“Divine Deliverance for Doxology (Acts 23:12-25:12)” | 8/21/22
Acts 23:12-25:12 | 8/21/22 | Will DuVal
Be honest: how many of you, when you hear the word “Deliverance”, your mind immediately goes to the MOVIE [**hum “Dueling Banjos”**]. I was reminded this week of God’s deliverance of ME once on the river. On our first wedding anniversary, I surprised Polly by taking her KAYAKING. She had spent every summer for 10 years at an all-girls boating camp; she loved to kayak. So when I asked the head of the outdoors club at Vanderbilt where I should take her, He said, “Well, the Hiwassee is a nice beginner’s river, class I and II rapids, OR, there’s the more advanced OCOEE. It’s got class III and even some class IV rapids.” I thought, “Well, Polly’s experienced, and I’m athletic; how hard can it really be…”
Within 15 seconds of climbing in the kayak, I had managed to flip it and nearly DROWN before I got the skirt off. Polly begged to go home, but I said, “We didn’t drive 3 hours just to turn around!” So she went down just ahead of me to find the safest route and guide me down the river, and she made me SHOUT to her through the rapids so she’d know I was still upright and alive behind her.
It was not our most harmonious anniversary ever, but God did DELIVER me that day, and you better believe I was thanking Him for it on the drive home!
In Psalm 50, v15, God invites us to “call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”” So the PURPOSE of God’s deliverance - divine deliverance - is that He might get GLORY - doxa, in Greek; hence, the word DOXOLOGY means a “hymn of praise to God”.
Well, this morning in Acts chs23-25, the apostle Paul is gonna face yet another “day of trouble” in his tumultuous life. But as promised, God will DELIVER Paul, not once, not twice, but FIVE times, in these 2 chapters, ALL for God’s glory. And as we consider each of the five MEANS of deliverance that God employs to save Paul, we’re gonna apply each of them to our OWN lives as well, with the aim of promoting our OWN praise this morning, deepening our OWN doxology.
-
So let’s pray and dive in…
Alright, Acts 23-25 (Bibles at Info Bar): God delivers Paul, and US, in 5 ways…
#1 - God uses COMMUNITY to deliver us. (23:12-22)
We pick up the story where we left off last week, with Paul on trial in Jerusalem, before the Roman proconsul Claudius Lysias, having been arrested for inciting a riot when an angry Jewish MOB assumed that Paul had “defiled” the Temple by inviting his buddy Trophimus, a Gentile in. And we pick up in v12 of ch23:
“When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. [Not wasting any TIME this morning; they’re COMING for him!] v13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” [AMBUSH him]
v16 Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” [BTW, Paul had probably witnessed to and CONVERTED this centurion; otherwise there’s no reason a Roman soldier would be taking orders from a Jewish prisoner. Sometimes it PAYS to evangelize!] v19 The tribune took [the young nephew] by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
Now I told you a few weeks ago: this is the only relative of Paul’s mentioned anywhere in the NT. Likely, the REST of his family, as devout Jews, had disowned Paul when he embraced Jesus as Messiah. Paul declared in Philippians 3:8 - “For Christ’s sake I have suffered the loss of all things”, presumably including his FAMILY. And yet, by God’s providence, here is ONE family member, this young nephew, who must’ve taken enough of an interest in his enigmatic, excommunicated uncle to get CLOSE enough to Paul that he not only uncovers this plot, but then he SHARES it with Paul. This is “We Don’t Talk About BRUNO” in real life!: deliverance for the misunderstood, estranged uncle!
Not only does it pay to EVANGELIZE, it pays to have FRIENDS too. Family. Community. Paul will spend the next 5 years in prison; 2 in Caesarea, then 3 more in Rome. Roman prison wasn’t like prison today; if you didn’t have loved ones to come look after your needs - food, clothing, medicine - you DIED! But we discover here that Paul wouldn’t have even made it another 5 DAYS - that means we wouldn’t have his letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, to Philemon, Titus, 1st and 2nd Timothy… we wouldn’t have the book of ACTS - most scholars think that Paul dictated Acts to Luke while he was in prison in Caesarea, during the two years we hear about in ch24,v27. We wouldn’t have a third of our NT! - had this one little nephew not been looking out for crazy old Uncle Paul.
God was CONSTANTLY using those around Paul to save his skin. Just after his conversion in ch9, Paul’s disciples had to lower him in a basket down the city wall in Damascus to avoid a FIRST assassination attempt. Then Paul fled to Jerusalem, where he was saved by the “brothers” THERE. The church in Lystra (ch14) nursed his wounds after he was stoned, the church in Ephesus (ch19) saved him from rioters, the church in Corinth (ch20) rescued Paul from a plot to kill him at SEA… time and time again, God used those around Paul to deliver him.
How about YOU - who has God brought into YOUR life, to save YOU?
Doctor John Curlin delivered ME on December 17, 1984, and God’s been using folks around me to deliver me ever since!
God only KNOWS how many times my parents had to deliver me from danger, hunger… DEATH in my first 18 years of life…
God used my next door neighbor and my youth pastor to deliver me from hopelessness when my father left our family.
God used friends in high school and college to deliver me from isolation and mistrust.
God used my WIFE to deliver me from hating God, and blaming Him for our early, rough years of marriage.
He used a former pastor to deliver me from HELL, by sharing the gospel with me and bringing me to saving faith.
God has used Christian counselors to help deliver me from addiction,
my KIDS to deliver me from self-centeredness,
the Church to deliver me from apathy…
God is CONSTANTLY using people to deliver me. And I trust the same has been true in YOUR life, and YOUR testimony as well.
So Church, what is our rightful response, to such divine deliverance?
“Praise GOD from whom all blessings flow” - We praise Him for the blessing of COMMUNITY.
#2 - Sometimes, God uses COMMANDS to deliver us. (23:23-35) What in the world does THAT mean? v23:
Then [the tribune] called [COMMANDED] two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” 25 And he wrote a letter to this effect:
26 “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, [WHY??] having learned that he was a Roman citizen. [Lysias SAVED Paul because it was his DUTY, under Roman LAW, to protect Rome’s citizens.] 28 And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. [Again, it’s a sense of civic responsibility to the LAW, that caused Lysias to step in and save Paul’s life.] v30 And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers [COMMANDING them] also to state before you what they have against him.” [Due process]
31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, [they protect Paul at Lysias’ command; they…] took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. 33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that [Paul] was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him [there it is again…] to be guarded in Herod's praetorium.”
Romans 13 reminds us that the “governing authorities” have been “instituted by GOD”, to be His “SERVANTS for your GOOD” (vv1-4), for our deliverance. Because from the very beginning, our God has been a God of law & order, a God of COMMANDS:
-God commanded, “Let there be LIGHT”, and thus He DELIVERED the universe from darkness.
-God commanded Pharaoh, “Let my people GO”, and God DELIVERED His people from slavery in Egypt.
-Then God commanded His people, “You shall have no other gods but ME,” and delivered them from worthless IDOLATRY.
-But MOST importantly, when we FAILED to keep His commands, God sent JESUS to the cross to DIE for our sins, and NOW, Acts 17:30 - “he commands all people everywhere to repent” - to TURN from your sin and trust in JESUS for salvation, and YOU WILL BE SAVED! THAT is God’s command for you this morning, friend; you want to obey God?
1 John 3:23 says, “THIS is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ”! Do THAT, and YOU will be DELIVERED…
-from spiritual darkness to light,
-from spiritual enslavement to freedom in Christ,
-from serving idols to worship the living God…
-you’ll be delivered from DEATH to LIFE, new life in CHRIST can be YOURS this morning!
There are SO many ways we could list that God uses COMMANDS to deliver us:
-From the commands of GOVERNMENT and law officers - God delivers us from anarchy and our own inherent depravity.
-To God’s OWN commands which govern all of CREATION - Hebrews 11:3 declares that God “upholds the universe by the word of his power”; God COMMANDS the sun to shine, He COMMANDS the planets to orbit, He COMMANDS gravity to keep us all from drifting off into space; the universe need NOT be this way; it is ONLY this way because God commands it so, for our good.
-But best of all, God commands us to repent and believe in Jesus, for our eternal deliverance.
And what is our rightful response? [[**SING**]] “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” - We praise Him for the blessing of COMMANDS.
#3 - God uses A CLEAR CONSCIENCE to deliver us. (24:1-21)
We’re into ch24 now, where we read:
24:1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down [to Caesarea now, from Jerusalem] with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. [These Jewish leaders hire the best, most CUT-THROAT prosecutor in TOWN, to go after Paul, and…] They laid before the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:
“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. [Boy, he’s really laying it on THICK for Felix! Side note: Felix was NOT “excellent”; history tells us he was a ruthless, corrupt governor, who FAILED to keep the peace, the Pax Romana] v4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. [That’s a TRIPLE insult - “Paul’s a “ringleader” - he’s a dangerous revolutionary - of the SECT - Christianity is nothing but a CULT - and worst of all, they follow a “Nazarene”, Jesus of NAZARETH, can anything GOOD come from that redneck DUMP?!] v6- He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.” [Notice, Tertullus doesn’t actually offer any EVIDENCE to support any of his allegations; but he brings 3 charges: a personal charge (Paul is a “PLAGUE”), a political charge (sedition), and a doctrinal charge (“profaning the temple). (Wiersbe, p397)]
v9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so. 10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied: [And he’s gonna argue that all THREE of Tertullus’s charges are bogus; v10…]
“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. [No dishonest flattery; Paul’s just happy to be receiving - hopefully - a fair trial!] v11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, [in other words, “Even if I’d WANTED to overthrow the Temple, 12 days isn’t enough time to pull it off! But moreover…] v12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or [ANYWHERE] in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. [No evidence!] 14 But this I [DO] confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, [Rome was suspicious of new religions that threatened the peace; but Paul’s gonna argue Christianity is NOT a new religion, but rather, the FULFILLMENT of the JEWISH faith! He says…] I worship the God of our fathers, [I worship Yahweh too; I just happen to know His SON TOO - JESUS!] believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, [Jesus FULFILLED the Law and the Prophets] v15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. [That’s our common hope: that this life is NOT all there is; that there’s an AFTERLIFE, where God will right every wrong.] v16 So I always take pains [HERE IT IS…] to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.
Now pause: remember last week, when they FIRST arrested Paul in Jerusalem, he claimed, “I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day”, and the high priest, Ananias, SMACKED him for it. Well, Paul DOUBLES DOWN here and says: “I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”
How can Paul claim that? Ananias had him smacked in the mouth because he’s thinking, “Excuse me, I’M the HIGH PRIEST, and even I don’t have a totally clear conscience before a holy GOD! Even I have to go in and offer sacrifices once a year for both MY OWN sins AND the sins of the people, in the Holy of Holies…. How could YOU, Paul, a defector, an apostate, POSSIBLY claim to have “a clear conscience toward God”?! And Paul doesn’t get a chance to defend himself on this point, and share the GOSPEL with them, because Felix is gonna interrupt him just below in v22 and call the trial to recess, but WE know the answer, don’t we: Paul has a “clear conscience toward God” because Hebrews 9 assures us that “when Christ appeared as a high priest… he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls… sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who… offered himself without blemish to God, [HERE IT IS…] purify our conscience… For by a single offering [Christ] has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified… Therefore… since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near [to God] with a true heart in full assurance of faith, [HERE IT IS AGAIN…] with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” (9:11-15; 10:14-22).
Translation: Ananias is RIGHT; to claim you have a “clear conscience” before a holy, perfect God based on your OWN merit, your OWN attempt to follow God’s law perfectly, that is ABSURD, even BLASPHEMOUS.
But friends, Paul isn’t appealing to his own righteousness; he’s rejoicing in the imputed righteousness of Christ JESUS, his SAVIOR, his HIGH PRIEST, his once-for-all-time SACRIFICE, his MEDIATOR, between a sinful Paul and a holy God. “Sin had left a crimson stain” - Only JESUS’S blood can WASH it white as snow. Sin had left nothing but GUILT, and SHAME, and rightful CONDEMNATION; only JESUS’S blood can “purify our consciences.”
So I have to ask you this morning: do YOU have a clear conscience this morning?
-After what you stayed up watching last night?
-After how you snapped at your kids on the ride here?
-After how many times your mind has wandered during this service?
And that’s all just in the past 12 hours! And you were ASLEEP for most of it! Some of us, if we’re honest, kinda tune out during the “Call to Confession” - 15 seconds of forced, awkward silence - but if we were actually CONFESSING our sins, from all of last WEEK… I’m just waiting for the Sunday that someone interrupts Brian when he tries to transition us to the “Assurance of Pardon”, like, “Sorry, Pastor Brian, but 15 seconds isn’t NEARLY long enough for me to confess all my sins even from just THIS MORNING! I’m gonna need more like 15 MINUTES!”
Friends, how can we POSSIBLY have a clear conscience, before such a holy God?
“What can wash away my sin?” [Nothing but the blood of Jesus]
“What can make me WHOLE - make my CONSCIENCE whole, clean, purified - again?” [Nothing but the blood of Jesus]
“There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1); are you IN Christ this morning, friend? Have you repented and trusted in him, for the forgiveness of ALL your sins, past, present and future? If you HAVEN’T, I URGE you, don’t wait a moment longer.
But if you have, what is our rightful response, to Christ’s sacrifice, for the cleansing of our consciences? You wanna SING it with me this time?
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow” - Church, we praise Him for the blessing of A CLEAR CONSCIENCE.
#4 - God EVEN uses CORRUPTION to deliver us. (24:22-25:11) God will REALLY show off his redemptive power with this one. Not one, but TWO crooked governors, that God uses - in SPITE of their wickedness - to deliver Paul here; Felix first, v22:
“22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that [Paul] should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs. 24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” 26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.
FOUR SINS that Felix is guilty of here in just these 5 verses:
First, INACTIVITY; he says, “Paul: I’ll decide your case LATER, when Lysias can make his way down from Jerusalem”, which he apparently never got around to… for TWO YEARS! The fact of the matter is: Felix just doesn’t want to make the call on Paul. v22 makes it clear: he had “a rather accurate knowledge of the Way” - Felix KNOWS that the Jews’ charges against Paul and the Church are bogus. But he ALSO knows that the Jews hold a lot of sway over this entire region. So he can’t condemn a Roman citizen on no evidence, but he can’t EXONERATE Paul either, without the Jews RIOTING again. So he lets Paul rot in prison. INACTIVITY.
Second sin: IMMORALITY. V24 references Felix’s wife Drusilla; history tells us she was actually his THIRD wife, and Felix had convinced her to leave her first husband to marry him. He is an adulterous homewrecker.
Third: IMPENITENCE. Felix obviously had a fascination with Christian theology. He already had a pretty “accurate knowledge” of it, and in v24 he takes advantage of Paul’s imprisonment to satisfy his curiosity; he sends for Paul and wants to “hear him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.”
Isn’t it interesting then, Paul’s 3-point sermon for Felix:
It’s not “faith, hope and love”. Not “grace, mercy and forgiveness.”
“Paul reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment”. Why?
Because friends, a gospel devoid of REPENTANCE is no gospel at all. “Faith in Jesus” without turning from your SIN, is no faith at all. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will perish”, Luke 13:3.
Felix was IMPENITENT; he had no interest in repentance. He wanted Jesus as his Savior - cheap grace - but he wasn’t interested AT ALL in Jesus as his LORD - in dying to sin to live for Christ instead. And unfortunately for Felix, Jesus isn’t interested in merely being your “get out of Hell FREE card”; he WILL be your Lord, or He will one day be your JUDGE; there’s NOT a third option. LORD or JUDGE, take your pick!
Friends: don’t be like Felix. A curious MIND won’t get you into Heaven; only a changed HEART will! Don’t PROCRASTINATE on making the most important decision of your LIFE; Felix says, “I dunno… I like the GRACE part of Christianity, but I don’t know about all this righteousness and self-control and JUDGMENT stuff; Paul - go away for now, and let me think it over…”
Skip Heitzig says, “Atheism has killed its MILLIONS, but procrastination its TENS of millions.” Most people don’t HATE God; they just figure they’ll get around to dealing with Him, getting right with Him, when life settles down a bit. When it’s CONVENIENT.
Friends, don’t wait another SECOND - you can get right with God right here, right now; REPENT of your sins, and SURRENDER to Jesus, and you will be saved. As Warren Wiersbe warns (401): “Don’t procrastinate yourself into HELL!”
Felix’s fourth sin: Inactivity, Immorality, Impenitence, and finally, just a general Iniquitousness. Sinfulness. Felix was CORRUPT to his core. V26 tells us the REAL reason he let Paul rot in prison for 2 years was that he saw all the MONEY Paul was raising, even from PRISON, to help out his needy churches, and Felix thought, “Maybe I can get in on that action!” And if Paul had compromised on his moral principles juuust a LITTLE, given Felix just a little “love offering”, Felix probably would have released him. But Paul is just too honest. Unlike Felix, who even after Nero FIRED him as governor in AD60, Felix STILL left poor Paul in prison, v27, because he “desired to do the Jews a favor”. It wasn’t the RIGHT thing to do; it was the politically expedient thing to do.
And Felix’s SUCCESSOR, Porcius Festus, wasn’t much better. I’m running out of time to read the whole passage, in ch25 now, but the Jews ask Festus to move Paul’s trial to JERUSALEM, so they can try and AMBUSH him again, and like Felix, Festus tries to cooperate; v9: “Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?”” Unfortunately for him, Paul doesn’t fall for it. He replies, ““I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.””
What’s the takeaway in all this? Simply this: that God - OUR God, our Incredible, All-Powerful, All-LOVING, Redemptive God - can use even CORRUPTION to work His deliverance for us. He proves it time and time again, all throughout His word: God uses cruel Pharaohs, conquering Assyrians and Babylonians, corrupt Roman governors - God works, yes His DISCIPLINE, but ultimately, His DELIVERANCE for His people through such means. Even the GOOD characters in biblical history had to be REDEEMED from their OWN sinful corruption:
-Abraham doubted God and slept with Hagar.
-Moses lost his temper and disobeyed God.
-David lusted and stole Uriah’s wife.
-PAUL murdered Christians for a living, before God delivered HIM.
But friends, if you’re looking for the ULTIMATE proof of God’s faithfulness to take even the WORST of this world’s corruption and - in a way only He CAN - USE it for an even more GLORIOUS good, then you need look no further than the CROSS: God used the greatest evil in all of history - the brutal MURDER of His own Son - to accomplish the greatest GOOD imaginable - the pardon and eternal ADOPTION of all who would simply come to Jesus in faith.
And I ask you again, Church: What is our rightful response, to such divine deliverance, to a God who can use even the corruption of the CROSS, to ransom and rescue us? Let’s sing again together…
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow” - we praise GOD for His redemptive power.
Lastly, #5 - God uses The CURTAINS to deliver us. (25:12) I couldn’t break the alliteration on point #5, so we’re going with “Curtains” as a euphemism for DEATH. God uses even DEATH to deliver us.
Paul appealed to Caesar in v11, and in v12 here Festus answers him: ““To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”” And you and I know how that story will end: with Paul in prison for ANOTHER 3 years in Rome, before ultimately being BEHEADED by the Emperor Nero around the year AD64. But friends, listen to the words Paul wrote from that Roman jail cell before he died; he said, “to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21) He said, “If I make it out of here, that’s great, I get to go on living for Christ: preaching the gospel, saving the lost, discipling the faithful, planting churches. But if I DIE, Paul said, “That’s even BETTER”, cuz I get to go HOME, and be with JESUS.
What’s the only thing more impressive than a God who can use SIN and CORRUPTION to deliver us? A God who can even use DEATH to do it.
You need not fear death - the scariest, most uncertain, most FINAL of all life’s troubles - DEATH ITSELF, can INSTEAD bring for you: hope, confidence, even joyful anticipation, like Paul, if you know the One who CONQUERED death.
So in conclusion, Church, I invite you one last time: what is our rightful response to a God who works deliverance for us through community, through commands, through a clear conscience, through corruption, even through the CURTAINS, through DEATH? Shall we end with the whole chorus this time?
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost. AMEN.”