The Tabernacle Today

Reverse What’s First

In today’s passage Jesus is going to reveal a basic problem – you care too much about things that matter less, and not enough about things that matter most. All good things matter, but you have to rank them right.

Matthew 6:25-34

The context of the command not to be held back by worry - V. 25a

When you see the word “therefore,” find out what it’s there for, and look at the point the author made in the verses leading up to the “therefore.”

In light of your commitment to eternal things, do not be held back by worry about the basics in life.

Jesus’ words let us know the folly of the adage that ‘Some people are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.’ In reality, ‘Most people are so earthly minded they are no heavenly good.’ Historically, the most heavenly minded Christians also have done the most earthly good.

The Command not to be held back by worry - V. 25a

The word for anxiety is the word merimuao (G3309); it occurs 19 times in the New Testament, 6 right here in this passage. It can be used positively to speak of concern or care, or negatively to speak of worry and anxiety.

“That there may be no division in the (church) body, but that the members may have the same CARE for one another.” - 1 Cor. 12:25

“For I have no like him (Timothy), who will be genuinely CONCERNED for your welfare.” - Phil. 2:20

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are so ANXIOUS and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” - Lk. 10:41-42

It is not wrong to be concerned about what needs to be done, but good care and concern becomes sinful worry and anxiety when it holds us back from being a faithful and fruitful follower of Jesus Christ.

5 reasons not to worry (descriptors from David Jeremiah):

1. Worry is Inconsistent (v. 25b)

2. Worry is Irrational (v. 26)

God loves birds and meets their needs. He loves you more than big bird. He may not give you all you want in life, but you can trust Him to meet your basic needs!

3. Worry is ineffective (v. 27)

An hour spent worrying is an hour lost for meaningful productivity. It paralyzes us by focusing on what’s beyond our control. It’s better to trust God for what we can’t control, and act on what we can change.

4. Worry is illogical (v. 28-30)

God makes flowers beautiful by being what God created them to be even though they don’t last long. People matter more to God, and He is wants us to concentrate on being eternally beautiful, not on worrying about affording clothes that will keep up with fickle fashion trends.

5. Worry is irreligious (v. 31-32)

“Gentiles” are all about concentrating on things that don’t really matter beyond today and being completely oblivious to concentrating on what God will eternally reward.

It is not wrong to have proper concern to meet our basic needs. But worry puts less important things that won’t last ahead of spiritual priorities. Jesus challenges us here to reverse what’s first – Put Him first in your life and trust Him to help you get all the things you need.

God’s antidote to anxious worrying: reverse what’s first - V. 33-34

Verse 33 is a great promise: If you put Jesus and what He wants first in your life, He will take care of all your true needs. If you put Him last, you will continue to worry, partly because you can’t properly distinguish between your wants and needs, and partly because you don’t have the sense of joy that comes from making an eternal difference.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

Impact Now, Reward in Heaven

“I defy the Pope and all his laws! If God spare my life for many years, I will cause a boy that drives the plough to know more of the Scriptures than he does!” -William Tyndale

Humphrey Monmouth met William Tyndale at a church Tyndale was speaking at in 1523. Monmouth was a brave and far-sighted Christian cloth merchant and trader who also wanted the Bible translated into English so the nation could hear the word of God and be saved.

Matthew 6:19-24

Make sure you’ve got your heart and treasure placed right V. 19-21

Treasure here has in view all that the Lord blesses us with as His stewards to “manage” for His glory – our money, possessions, time, talent, etc.

God does expect you to use your God-given resources to meet you and your family’s basic needs (1 Tim. 5:8), enjoy life within biblical parameters

(Ecclesiastes 2:24-26), prepare for earthly retirement (Prov. 6:6-8), and leave an inheritance (Prov. 13:22). But when our wants cause us to live excessively in this life with no thought to eternity, we are foolish

At the end of this life you can’t take any of what you have stored up with you. If all you live for is this life, you will be disappointed. It also betrays your heart – you don’t realty believe there is anything after this life, so you “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you die.”

“You can’t take it with you, but you can send it ahead.” -Randy Alcorn

“Only one life, will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last!” -C.T. Studd

“I hope to grow rich in Heaven by taking care of orphans on earth.” -George Whitefield

In verse 21 ‘your’ is in the singular, because each of us has to make this choice. We spend so much energy thinking of getting retired; Jesus wants us to be “rewired” to always be investing in eternity.

Make sure you’ve got your eyes focused right V. 22-23

Jesus was actually referring to a Jewish proverb here. Having a good healthy eye meant being generous and looking at people positively; having a bad eye meant being stingy and having a negative outlook.

“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed. And it is not necessary to have great things to do. I turn my little omelette in the pan for the love of God.” -Brother Lawrence (17th century French monk)

Make sure you’ve got the right Boss V. 24

Mammon here represents more than money; it represents the love of money and the never-ending drive for more that makes even professing Christians live with discontentment and bear little fruit for the Lord.

One of the saddest things I see as a Pastor is so many church members preoccupied with the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of stuff, and they think they possess the stuff, but in reality it possesses them.

One of the greatest joys I have is seeing Christians caught up in that thorny 3rd category finally let go of the trap, and move into the 4th and secure category and become faithful and fruitful followers of Jesus Christ!

Levels of Motivation to serve God:

Higher: Love “Want to” Father, Friend

Hope Rewarder

Faith Teacher

Hinge: Gratitude Redeemer, Savior

Lower: Guilt “Have to” Lord

Obligation Lawgiver

Fear Creator

On the one hand, there are those that think to go to Heaven they have to do more good deeds than bad deeds, sort of trying to buy their way into Heaven.

On the other hand, though, there are those who so want to receive applause from other people, they do their good works and give primarily to impress other people and be thought of as a good person by them.

Read Matthew 6:1-4

The words translated reward are misthos (G3408), which occurs 28 times in the N.T., and apodidomai (G591), which occurs 46 times. ‘Reward’ occurs 9 times in rhe Sermon on the Mount, 7 in chapter 6 alone.

Motivation for giving that Heaven will NOT reward V. 1-2

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven. -Matt. 5:16 (ESV)

Wrong motivation for doing good works for others is to bring praise to yourself by other people. That may bring you temporal gain in their eyes, but not eternal gain in Heaven’s eyes.

Do you do what you do first and foremost for the glory of God, or for your own personal benefit?

Now if you can keep the motivation to glorify God first, and not steal the glory away from him, it is an encouragement for others to see you glorifying God with your giving, and know enough to pray for you, and for leaders to know enough to coordinate with others to see that needs are properly vetted and appropriately met.

Jesus here says that if your motivation for doing good is the “photo-op,” you may get earthly pats on the back but not heavenly reward.

The way to give that Heaven will approve and reward V. 3-4

Notice Jesus assumes we will be looking for opportunities to use our resources to help minister to people. He says “when you give,” not “if you give.”

Jesus instructs us on the “how” to give and do good deeds – as secretly as possible, without fanfare that draws attention to yourself.

What a fun illustration from Jesus about not making a big deal about giving before the people we are always around. Jesus wanted giving to be for God in a spirit of joy and not a sense of “Keeping up with the Jones.”

Jesus’ words here do not mean that we shouldn’t celebrate giving in the body of Christ. Acts 4:36-37 celebrates the very generous gift that Barnabas gave; Acts 9:36 celebrates a lady named Tabitha, known for being ‘full of good works and acts of charity.’ The key is that we let others praise us, and not ourselves.

“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” -Proverbs 27:2 (ESV)

Even if no one else sees what you do for God, God sees and promises to reward you at the Bema seat of Christ.

If the work which anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. -1 Cor. 3:14 (ESV)

The Way to Pray

As we will see today, when God’s people fervently pray together with a sense of what God wants to happen o1n earth, God moves in power!

Matthew 6:9-15

John 17 is the Lord’s prayer for His disciples; this prayer is more the model disciple’s prayer to the Lord!

Pray with personal affection for the Lord V. 9a

In the opening 4 words Jesus speaks about the best Person and the best Place!

There is no evidence of anyone before Jesus using this term of endearment families used of their dad to pray to God Himself; Jesus wanted us to think of God as our “Pater,” our “Abba,” our “Papa.”

Fill your prayer with praise for your King V. 9b

Hallowed is the verb form of holy. May God’s name be made holy among us, set apart, uniquely special. May His name be held in reverence among us. May we glorify and praise Him as we gather.

Fill your prayer with Kingdom perspective V. 10

Jesus is already the spiritual king of those who follow Him; One day He will be physically King over the entire earth. We want to live, pray and act like we believe that!

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’” -Abraham Kuyper

Ask God for His provision to do His will V. 11

Bread is used here to cover our need for all food, but also for all the material provisions we need to live! But remember to pray for your needs, not your greeds!

Ask God for His power to receive and give forgiveness V. 12

I love the way Jesus uses words! I shouldn’t be surprised – the One who gives us minds and mouths is Himself the most skilled user of words the world has ever known!

So what does Jesus make us think about first as we consider forgiveness?

Our need to have our own sins forgiven by the God we sin against.

We are to start by humbly acknowledging our own need for forgiveness. For some of you that betrays a big problem – you have asked God repeatedly for forgiveness but not taken God at His word and received His forgiveness. Until you do, you will struggle to forgive others.

Ask God for protection as you do His will V. 13

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured away by His own desire. -James 1:13-14

Of course God won’t ever be the reason you get caught up in sin – you will lead yourself there. God will lead you away from evil if you let Him!

Check your relationships for prayer power V. 14-15

Jesus is not saying if you as a Christian struggle to forgive you will lose your salvation. He is saying that if you don’t forgive it will affect your fellowship with God and others.

“If we refuse to forgive our erring brethren God will not grant us that restorative forgiveness by which we plead when conscious of sin and failure. This, of course, has nothing to do with that eternal forgiveness which the believing sinner receives when he comes to Christ. It is the Father’s forgiveness of an erring child, which must of necessity take into account the attitude of the failed one toward other members of the family. -H.A. Ironside

Praying for a Change

Matthew chapter 6 has more occurrences of the word reward than any other chapter in the Bible. After using it twice in chapter 5, reward occurs 7 times in chapter 6. God wants to reward believers as they live for Him!

Matthew 6:5-8, 16-18

Prayer and fasting that does not impress God V. 5, 16

If our motivation for praying and fasting is to impress other people, it doesn’t impress God, because it means our prayers aren’t really about God but about us.

Individual praying and fasting God will reward V. 6, 17-18

When you pray here in verse 6 is in the singular – when you as an individual pray.

Prayer is heartfelt conversation with the God you love and trust. It is both a listening to God speak through His word and Holy Spirit, and a speaking to Him that shows we value our relationship with Him above all others.

When you said, “Seek my face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I will seek.” -Psalm 27:8 (NKJV)

Fasting is when people miss one or more consecutive meals. In the Bible there were 2 main times they fasted – when they were mourning and when they had a spiritual burden and needed to focus their prayers.

“As soon as I heard these words (about Jerusalem’s troubles) I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven.” -Nehemiah 1:4

I believe Jesus is speaking about eternal reward, the reward He will give to prayer room warriors like James Betterton at the Bema seat of Christ. But I also believe prayer brings immediate rewards to believers as well.

Three things prayer changes:

Prayer changes YOU as you spend time with the God you love and trust and grow in your relationship with Him!

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whover abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” -Jn. 15:5

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” -Jesus in Matthew 11:28

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. -Phil. 4:6-7

Prayer changes your PERSPECTIVE on what you want to happen, and confidence God will answer in the best way possible.

“Whenever God says ‘no,’ it’s for a greater ‘yes!” -Beth Moore

Prayer changes your SITUATION and gives you resolve to courageously act.

“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” -Esther to Mordecai in Esther 4:16

God uses prayer to spiritually FORM me! God uses prayer to CONFORM me to His will! God uses prayer to TRANSFORM situations!

Corporate praying and fasting God will reward V. 7-8

When you pray here in verse 7 is in the plural – when multiple believers pray together corporately.

When you pray with other believers, don’t pray meaningless ‘prayer platitudes’ and don’t pray too long before you let the next person pray.

When individual Christians who pray regularly alone get together and pray – God moves in POWER!

Praying for a Change

Matthew chapter 6 has more occurrences of the word reward than any other chapter in the Bible. After using it twice in chapter 5, reward occurs 7 times in chapter 6. God wants to reward believers as they live for Him!

Prayer and fasting that does not impress God V. 5, 16

If our motivation for praying and fasting is to impress other people, it doesn’t impress God, because it means our prayers aren’t really about God but about us.

Individual praying and fasting God will reward V. 6, 17-18

When you pray here in verse 6 is in the singular – when you as an individual pray.

Prayer is heartfelt conversation with the God you love and trust. It is both a listening to God speak through His word and Holy Spirit, and a speaking to Him that shows we value our relationship with Him above all others.

When you said, “Seek my face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I will seek.” -Psalm 27:8 (NKJV)

Fasting is when people miss one or more consecutive meals. In the Bible there were 2 main times they fasted – when they were mourning and when they had a spiritual burden and needed to focus their prayers.

“As soon as I heard these words (about Jerusalem’s troubles) I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven.” -Nehemiah 1:4

I believe Jesus is speaking about eternal reward, the reward He will give to prayer room warriors like James Betterton at the Bema seat of Christ. But I also believe prayer brings immediate rewards to believers as well.

Three things prayer changes:

Prayer changes YOU as you spend time with the God you love and trust and grow in your relationship with Him!

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whover abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” -Jn. 15:5

“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” -Jesus in Matthew 11:28

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. -Phil. 4:6-7

Prayer changes your PERSPECTIVE on what you want to happen, and confidence God will answer in the best way possible.

“Whenever God says ‘no,’ it’s for a greater ‘yes!” -Beth Moore

Prayer changes your SITUATION and gives you resolve to courageously act.

“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” -Esther to Mordecai in Esther 4:16

God uses prayer to spiritually FORM me! God uses prayer to CONFORM me to His will! God uses prayer to TRANSFORM situations!

Corporate praying and fasting God will reward V. 7-8

When you pray here in verse 7 is in the plural – when multiple believers pray together corporately.

When you pray with other believers, don’t pray meaningless ‘prayer platitudes’ and don’t pray too long before you let the next person pray.

When individual Christians who pray regularly alone get together and pray – God moves in POWER!

Turn in your Bibles and join Gary Reynolds for his sermon from the Book of Acts, chapter eight. We pray that this recording is a blessing for you!

Going Above and Beyond Like King Jesus

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall be saved by His life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. -Romans 5:10-11

Matthew 5:43-48

Going Above and Beyond LIKE King Jesus

This is the last of the 6 times Jesus says, “You have heard it said, but I say to you.” Interestingly, it is the first of the specific things this sermon says Christians will be rewarded for, with 4 more coming in chapter 6.

The command they had corrupted V. 43

You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. -Lev. 19:17-18

The words “hate your enemy” were not in the Old Testament. But that is how many of them had been taught to process Leviticus 19:18 by their leaders – Love your JEWISH neighbors, but hate your PAGAN enemies.

When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. -Lev. 19:33-34

The command to love includes loving your enemies V. 44

The word love occurs 640 times in the Bible (227 times in the NT). The word for love here is Agapeo (G25), which occurs in 110 verses. It means to feel and exhibit esteem and goodwill to a person, to prize and delight in a thing. Here Jesus commands Agape love for all people, even enemies.

The word translated love is agape, which means a strong commitment of goodwill towards another regardless of whether or not they deserve it. -African Study Bible

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. -Proverbs 25:21-22

Reasons we are to love our enemies V. 45-48

We love our enemies not because of who they are but because of who God is (v 45)

“Loving enemies requires such an unnatural response that obeying it proves who belongs to God.” -David Jeremiah

We love our enemies because of who we once were, because of who we are now in Christ, and who they can become if they turn to Christ (v. 46-47)

If you who call yourself Christians still practice “tribal love” for your own rather than love for people of “all tribes,” there is no practical difference that shows the eternal difference Jesus Christ makes.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. -Galatians 2:20

We love our enemies because doing so leads to growth and reward (v 48)

The word for perfect is teleios (G5046), which occurs in 17 New Testament verses – it can be translated perfect, complete, mature, having reached its end, fulfilled its purpose.

The fact is you and I won’t reach full ‘perfection’ until we are in Heaven, but our spiritual sights must be set on nothing less than living like Jesus by faith, striving to fulfill our God-given purpose through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here Jesus introduces the word reward back into the mix, as He did back in verse 12 – the sermon on the mount has the first reference to reward in the New Testament, and the most references to reward in the N.T.

Jesus spoke these words to call believers living in this age of grace, this church age, to live like He lived, and to love like He loved! A new standard for reward – loving like Jesus loved, even your enemies!

Going Above and Beyond for King Jesus

Jesus goes from a person’s head to their feet in today’s passage to illustrate how He calls believers to go above and beyond the law so they can impact others with the gospel!

Read Matt. 5:38-42 Going Above and Beyond for King Jesus Let’s Pray!

The law teaches that punishment should fit the crime V. 38

Jesus is referring to the Law of Retribution spoken of in places like Ex. 21:24, Lev. 24:20, and Deut. 19:21. The Law of Retribution was never meant to sanction personal retaliation, but gave guidance to leaders to ensure both that justice was done and that punishments fit crimes.

He shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it, and giving it to him to whom he did wrong. -Numbers 5:7

Jesus taught believers to go beyond the law for gospel impact V. 39a

Everything Jesus taught and did in Matthew’s gospel is building toward His giving us the Great Commission in Matthew 28.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in Heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Matt. 28:16-20

Why did the first Christians take the gospel even to ‘evil’ people who opposed them? They knew that they too had once been ‘evil’ sinners, opponents of God.

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” -Luke 11:13

Non-believers don’t have the Holy Spirit living inside them – all they have is the old sin nature, which like gravity pulls them back toward carnal actions. Lost people act lost because they are lost.

What is Jesus calling us to do?

Show the same kindness to others God has shown to us!

God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. -Romans 2:4b

3 ways believers go beyond the law V. 39b-42

Believers are not to react to every insult (v. 39b)

Turning the other cheek DOES NOT MEAN you would be doing the right thing if you stood and did nothing while your family or neighbor or even a stranger was attacked, or that Christians should decline military service.

Turning the other cheek DOES mean you are not personally looking to answer every insult with an insult, perpetuating a conflict.

Believers are willing to give the shirt off their back (v. 40)

Jesus here is telling believers to extend the patience they would show a brother to non-brothers also, even thought it was underserved. They had received underserved grace, they were to show it to others.

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? -1 Cor. 6:7

This does not mean believers should not set boundaries to avoid harassment, abuse, and excessive financial loss. It does mean the default setting of believers is to be “for people” and try to work things out.

Believers are willing to go many miles out of their way (v. 41)

Why does Jesus call believers to ‘go the extra mile?’

Because it’s in the second mile when others start believing there is something to your faith.

Now here’s where we need wisdom – because the same Paul who was willing to endure insults for the gospel also at times DID utilize his citizenship rights to avoid further mistreatment (Acts 16:35ff).

When non-Christians see Christians act and react in ways that are above and beyond what’s expected, and what they themselves don’t have the spiritual power to do, they want what we have and ask about Jesus.

Are you prepared to give to help others the way Jesus gave to help you?

Psalm 63 Worksheet

Let’s see if wilderness themes show up as we read the Psalm!

M_____________________________ V. 1-2

“Give the first hour of your day to God.”

The key is that we have some time of concentrated ___________________ of God during our days!

And if David wasn’t careful a root of bitterness could arise in his spirit that made him dry spiritually in this physically dry place. Instead, he seeks the Lord who can refresh him spiritually in hard circumstances.

We can’t always manipulate our circumstances to be good ones, or the actions of others toward us, but we can make sure our __________________________ keep us spiritually focused.

The physical Temple had not been built yet, so perhaps David has in mind looking to God in Heaven, seeing His power and glory there. Or perhaps David understood what Christians now do – that any _________________ we seek God can become a sanctuary – even the wilderness!

D______________________________ V. 3-5

You guessed it, the word for lovingkindness is the great word Hesed. God’s steadfast live is greater than the ups and downs of life, the good and bad ___________________________ we face.

In 1 Timothy 2 Paul said he wanted the men in every church to be known for lifting up holy hands to the Lord without wrath and dissention. He was only calling for what Israel’s great king had _________________!

I hope you are _____________________ by your relationship with the Lord throughout the day like David was, and can testify that God’s love is better than life! John 14:6 John 10:10

E_____________________________ V. 6-8

David ends the day as he began – meditative prayer with God. David was a shepherd, but he wouldn’t recommend counting sheep before you go to sleep – he would have us talking to the Great _______________________!

What things should characterize Christian meditation?

David could get a good night’s sleep knowing God was his ‘night ______________________!”

O_____________________________ V. 9-11

David doesn’t use the word Sheol in verse 9 – he refers to tahti erets – lower parts of the earth. David’s enemies want to destroy David, but he is confident he will _____________________ them.

They shall fall by the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.

David’s confidence reminds me that God has a purpose and plan for all His children, and we are __________________ until God Himself decides it is our time to die and join Him. In light of that we can praise God continuously, trust God unswervingly, and serve Him courageously!