Chapel at Cedarville

Know the Simple Message, Then Live the Sincere Life

In today’s chapel, SGA Chaplain Landon Heft taught from 2 Corinthians 1:12–2:11 on how knowing the message of the Gospel leads to a joyful and sincere life.

Joy and the Sincere Life

Heft begins by addressing the fact that joy, the theme of 2 Corinthians, is not something we can always “choose” to have, because our feelings as humans are not rational. Instead of forcing ourselves into superficial faith and joy, we must lean on the assurance of the Gospel.

How to Live the Sincere Life

According to Paul’s actions and attitudes in this passage, the sincere life has three main components: sincere decisions, sincere love, and sincere reconciliation. Making sincere decisions means always keeping your word to others and committing to your “yes” and “no” instead of saying “maybe.” Sincere love entails seeking the good of others and striving to lessen their pain, even when you must make sacrifices and take on pain in your own life. Lastly, sincere reconciliation calls you to forgive others and not hold grudges.

The Simple Message

While some people try to use their own willpower to live with full joy and sincerity, you cannot truly live this life without knowing the simple message behind it. Heft summed up the message as communicated in 2 Corinthians 1:20–24 as, “Establishment in Christ with the Spirit as a down payment, for man’s faith and joy and for God’s glory.”

When you are established in Christ, you experience His forgiveness and transformative love. The Spirit serves as a down payment for this inheritance and helps you live out the sincere life. Your knowledge of Christ’s love brings about joy. Finally, your joy and sincerity bring God glory.

Application

Heft reminded us that if we want true joy, we cannot just modify our behavior, but we must restructure our life completely around Christ.

1. Ask yourself where you need to improve your sincerity. In keeping your word? Loving others? Forgiving?
2. What aspect of the simple Gospel message encourages you today?
3. How can remembering the simple message behind the sincere life help you to live it out this week?

This morning, Dr. Albert Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, walked us through 2 Peter 3. Peter wrote this letter to many believers who expected Christ to return in their own generation. He knew they would face ridicule from unbelievers who would mockingly ask where God was.

Peter reminded them that God is not slow about His promise — He has always been sovereign and purposeful in His timing. We misunderstand when we think that Jesus is delayed. In reality, He is coming exactly as promised according to the Father’s perfect plan. What we perceive as slowness is actually the patience and mercy of God, who doesn’t desire for any to perish in the coming judgment.

This judgment — the day of the Lord — will come like a thief in the night. Christ will come and surprise everyone. Comprehensive and cataclysmic judgment and destruction will take place, and all the heavenly bodies will be dissolved. The Earth and the works done on it will be exposed. Everything will be known on that day, and there will be no place to hide.

If we are not believers, all that matters is enjoying life today. But because Jesus Christ is Lord, everything is different. We cannot put our confidence in things that are about to be dissolved. Instead, we get to place our hope in a new world that will not be dissolved.

In light of the coming judgment, we are to act in a certain way. When Christ comes, He wants to find us busy. We are to be faithfully doing the things we were commanded to do. So work hard, doing great things for an eternal purpose. Prepare to be fully deployed in this world for the glory of God.

We’re in an in-between time, knowing that the day of the Lord is coming yet still waiting on its arrival. We’ve been given assignments, and we must faithfully complete them. Let’s be diligent to be found by Him without sin when He comes. Live a life of faithfulness today!

Guard Your Heart With God’s Word, Because Your Whole Life Flows From It

Today in chapel, Dr. White taught from Proverbs 4:20–27, highlighting three main admonitions: Attend to God’s Word, Guard Your Heart, and Ponder Your Path. He ended by applying these points to everyday life.

Attend to God’s Word

Proverbs 4:20–22 tells us to be attentive to God’s Word and incline our ears to His teaching because our hearts naturally stray if we do not. We must also not let God’s Word escape our sight or our hearts, because when something else captures our attention and affections, that shapes our lives instead of God’s Word.

Guard Your Heart

Proverbs 4:23 calls us to guard our hearts. We protect what we think is valuable. Dr. White used the analogy of protecting social security numbers and cards to illustrate the importance of guarding our hearts. If someone loses their social security card, their identity can be stolen, and their life becomes a mess. The same logic applies to the loss of our hearts, as failing to guard our hearts leads to a mess of a life apart from God’s will.

Ponder Your Path: Speak, See, and Step Straight

Finally, Proverbs 4:24–27 applies guarding our hearts to our lives. We must speak, see, and step in the way of God. The words you speak reveal the temperature of your heart and thoughts. Be careful not to speak too much about what you should guard against. The same logic applies to what you see. Don’t look at and linger on the things that you know will take you from God. Lastly, your steps can take you to safety or to shipwreck, so direct them away from temptation and towards God’s Word. Choose your path wisely, because your steps change your life.

Application

Dr. White left us with three questions to ask ourselves and reveal whether we truly guard our hearts:

1. What captures my attention?
2. What governs my heart?
3. Where is my present path taking me?

This morning in chapel, Dr. Jonathan Arnold, professor at Cedarville University, walked us through 1 John 1. He addressed a few dangerous lies that we must guard against in our Christian walks.

Let the Text Shape You

First, John gives us a metaphor to help us understand who God is: He is light. What does this mean? There have been many interesting ideas as scholars try to come up with new and creative interpretations, but there is danger in this. When you declare that you’ve discovered the new secret to understanding the passage, people jump at it excitedly, but Christianity isn’t about what you’ve never heard before. John is reminding his readers what he’s already taught them: God is not capable of lying or immorality. There’s no darkness in Him. He is righteous and true, and He will illuminate everything that comes into His presence so that there is no hope of hiding. Let the text shape you rather than trying to shape it.

Take Off the Mask

John brings up another dangerous lie. You can put on a mask, checking all the boxes to be a “good Christian,” while your heart is far from Him. This is what it looks like to claim to have fellowship with Him while walking in darkness.

You deceive not only others with this mask but also yourself. You don’t understand the damage you’re doing. That’s an unbelievable danger, but John explains how to avoid it: You need to step into the light and walk with God. The exhausting, unbearable mask can be removed by standing in the light where truth is seen. You can be who you actually are.

Realize that God already knows exactly who you are. He doesn’t expect more from you than what you are. But He does expect you to own that and recognize that faking it doesn’t change who you are.

It is not easy to step into the light and allow yourself to be seen. We don’t want others to know the problems we deal with. But being seen and known also means you can be cleansed and forgiven. You can go back to the way things were in Eden, knowing God and being known intimately by Him. You can put down the mask and stop trying so hard to be something you aren’t.

Be Transformed

John addresses one last dangerous lie: that God will let you stay where you are as you walk in fellowship with Him. You may have heard that God loves you just the way you are and wouldn’t change a thing. That’s not true. When you walk in the light, you will not stay the same. You have to be forgiven and cleansed; you cannot live there alongside your evil. God loves you too much to leave you where you are.

Don’t be held captive by these lies. Let the Scriptures lead you toward the timeless truth of the Gospel. Set down the mask you’ve been wearing. Step into the light and be transformed.

The Humble Receive Forgiveness

In today’s chapel, Senior Class Chaplain William Augustine delivered a message from Luke 18 on the parable of the “needless” Pharisee and the “needy” tax collector.

The Needless Man

Using the example of the Pharisee, Augustine addressed the qualities of a seemingly “needless” man and his pride. The Pharisee was not an enemy, but a man with a distorted view of himself and his worthiness. He was an example of righteousness for the Israelites and knew it. As a result, he always wore a mask, even when he prayed, and he prayed where he could be seen and compared to others. In Luke 18:11, he thanked God for his own superiority over other men, not for God’s mercy on him.

The Needy Man

Unlike the Pharisee, the tax collector was hated by the Jews. He is not an example of righteousness, but a sinful traitor. While he had any worldly pleasure he could desire, he realized that pleasures are not enough. He humbled himself before God, earnestly begging for forgiveness in Luke 18:13. Augustine implored us to be like the needy man, especially if we come from a “good” church background and overestimate our righteousness.

The Merciful God

The character of God shines in Luke 18:14. He forgave and justified the tax collector, seeing the humility and authenticity in his heart. God has mercy on the evilest sinners; Jesus died on the cross to absolve every person from the wrath of God. When we come before God with humble hearts, He has mercy on us.

Humble Yourself

“If you have humbled yourself before God … you have received His righteousness,” said Augustine. As Christians, we must take off any masks we hide behind before God and others. We are not called to play a part or pretend for God. Instead, we must be authentic and tell the truth of our weakness. Once we have been forgiven, we must see our souls through God’s eyes, acknowledging both our sins and God’s mercy in justifying us despite them.

This morning in chapel, Dr. Mike Augsburger, Lead Pastor at Soteria Church, reminded us that faith is taking God at His word, believing what He says, and choosing to live by it. Hebrews 12:3–11 encourages readers not to lose faith or give up under the pressure of persecution. We may wonder, “What if I’m in a season of life where I don’t want to run my race? Where is God in my suffering? What’s the point of hanging on to Jesus?” These are the questions that this passage answers.

Don’t Lose Heart!

The author of Hebrews urges us not to lose heart because it’s not as bad as it could be. Remember your Savior. Although we have this reminder, there are times when we still become discouraged. Losing heart looks like spiritual weariness. Complaining becomes commonplace, preaching and singing don’t resonate with you, and reading God’s Word is not enjoyable. You often stop engaging with the local church. You might experience increased pressure in temptation and become wrapped up in sin.

There is hope! The author of Hebrews is not minimizing our trials, but he is pointing us back to people who suffered for their faith far more than we have because it’s easy to focus on how bad we have it. In these moments, we need to stop and remember how blessed we still are.

Don’t Lose Faith!

The author of Hebrews urges us not to lose faith because God is still in control. Sometimes, we suffer because of our own sin; other times, it’s just because we live in a broken, sin-cursed world. It’s very easy to lose faith during these times because we don’t see God in the world. Verse 7 tells us to endure suffering because God is dealing with us as sons and daughters. We have a sovereign Savior who never loses control of what’s going on. His hand is behind our suffering. It’s part of His great purpose for our lives. He brings us through trials because He loves us and wants to prove Himself faithful to us.

Don’t Lose Sight!

The author of Hebrews urges us not to lose sight because the gain is worth the pain. God’s discipline is better than human discipline, and its purpose is to make us more like Jesus so that we share in His holiness. It forms us into the completed product that He set out to make us from the beginning. It’s designed to bring us to the joy that He originally created us to enjoy.

Often, we are tempted to ask ourselves, “Why me, God?” When the race is hard and painful, look to God and say instead, “Why not me? You have designed this to increase my joy, and I trust You.”

Running the Race

In today’s chapel, Dr. Mike Augsburger, Lead Pastor at Soteria Church in West Des Moines, IA, taught from Hebrews 12 about the races we run as Christians, how we run, and why we run.

Run Your Race

Dr. Augsburger addressed how the race we run is different for every person. Your race is marked out and set before you, specifically. Because the race you are called to run is individualized, you cannot compare your race or your “performance” with anyone else. In addition, this means there are no “detours” on your race, and no space for bitterness or complaining. Every moment you are in, every place you visit, and every person you interact with is being used by God.

How Do You Run Your Race?

According to Hebrews, you must run your race with patient endurance. By looking to the witnesses — the faithful saints who have come before you, including those listed in Hebrews 11 — you see the race can be run. You have examples of success to look up to and motivate you.

In addition, to run your race you must lay down your weights. Your weights are not only your clear sins but are also seemingly “neutral” parts of life. Dr. Augsburger used the examples of entertainment and content consumption, which distract us from our races and disconnect us from God and others when abused.

Instead of on weights and distractions, we should focus on locking eyes with Jesus, who is the source and protector of the race.

Why Do You Run Your Race?

Finally, Dr. Augsburger addressed why the races set before us are worth running. We run so we can have joy through enduring pain. Running has a purpose: it makes us more like Jesus, so that we may fulfill the mission set out for us on earth by God.

Have you ever noticed that you find joy in helping others? Yet too often, we treat friendship transactionally, focusing only on the benefits others can give us. We don’t ask God to help us be a good friend. This morning in chapel, Dr. White, President of Cedarville University, reminded us that wisdom helps us become the kind of friend we want to have.

Proverbs 13:20 says that the wise friend walks with the wise. Surround yourself with people who forsake folly rather than people who lead you into folly. You drift the direction in which your closest friends are going. Ask yourself, “Who that I hang out with encourages me to love Jesus more? Who that I hang out with is the kind of person I want to be?”

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 explains that the wise friend shows up faithfully. The devil wants you isolated because it’s easier to destroy you that way. Isolation is not wisdom. Real friendship shows up. Will you be there when your friends fail the exam or go through the breakup? Will you be there in the hospital room? Let’s be a campus where nobody fails or falls alone.

Proverbs 27:17 shows us that the wise friend speaks life-giving truth. Don’t surround yourself only with people who affirm you and let you know how good you are. You also need people who wisely and kindly rebuke and challenge you. It’s important that you do the same for them and that you listen when they speak into your life. Remember that you don’t get to rebuke someone unless you’ve invested in their life; you don’t need to speak up every time you see something you don’t like. But if you have invested, you have an opportunity to speak life into somebody. Ask yourself, “Will my influence make it more likely that they choose Christ’s ways?”

Proverbs 15:31–33 says that the wise friend stays humbly teachable. Some of us are too resistant to the counsel that people give us. We need to listen and take wisdom instead of always correcting others or interrupting.

Proverbs 17:9 explains that the wise friend guards trust. If you share others’ secrets, they won’t be likely to trust you with the next secret. A true, godly friend covers up the small offenses and keeps confidence. They also respect space and boundaries.

We want a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Let’s be that kind of friend. Jonathan in 1 Samuel is a Christlike friend to David, but he only points us to Jesus, the greatest Friend we have. Jesus walked with His disciples to make them wise. He showed up in their fear and adversity. He spoke life with tenderness and truth. He modeled a humble posture. He guarded and covered those entrusted to Him. If you want to be a wise friend, lean into Jesus and let His love overflow out of your life.

Who is Jesus? This morning in chapel, Dr. Trent Rogers, Dean of the School of Biblical and Theological Studies at Cedarville University, reminded us that our answer to this question has eternal implications. This is the question John seeks to answer in the first four verses of 1 John. He wants us to embrace Jesus, enjoy Him, have faith in Him, and be committed to His Church.

The Person of Christ (vv. 1–2)

As we look at the beginning of 1 John, it’s helpful to go back to the Gospel of John for context. When John referenced the “Word of Life,” he was referring back to John 1, where he talked about the Word who is God and who has life in Him. Jesus hasn’t been given life; He has always had it, and He is able to give it to those who trust Him. When John talked about the life being “made manifest,” he was referring again to the first chapter of John. He declared that Jesus is the eternal God who assumed human nature for the purpose of our redemption.

John spent so much time talking about this because false teachers had arisen who denied the central claim that Jesus is God’s Son. John wrote to correct that teaching but also to remind the church again and again who Jesus is. Let’s make sure our hearts never grow dull to hearing the message of who our Lord is!

The Fellowship of Christ (v. 3)

When the Gospel goes forth, people believe and assemble into churches. Church is a community centered around hearing who God is and what He has done. It is so important to remember that fellowship is not about believers identifying just with God but also with one another. We must not neglect meeting with the church regularly. God has designed you for the community of the church.

The Joy of Christ (v. 4)

If you aren’t in fellowship with other believers, you are robbing yourself of the opportunity to minister and be ministered to. You are also robbing yourself of joy. There is deep joy in sharing in the fellowship of believers. A shared joy is a multiplied joy; your joy is heightened when you get to share it with someone else.

It’s not just about knowing the right answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” It’s also about believing the right answer. Jesus is the Son of God, and if you believe in Him, He will give you the right to become His child.

Chapel Notes: “The Crucible of Suffering Produces Enduring Delight in God”

In today’s chapel, SGA Chaplain Landon Heft opened this year’s SGA series in 2 Corinthians. Heft read the first 11 verses, then narrowed in on 2 Corinthians 1:8–11 for a sermon on how suffering and death produce hope, confidence, and comfort in God.

Dependent Hope

The first way we experience delight in God through suffering is through dependent hope. Through our suffering, we learn we cannot rely entirely on ourselves to handle life and its troubles. As Heft said, “It is a wonderful thing for people not to rely on themselves, but on the enduring God.” Our God is all-powerful and always present, meaning we can always depend on Him for the deliverance which we cannot provide ourselves.

Resilient Confidence

Resilient confidence in deliverance is the second way suffering produces delight. Heft highlighted Paul’s confidence in verse 10 as an example of this. God has delivered His people before and will deliver His people again, whether this comes in the form of alleviating our pain on earth or in bringing eternal deliverance from punishment in death. When we are suffering, we can delight in our confidence in His plan and victory over death.

Conduits of Comfort

Finally, Heft returned to 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 to address how suffering makes us “conduits of comfort.” Because of the suffering believers endure, they can pour out the comfort of the Father that they received onto the lives of others. God works through our suffering to alleviate the suffering of others. Similarly, believers can receive God’s comfort from the community around them. Through prayer and fellowship, we are conduits of this comfort.

A Moment of Prayer

Heft concluded by calling us to a moment of prayer, as Paul does in verse 11. When many people pray, many people’s prayers are answered through God’s work, and there is much to be grateful for.