Sunday Service 13th June 2021 Topic: THE ISSUES OF LIFE. Text: Pro. 4:20-23 INTRODUCTION Without any doubt, we are in a very strange time. You can talk with someone yesterday and be told today that the fellow has died and you are wondering, could that be true? While many are scared of COVID19, a great number of people whose death I have heard recently have nothing to do with Covid, but one single word, HEART. Medical practitioners would say, his or her heart just stop working. Unfortunately, not many of us are concerned with the state of our hearts. Recent occurrences kept me thinking seriously about this part of the body that is called the heart. To many of us, the most important part of the body is the blood, but I have come to realize that the heart is very important. While the Bible says death and life are in the power of the tongue, (Pro. 18:21) and the life of the flesh is in the blood (Lev. 17:11), we often forget that in the heart resides “the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23) The heart from the scriptural perspective is both physical and spiritual. Today, I want to focus more on your physical heart. The Websters English Dictionary defines the heart as “muscular viscus, which is the primary organ of the blood's motion in an animal body, situated in the thorax. From this organ all the arteries arise, and in it all the veins terminate. By its alternate dilatation and contraction, the blood is received from the veins, and returned through the arteries, by which means the circulation is carried on and life preserved.” I got from Doctors that every man looses consciousness 5 to 10 seconds the moment the heart stops and brain cells begin to die in 4 to 6 minutes unless it is revived. Without any doubt, the heart is the seat of life and you have to take care of it. Pro. 4:23 says, guard your heart with all diligence. The heart is the link between life and death. With all diligence means, do all you need to do to guard your heart both physically and spiritually. Avoid anything that can affect your heart. Your blood pressure has a lot to do with your heart. Therefore, check your blood pressure as often as you can and do the needful when you are medically advised. The Bible says in it are the issues of life. Do you want to live all your years, the first place to guard is your heart. A mishandling of your heart could reduce your days. Guard your heart. BEFORE YOUR HEART STOPS. The heart is like a clock that one day will definitely stop. But you need to do your best to ensure that it does not stop earlier than it is meant to stop. According to the Bible, there are some bad things that can happen to the heart. Some of them are, 1. It can Faint- Lev. 26:36. 2. It can Tremble- Dt. 28:65. 3. It can Melt- Josh 14:8, Psa. 22:14. But none is as worse as when it stops. So since the heart is bound to stop one day whether at the right or wrong time, three things I want to admonish you to do before your heart stops. I prays it shall be several years from now, but that is not in any man’s power. We can only do the needful and pray. But you can put yourself in an advantageous position before your heart stops. The three things are, 1. GIVE YOUR LIFE TO JESUS. This is not the age to pay lip service to Jesus. Ensure you are born again. If you are not saved when your heart stops, you are going to hell fire. So give your life to Jesus. Be born again. 2. REMOVE THE FILTH/BITTERNESS IN YOUR HEART. (Pro. 4:24-27) Remove the weights you carry. Try your best to remove every clog the devil tries to put along your path. Don’t give the devil a place on your heart. 3. FULFILL YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE/FOLLOW YOUR GOD GIVEN DREAMS. Try your best to die empty. Achieve for the Lord both physically and spiritually. Don’t pursue material things to the neglect of spiritual things. Don’t be too careful with material things and careless about spiritual things. May you be at an advantageous position before your heart stops. Amen. CONCLUSION The heart is like a lamp, keep it well trimmed. The heart is like a ship, ensure you have enough ballast and do not carry too much weight. The heart is a temple, keep it pure and undefiled. The heart is like a besieged city that is liable to attacks, defend it on all sides. The Amplified Bible says, “keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” God’s Word says, “guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.” (Pro. 4:23) Guard your heart both physically and spiritually. My friend, one of these years, your heart will stop . Are you prepared to meet the Lord? The time to decide is not tomorrow but today. Do the needful today before your heart stops. Shalom.