true king

but they completely

missed out

on his kingdom.

Brothers and sisters,

my last question

for us today,

we've come to the end

of our passage

but I've only given you

depressing news so far.

Here's the last question.

What is enough

to have a place

in the Lord's kingdom?

What is enough

to have a place

with King Jesus?

David,

the man after God's heart

which is better

translated this way,

the man

upon whom God

had set

his divine heart

elected by God

not because

he deserved anything

but because

God chose

to show David grace.

He refused

the crown

this way

because the Holy Spirit

caused him to.

He would

receive the crown

from God alone

in God's timeline

and in God's way.

To David,

the crown

wasn't something

to be snatched

for himself.

The Lord

had already taught him

this lesson

several times

to wait

upon the Lord.

David has been

anointed

but his whole life

so far

has been misery,

suffering,

wilderness.

He's in exile.

He's a sojourner.

A man without a home.

The home he temporarily

had just got burnt

to ashes.

But he has received

from the Lord

a promise.

And all things

have not yet

been put under

his feet.

And he's trusting

by faith

that God

will be true

to his promise.

And God

will do

what he said.

You see how

David foreshadows

the great king,

the great anointed one.

Think of Matthew 4,

9 and 10.

Jesus says,

all these things

I will give you.

I'm sorry.

In Matthew 4,

the enemy tempts Jesus.

Satan says to Jesus,

I will give you

all these things.

I will give you

the kingdoms

of this whole world,

Jesus.

But you must fall down

and worship me.

And our Lord Jesus

quotes back to the enemy.

You shall worship

the Lord your God.

Jesus is the king

ruled by God's word,

ruled by God's law,

fearing God alone.

Luke 9, 58.

The son of man,

Jesus Christ,

has nowhere to lay

his head.

He traveled this earth

like David,

like an exile.

A man that was poor.

No one recognized

him as the true king.

Philippians 2, 8 and 9.

Jesus Christ humbled himself

and became obedient

to the point of death.

He is the one

who reversed

the pattern

that Saul could never keep.

Instead of exalting himself,

Jesus made himself

as low as could possibly be

and then much lower still

and cursed.

And therefore,

because of his obedience,

his act of obedience

to the Father,

God has highly

exalted him.

In Hebrews 2, 8,

God has put all things

in subjection

under the feet

of King Jesus.

Already spiritually,

he rules.

And one day,

he will rule physically

and consummately.

His kingdom

will cover the earth.

We do not yet see

all things put under

his feet,

Hebrews tells us,

but we know

he is the king.

Luke 18,

as we read earlier,

Jesus is teaching

those who came

into the house of God

a place that's meant

to be a house of prayer.

And he said,

a Pharisee stood

and prayed

with himself,

God, I thank you

I'm not like

other men sinners.

A man trying

to manipulate God,

trying to self-promote

within the kingdom of God,

just like the Amalekite.

And telling God,

here's a list of reasons

why you should

show me your favor.

And Jesus said,

there is another man

standing far off

who would not so much

raise his eyes

to heaven,

but he pounded his chest

saying,

God,

be merciful to me,

a sinner.

I tell you,

Jesus said,

to all those listening

then and now,

this man

went down to his house

justified,

the one that said,

have mercy on me,

Lord,

the one that bowed low

before God,

that humbled himself

before the true king.

The other man

did not go home

forgiven or justified.

For everyone

who exalts himself

will be humbled

and he who humbles himself

will be exalted.

The Samalekite

tried to get

the anointed king

to remember him

based on what he brought

and what he had claimed

to do.

He tried to secure

a place in the kingdom

of God

based on his own

merits.

Lord Jesus,

remember

me

who did all of this

for you.

Brethren and sister,

if that's your prayer

or your attitude

toward the Lord,

there is no place.

We need to humble ourselves,

put all those things aside.

It's the sinner

just like the thief

on the cross

who had nothing

to bring,

nothing to offer

the true king.

I think the reason

we're so encouraged

by the criminal

on the cross

is because

his faith

in that moment

as he's dying,

it's what we all

cry out

and we do have

some things

we can look to

in our lives

and that man

in that moment

had nothing

and he cried out,

Lord,

remember me

when you come

into your kingdom.

That's the same prayer

that the Amalekites

asking David

in other words

and that's our prayer

in this life

and as we think

about the life

to come,

Lord,

will you remember me

when you come

in your kingdom?

Is there more I can do

to have that place

secured with you?

But be encouraged,

brothers and sisters.

Like,

this is Jesus'

own words,

the sinner

who said,

beating his chest,

have mercy,

I'm a sinner.

That's all I have

to bring to you.

Or the criminal

on the cross.

There's nothing,

no basis

for Christ

to remember him.

When Christ

is going to remember

that criminal,

all he'll be able

to think of is

there's nothing

he did good,

he was found guilty

of crimes

deserving a torturous

!

death on the cross.

What can that man

point to

to be remembered for?

Based on what?

And you know

what our Lord Jesus

said to that man

and he says this

to you and me,

today,

you will be with me

in paradise.

I will remember

you in my kingdom.

Not because you

have brought me

anything of your

own merit,

but because I

purchased you

with my very

own blood.

It's based on

faith that Jesus

Christ welcomes

sinners like you

and me into

his kingdom.

It's based on us

simply trusting

he is who

he says he is.

And we are saved

on the basis

of what he

has promised.

That God

is gracious

and merciful,

abounding

in steadfast

love

and faithfulness

to sinners

like you

and me.

Do you receive

that promise

again today?

Do you trust

this?

Then you can

pray with confidence

knowing the answer,

Lord,

remember me

when you come

into your kingdom

and you know

your place

is secure

with Christ.

Let's pray

and thank

our great Lord.

Lord,

Lord,

we confess

our faith

is weak,

but we confess

in the same breath

that our Savior

is great.

Lord,

oh Lord,

it's our flesh

in us

that always

makes us think

we need to do

more to please you,

more to make

ourselves saved,

secure in you

forever.

Help us to receive

again today

the simple,

glorious gospel

truth

that God

so loved us

that he sent

his only

begotten son,

Jesus Christ,

to save sinners

like us

that whosoever

will believe

what he has

promised

shall have

eternal

life.

Help us to know

this today,

Lord.

Be stirred up

to love you more

because you first

loved us

and gave your son

for us.

May you be glorified,

Father,

in this church.

Amen.