Torch, Fall 1994

Condensed from a sermon delivered September 21, 1994, in the James T. Jeremiah Chapel at Cedarville College. A s you came into chapel this morning, suppose we caught you off guard and said, "Excuse us , we 're taking a little survey. What is the most important task you have on campus this year?" We wouldn 't ask just students. We ' d ask the whole college family- students, faculty, administration, everyone. Somebody might respond, "Well, my most important task is to get better grades." That's good. It would please your teachers and probably amaze your parents. Somebody else might say, "I've got to get my bills paid." Somebody else will say, "Well, I need to make some friends." Somebody else will say, "I'm looking for a mate." I can't think of a better place to do it. But that is not your most important task. 6 Torch Your most important and my most important task is to obey Proverbs 4 :23 : "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart. And the heart of every success is the success in the heart. Missionary Henry Martyn wrote in his journal, "Let me be taught that the first great business on earth is the sanctification of my own soul. " He must have been reading Proverbs 4, because if I do not have character in my heart, God can 't use me. I don 't care if I'm going to be a doctor, a lawyer, school teacher, missionary, preacher, or musician. Robert Murray McCheyne, a great man of God who, a century ago, brought great blessing to Scotland, wrote to a missionary friend, "Remember, it is not great talent that God blesses, but great likeness to Jesus." As we keep our hearts and develop holiness within to the glory of God, He can bless us. Proverbs 28: 13 states, "He who covers his sins shall not prosper, but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy." You can live on one of three levels . The lowest level is where you cover your sin. Or you can move to the second level and you can confess your sin. Or you can move to the highest level and conquer your sin. The Bible is a marvelous book. The more you study it, the more you 're going to know how marvelous it is. The Holy Spirit looked back into Proverbs one day and said, "Now this Proverbs 4:23, I should write something about that." So, He told the apostle John, "John,