Sam Taylor - Class 2: Zadok a Portrait of Faithfulness

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

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   Well, thanks, Brother Zach. And with that, I'll call forward Brother Sam to give his class entitled, Zadok, A Portrait of Faithfulness. Thank you, Sam.

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   Well, thank you very much, and a very good morning to you, my beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ and fellow young people. This weekend, I hope to consider the life of Zadok, the faithful priest. But to begin our consideration this morning and to recap the CYC that we had last night, I'd like for us to turn over to the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 5.

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   Because it's here in Matthew that we're going to read of the Beatitudes. And as we read the Beatitudes, I don't want you to think about them as just a random assortment of characteristics and a random assortment of blessings. Because these actually form a sequence, a progression in the characteristic of one who desires the kingdom of God.

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   Starting from verse 3 of Matthew chapter 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

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   Blessed are they that mourn. Now this characteristic, this development of characteristics, it can be summarized like this. The poor in spirit is to recognize the condition of your flesh. To mourn is to recognize that separation that we have from God because of our sinfulness. To be meek is allow God's word to teach us to learn and grow.

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   And then through that milk and the meat of the word of God, we develop an appetite for God's righteousness. And this is an appropriate place for us to start in the life of Zadok the priest. Because the name Zadok in Hebrew means righteousness. When considering the life of, when we consider the example of Melchizedek in Hebrews chapter 7.

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   We're told in Hebrews chapter 7 verse 2 that his name is first by interpretation. King of righteousness. And these beatitudes, they serve almost as a recap for what we considered last night by considering the failings of the house of Eli. Because to see the house of Eli was to recognize our own spiritual condition and how we're found wanting.

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   But rather than mourn our condition forever, to mourn where we stand compared to where we ought to be. We must allow God's word to teach us that we might be able to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And to do so this weekend, God willing, I hope that we can consider the life of Zadok or righteousness.

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   The priest. And so we must ask ourselves, why study Zadok? Well, the theme verse that we have for this weekend comes from 1 Samuel chapter 2, if you'll turn with me over there, please. Because here in 1 Samuel chapter 2 is this promise of a faithful priest. One who would stand completely opposed to the wickedness of Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.

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    Who despised the holy things of God. Because in 1 Samuel chapter 2, verse 35, we read this. This promise. Now, last night I alluded to this. This prophecy has both a short-term and a long-term fulfillment. And I say short-term in a relative sense because the fulfillment of it actually does occur well over 100 years after this happened.

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    And if you just want to keep your finger here, Mark, we're going to take a look very briefly at 1 Kings chapter 2. It's a passage that we'll look at in depth tomorrow morning for our Sunday school. But we need to have evidence that this is in fact Zadok we're talking about. And this isn't conjecture.

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    Because in 1 Kings chapter 2, tomorrow we'll look at the establishment of Solomon as David's heir, the son of David, who would establish a kingdom in peace. And the two verses we want to look at which represent the fulfillment of this prophecy first start up in verse 27. 1 Kings 2. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto Yahweh that he might fulfill the word of Yahweh which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

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    So in 1 Kings chapter 2 tomorrow, we'll examine how removing this priest was a fulfillment of the prophecy in 1 Samuel chapter 2. And if you go down a little bit to verse 35, we'll read, And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host. And Zadok, the priest, did the king put in the room or the office of Abiathar.

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    So in those two verses, we have the establishment of this prophecy. That the priest that was currently the occupant, the heir of Eli, would be removed from the priesthood for his faithlessness. And that Zadok, the priest, would be established in it for his faithfulness. And so what I hope to examine this weekend is that there are certain figures in Scripture which we associate with certain traits, with certain characteristics.

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    For example, we might think of Abraham and his faith. Perhaps we think of Phineas, and the first thing that we think about is zeal. And what I hope to show this weekend is that when we look at Zadok, to study Zadok is to study faithfulness. And the reason why faithfulness is so critical to our walk as disciples, as servants of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, is that faithfulness to God is the basis on which we will be rewarded when his son does return.

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    It won't be righteousness, because if we were judged on righteousness, who would stand before God? And it can't be dedication, because none of us has dedicated ourselves fully or resisted sins at a point of shedding blood. But it will be faithlessness, our constancy, our reliableness to the things of God that will be the basis on which we are rewarded.

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    Because it's that parable that the Lord Jesus Christ talks about with the parable of the talents. He gives them talents, and the servants act accordingly, and what does he tell them? Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things.

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    It's that faithfulness which serves as the basis on which God rewards us. And you don't need to turn back to 1 Samuel chapter 2, but something that I found particularly interesting is that in the Young's literal translation of 1 Samuel 2 verse 35, here's how it reads. And I have raised up for me a steadfast priest, as in my heart and in my soul he doth do.

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    And I have built for him a steadfast house. Because the words faithful and sure, which appear in the King James Version, they are actually the same Hebrew word. And the Young's literal translation marks that appropriately. And I have raised up for me a steadfast priest, and have built for him a steadfast house.

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    Because, brothers and sisters, if we show God our steadfastness towards him in our lives, he will show his steadfastness towards us, that he's already prepared for us. I have built for him. It's already been done.

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    In this preparedness, this steadfastness that God will show us, it will be exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. We can't begin to fathom the steadfastness that God has for us. But we first must show our steadfastness and our faithfulness towards him and his holiness. Faithfulness.

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    Now, faithfulness, when you look at Zadok, you don't see individual heroism. He's not going to take on a giant. He's not going to stand in a lion's den. There's going to be no bold speeches. In fact, Zadok doesn't have any words of his own that are quoted in the scripture. There are no Zadok quotes that you can copy and paste onto a picture of a sunset.

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    Faithfulness to God. It doesn't have to be loud. It doesn't have to be something that everybody sees. It's demonstrated quietly because God will remember your faithfulness towards him, even if it goes unnoticed by others. But we have to ask ourselves, where does faithfulness start? Well, in order to be faithful, you first have to make a commitment to be faithful.

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    It's a promise. And where is Zadok introduced to us in the record? Well, he's introduced to us in the reading that we had for us in 1 Chronicles 12 and chapter 4 and 1 Chronicles 11, at the coronation of David. So if you will, just turn with me over to 1 Chronicles 11, please.

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    In our studies this weekend, we're going to see that the lives of Zadok and the lives of David are intertwined. Everything we consider in the life of Zadok is going to be considered through the lens of King David. And really, it speaks to the character of both of these men, doesn't it? Because we see Zadok almost exclusively found with the man after God's own heart.

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    And we see David so closely associated with the priests. He loved God and he loved his law. So it only makes sense that he would be closely associated with those who serviced and performed the tabernacle in his holy things. And here in 1 Chronicles 11, verse 1, we see that all Israel is present here.

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    Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Now all Israel was here. Zadok was here. And what do they say? We are thy bone and thy flesh. Now where have we heard that before? Bone and flesh. It's the language of Eve being presented to Adam in the garden, isn't it?

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    If you turn with me over to Genesis chapter 2, keep your finger in 1 Chronicles 11. And if you hop over to Genesis chapter 2 real quick, we'll see this very quote.

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    In Genesis chapter 2, in verse 23, after Yahweh brings Eve unto Adam, in verse 23, And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. And you don't need to turn to the later instance of this particular phrase, bone and flesh, but Paul expounds on this in Ephesians chapter 5, and he says, This is a mystery, but I speak of Christ, and the ecclesia.

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    This phrase, bone and flesh, is language of marriage. It's language of marriage, born out of sacrifice. And you see that Israel, they don't claim that David is of Israel. All of Israel says that they are of him, that they owe their spiritual existence to him. Even as the bride of Christ, we owe our existence.

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    We are gathered here because the greater Adam, the second Adam, went into the deep sleep of death. Even as Adam was put into a deep sleep in the garden, and the rib was taken out of his side, and out formed Eve, so Christ also fell into the sleep of death, was stabbed in his side, and because of his sacrifice, the ecclesia was able to come forth from him.

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    So what is this occurrence? It's language born of marriage, of sacrifice, of commitment. Well, what this is, brothers and sisters, this instance of the coronation of David, it really is, in effect, a national baptism. And we've seen this a few times in Scripture. We don't need to turn there, but you might think of examples like Israel making the covenant through Moses, dedicating themselves as a kingdom of priests, though they would fail in this shortly.

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    We think of the national baptism through Joshua, crossing through the river Jordan that had been parted for them. And we might think of Acts chapter 1, where the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles that were waiting in the upper room.

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    This was a national baptism, and all Israel went to David to make him their king and to identify with him. And the question has to be raised, what better place will you raise up a faithful priest than at a baptism? And Paul tells us this in Ephesians chapter 2. Why don't you turn with me over there in Ephesians chapter 2.

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    It's a place we turn very often toward when we look at baptisms. We're going to look at verses 4 through 6 of Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2.

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    But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace you are saved, and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, even as God raised up a faithful priest through the waters of baptism by elevating your mind from the carnal to the spiritual, focusing on the things of God, being able to sit in the heavenly places with Christ in our thinking, we too can be raised up as faithful priests to minister unto God, to stand before him.

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    But what are the qualifications? What are the characteristics of those who would be raised up figuratively, who would identify with David, who would call themselves bone and flesh? Well, we'll turn to the reading that we had for us done this morning in 1 Chronicles chapter 12. If you just want to turn back there with me.

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    And we're going to take a look at verse 23. Because there's been a lot of buildup. Yesterday we looked at the house of Eli, which occurred well before the birth of Zadok. And now we're looking at the coronation of David. And it's here we're finally going to be introduced to Zadok. And the context we're introduced to here is in 1 Chronicles chapter 12 in verse 23.

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    And these are the numbers of the bands that were ready, armed for war, and came to David, to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him according to the word of Yahweh. And a little bit further down in verse 28, we see that Zadok, the young man, mighty of valor. That's where we first finally see him.

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    He's associated with those who are armed for war. And this is already a stark contrast from Eli, because when we met Eli in 1 Samuel chapter 1 yesterday, we saw that he was a priest who sat at the doorpost of the tabernacle. That was his legacy. We see him sitting, and he died falling off of his seat.

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    That's all God saw of him. But we see Zadok right away as ready for war. And now, this isn't necessarily physical warfare. that we're talking about.

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    We're going to hop to a couple of passages real quick. So let's take a look real quick over to Numbers 8, verse 24. Because here we're going to look at the roles in particular of the Levites. We're going to examine whether this is merely physical warfare or whether this symbolizes something greater. in Numbers 8, verse 24.

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    We read, this is it that belongeth unto the Levites. From twenty and five years old and upward, they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

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    And that phrase, to wait upon, in the Hebrew, that phrase is to war, the warfare. This is not necessarily a physical warfare, but to serve in the things of the tabernacle, to serve spiritually, to look forward to the greater things. It's spiritual warfare that the service of the Levites was ultimately to talk about.

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    And we think about what Phineas did when he stood up and he raised that javelin. Though he was engaging in physical warfare, he first had to engage in that spiritual warfare in his own mind before he could execute that judgment of Yahweh and thereby staying the plague.

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    And over in 2 Corinthians chapter 10, we have some commentary from the Apostle Paul to the Ecclesia at Corinth which tells us about spiritual warfare. Just turn with me over to 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and we're going to read from verses 3 through 5. Because here we see that warfare in Scripture is not necessarily the physical warfare.

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    but it pertains to the warfare that we must all engage in our minds. In 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verses 3 through 5, here's what the Apostle Paul has to say. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

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    Spiritual warfare, brothers and sisters. Spiritual warfare is the basis by which the eternal priesthood was granted to Phineas. Spear in hand. Whenever you look at Psalm 110, when it says that thou wilt be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, that priest is a warrior priest. The eternal priesthood is based in spiritual warfare.

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    We will not attain to that eternal priesthood if we are not engaging in the warfare of our minds because all throughout the New Testament the Apostle Paul says, ye are the temple of the living God. That tabernacle is our minds and it's there that we must engage in that spiritual warfare and thereby attain to that eternal priesthood.

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    We must prepare to engage in that warfare if we desire to make that commitment to our King and to participate in that marriage supper of the Lamb. And how do we engage in spiritual warfare? Well, 2 Corinthians tells us, doesn't it? We cast down imaginations, every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

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    All throughout the New Testament, all throughout the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, whenever he was faced with the challenging situation, whether it was a riddle by the Pharisees or whether it was his own temptation in the wilderness, he always prefaced every rebuttal with Scripture. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

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    When he was tempted to turn stones into bread, he said, man cannot live by bread alone, but every word which proceeds from the mouth of the Lord is through holding a sword of the word of Yahweh in our hands and standing guard with the tabernacle of our minds that we might be able to use that word of God to cast down every high thing which exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

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    That's spiritual warfare. And that's what the Levites had to do. That's what they were assigned and dedicated to do. And that's how Zadok was found, armed for war.

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    Now, back in 1 Chronicles chapter 12, we finally met Zadok, but he's not introduced to us as Zadok, the priest, is he? No, he's actually introduced to us as Zadok, a young man. Now, this does two things for us. It pinpoints an age for him and it also pinpoints a mental state.

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    Back in Numbers chapter 8, we read that the Levites were going to be 25 years old when they would wait upon the service of the tabernacle. It's likely, though not definitive, that Zadok was probably around 24, 25 years old, roughly. Either 24, 25, or 29, and 30, depending on the context of Numbers.

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    He was a young man. And youth didn't stop him from being a good example, did it? No, and what does Paul encourage Timothy? Let no man despise thy youth.

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    And Zadok is found as a young man who's able to encourage those around him. In that verse 28, we saw that he was with his father's house, 20 and 2 captains. He was preeminent among captains, among those who were already seasoned in spiritual warfare. His youth didn't stop him from being a good example.

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    Now, I want to ask you this. Do you remember not just the day, but the months following your baptism? Do you remember how your faith was on fire? Do you remember what it felt like to not only have God's word burn within you and light your life, but to give that energy to others?

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    Do you remember that? You can rekindle that again. To use fellowship and gatherings as a form of national baptism to renew that zeal and to let it charge you and to help give that energy to others. And we see here that this moment, this situation, it changed Zadok. Because here in 1 Chronicles chapter 12, he's introduced to us as Zadok, the young man.

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    But in every occurrence after this, he is Zadok, the priest. Zadok made his commitment here today when he made his allegiance with the king, with God's anointed, his Messiah.

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    And now, Zadok, he's mentioned also as being a mighty of valor. Now, that word valor is translated mostly valor throughout the Old Testament, but it also shows up as another way. It shows up as virtuous as well. And where do we remember hearing about something that's virtuous but with the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31, if you'll turn with me over there?

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    Because when we look at the virtuous woman, brothers and sisters, this isn't just a relationship checklist. This isn't just qualities for sisters to have.

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    Proverbs 31, pertaining to the virtuous woman, are principles of Christ's bride. To be part of a body that God can safely trust in. As it says in Proverbs 31, verse 11, the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. Why? Because the bride is faithful, reliable, trustworthy. And there's a few other passages within Proverbs 31 that remind us not just of Zadok, the priest, but of our own calling to be part of that greater bride that God is looking forward to assembling when his son does return.

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    In verse 27 of Proverbs 31, we read, she looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not the bread of idleness. This is not an idle bride. This is an active bride who's ready like the priest to stand daily and minister and offer living sacrifices unto God. And what about verse 30?

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    Favor is deceitful, beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth Yahweh, she shall be praised. External charisma in a fancy building, they mean nothing if the fear of Yahweh is not present in the ecclesia. those are principles of a faithful bride, brothers and sisters. And Zadok is called virtuous, exemplifying the principles of a faithful disciple, of a faithful servant, of one who will be part of the greater body of Christ.

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    And what is the third portion, the third section that we have to consider with Zadok the priest? that shows up a little bit further on in 1 Chronicles chapter 12 in verse 38. It's a threefold qualification of those who were to identify with David at his coronation, at his crowning. In 1 Chronicles 12 verse 38, here's what we have to read.

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    All these men of war that could keep rank came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel. And all the rest of Israel were of one heart to make David king. So we have three qualifications of those who were there to make David king. Men of war could keep rank and a perfect heart.

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    Now we've already considered the men of war, but let's take a look at this keeping rank. What does it mean to keep rank? Well, to keep rank is more like keeping your formation. To keep rank is to not break in formation when you're being assailed by the enemy.

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    And it's one thing. It's one thing to keep in formation when you're marching in a parade, when there's no struggles, when there's no temptation, when you're just there to make a show. There's no challenge with keeping rank there. Just as there's no challenge with keeping rank when things are going well for you spiritually.

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    But it's another thing entirely to keep that formation when you're being attacked, when you're in the midst of the battle, when you're being assailed by the lust of this world. It's an entirely different thing to keep formation. Because what does that require? That requires spiritual discipline. Dressing in nice clothes is easy. Going through the motions is easy.

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    You know what's hard? Controlling your tongue when people wrong you. You know what's hard? Not buckling under pressure to compromise integrity in favor of being social. That's what's hard. And it's not going to seem like difficult things either. It's going to be pleasing things. They're going to appeal to our inner desires. But it's in those moments where it's more critical than ever to keep our formation, to maintain that spiritual discipline that we have.

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    But in fact, take a look at an example where spiritual discipline was not maintained back in 1 Samuel chapter 4. We didn't get to look at it much yesterday, but 1 Samuel chapter 4 is in fact the very chapter where the curse of God comes upon Eli and his two sons where they would die in the same day.

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    And it's the same chapter where Eli, when his heart was broken over hearing about the ark being taken, that he fell off of his seat and broke his neck and died.

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    But in 1 Samuel chapter 4, listen, take a look at what this says here. We're going to look at verse 12 first. And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head. That word for army, that's not Sabaoth.

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    That is the same word that shows up as rank in 1 Chronicles chapter 12 in verse 38. What happened to this man of Benjamin who goes to tell Eli the news? He ran a man of Benjamin out of the army. This man broke rank. When the Philistines were battling against him, he couldn't maintain his spiritual discipline.

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    So he broke loose from the army. And in verse 16, the man said to Eli, I am he that came out of the army and I fled today out of the army. I broke rank. I broke rank. I didn't have the discipline to battle against sin. And what happened when the Philistines stood up against Israel that day?

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    Well, we're told in verse 10, the Philistines fought, Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent. They were all scattered. None of them could keep rank. None of them had spiritual discipline. And part of the reason why that was is that this was one of the last of the judges.

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    And the theme of the judges is that in those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did what was right in his own eyes. We cannot think to maintain that spiritual discipline if we don't first pledge our allegiance, our loyalty to the king.

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    And this root for rank, this root of the Hebrew word for rank, it's only found in one place in the entire Old Testament. So, let's go real quick over to Proverbs chapter 16 in verse 12. Proverbs chapter 16 verses 1 through 3.

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    And here's what the Proverbs had to say. Here's what Solomon had to say about this. Proverbs chapter 16 The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh. That word preparations, that Hebrew word is the root word and the only time it shows up in the Old Testament of that word rank, of that formation, because that rank, it indicates a spiritual disposition, a state of mind.

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    the preparations of heart and man and the answer of tongue is from Yahweh. All of the ways of man are clean in his own eyes, but Yahweh weights the spirits. And it's that same situation we just read about in 1 Samuel chapter 4, isn't it? That all of man's ways are clean in his own eyes, but when attacked by sinful nature, by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, in their own eyes they weren't able to hold up.

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    And so they all got scattered. But what's the remedy to this? In verse 3, commit thy works unto Yahweh and thy thoughts shall be established. If we commit to God, our disposition of mind will be established in Him. And through that we will maintain our composure even during a heated battle. that's keeping rank, brothers and sisters.

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    Maintaining our composure. Self-control. In Galatians 5, the root of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, it starts with love and it ends with self-control. It's the byproduct of all the things that God is looking for in His disciples. To deal with the temptations of the flesh, to use His Word to stay off every high thing which exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

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    and to use self-control to maintain your composure even when you're being assailed on every side. But what of this perfect heart? What of the perfect heart that we read about in 1 Chronicles chapter 12? Well, it's contrasted with something we read a little bit earlier in the chapter in 1 Chronicles 12 concerning the tribe of Zebulun.

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    Because of the tribe of Zebulun, it says in verse 33, they were expert in war with all instruments of war which could keep rank. They were not of double heart. So a perfect heart, one heart, is contrasted with a double heart. We cannot think to commit ourselves to our King if we are going to be double hearted or double minded.

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    What does it say in James? A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. And the Lord Jesus Christ has this much to say to us as well. If you would turn with me over to Luke chapter 9.

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    And we'll take a look at verse 62. Because all throughout chapter 9 of the Gospel of Luke, there were those who sought to follow Christ, but they had distractions in their way.

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    To bury their father, to bid farewell to those that are in her house. What does verse 62 say? No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. When we make that commitment, brothers and sisters, we can't think to look back on our old way of living, on what we were like back when we were young men.

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    But when we put our hands to the plow, we dedicate ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. And we must do so with a perfect heart, not with our heart looking towards the kingdom and another part of our heart looking towards the way of the flesh. It must be a perfect heart, one heart, one mind, looking forward towards the goal that we all have, the kingdom of God.

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    And so, brothers and sisters, faithfulness, God, it begins with a commitment. And without that commitment, we cannot hope to receive pleasant rewards at the return of Christ. There's a figurative baptism. God raised up our spiritual disposition, our state of mind, even as he raised up Zadok to become a faithful priest. We must prepare to engage in spiritual warfare, to always be vigilant.

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    we should recognize our capacity to be a great example, even at a young age, to understand our role as part of the faithful bride of Christ. And we must maintain our discipline, to not be double-minded when it comes to making a commitment to serving our king.

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    And even as all Israel identify with David three days, so we identify with our king, who was dead for three days and raised again to a life eternal. And we must gather together, brothers and sisters, to celebrate that coronation, that time that we all look forward to when the Lord Jesus Christ will establish his throne, even on Mount Zion.

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    And so to conclude this class, we'll take a look just really quickly at Hebrews chapter 10. And here we have our encouragement as we consider this commitment that we all have, that Zadok made.

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    For in this event, he was a young man. But from every point afterwards, he would be not just a young man anymore, but Zadok the priest. And so we must do this, even here and when we leave this place. Hebrews chapter 10, verses 24 and 25. For Christ is not entered... I'm sorry, that was chapter 9.

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    Chapter 10 actually tells us, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another. And so much more approaching as you see today. And so much more as you see today approaching. And how do we do that? We consider one another to provoke and to love and to good works.

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    So let's, brothers and sisters, in the time we have together this weekend, let's provoke each other to love and good works. Let's encourage each other to identify with our King. And in all the spiritual warfare that we engage in our minds, let us help to edify and encourage each other and to maintain our vigilance even as we await the coronation of our greater King, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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    Amen.