Sermon Tone Analysis

*10-09-05*

*Dallas** Baptist Church*

*40 Days of Purpose…week one  (What on Earth…)*

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*TITLE:  Video Clip:  What on Earth*

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*Sermon Transcript*

 

I’m glad you’re all here today.

I know each of you will be richly blessed, \\ and encouraged as you begin this exceptional journey \\ to discover the answer to some of life’s most difficult questions,       especially that of “what on earth am I here for?”

Administrative things:  1…the messages you’ll hear these next several weeks that I and the other men will preaching are in part from messages preached by Dr. Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church and the author of the “Purpose Driven Life.”

Also please understand that the messages you’ll hear are a bit longer than the normal, but I believe you’ll find them most challenging and uplifting.

So, with that, let’s get started.

If you’ll take out the outline that is in your bulletin, we’ll get started.

Today we’ll start by looking at life’s three greatest questions: 

1) The question of existence – why am I alive?

2)  the question of significance – does my life matter?

and 3) the question of intention – what is my purpose?

*Slide 1…Question of Existence*

The first question, which is the “Question of Existence: \\           or, Why am I alive?” is not a new question.

It was asked many, many years ago.

Jeremiah asked it in Jeremiah 20:18, where he said, \\           “/Why was I born?

Was it only to have trouble and sorrow, to    end my life in disgrace?”

/  

 

*Slide 2…Jeremiah 20: 18*

 

Even today, many people might feel the same way.

Did you ever feel you were born \\                    just to have a bunch of problems?

Do you ask…

                   Was I born to only heartaches, \\                              and a life full of stress?

Even the scholars try to find the answers to questions like that.

Dr. Hugh Moorhead, who was the Chairman at the Department of Philosophy at the Northeastern University, once wrote to 250 well-known philosophers, scientists, writers and intellectuals of the world and asked them this question, “*What is the purpose of Life.*”

After he got their responses,         he published all of their responses in a book.

Some of these people simply offered their best guesses.

Some admitted they had made up a purpose in life just to have one.

Some admitted they didn’t have any idea at all as to what the purpose of life was… \\ and they asked that if Dr. Moorhead knew what the answer was, would he please let them know.

*“So…for us, then, the QUESTION remains:…“What do you say, is the Purpose of LIFE?”*

 

Unfortunately some people fall into the same mindset as

Isaac Asimov, the well-known Science-Fiction writer,

because he wrote, “As far as I can see, \\           there is no           purpose.”

BUT, that is a very tragic statement folks, \\           because a life with no purpose isn’t a life worth living.

Therefore, it’s no coincidence that the suicide rate \\           in our society is so high.

Suicide is now the No. 3 killer of teenage students both in the US according the CDC.

<<  *Youth* \\ The overall rate of suicide among youth has declined slowly since 1992 (Lubell, Swahn, Crosby, and Kegler 2004).

However, rates remain unacceptably high.

Adolescents and young adults often experience stress, confusion, and depression from situations occurring in their families, schools, and communities.

Such feelings can overwhelm young people and lead them to consider suicide as a “solution.”

Few schools and communities have suicide prevention plans that include screening, referral, and crisis intervention programs for youth.

* Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24.

In 2001, 3,971 suicides were reported in this group (Anderson and Smith 2003).

* Of the total number of suicides among ages 15 to 24 in 2001, 86% (n=3,409) were male and 14% (n=562) were female (Anderson and Smith 2003).

* American Indian and Alaskan Natives have the highest rate of suicide in the 15 to 24 age group (CDC 2004).

* In 2001, firearms were used in 54% of youth suicides (Anderson and Smith 2003).>>

And That’s because that any time you take God out of the equation, \\           you don’t really have very many alternatives, \\ even though people try to come up with some.

What are some the popular approaches people try today?

1)  One that is popular today is the so-called */Mystical approach/* – \\           this approach says /“look within yourself…/

But you know…IF that really worked, then all of us would know our purpose in life and we wouldn’t have to go through 40 Days of Purpose.

This ‘look inside yourself approach’ is one of the popular approaches on most TV talk shows.

Rick Warren shared that several years ago \\           he just had to watch one of Oprah Winfrey’s shows… \\           that’s because she was doing a session on \\                    */discovering your purpose on life.

/* 

In fact, Rick said he even taped it so he could be sure not to miss any of it, because he wanted to hear what Oprah had to say on this subject.

Rick said that at every single break during that hour long show, Oprah would say “Now, come back because we’re going to tell you your purpose.”

But, did they tell ever it?

– Rick said, No.

They didn’t even attempt it.

In fact, Rick pointed out, that as the credits were rolling

at the end of that Oprah Winfrey show, she kind of looks at the credits and says, /“And remember, you’ve got to figure it out by yourself.”

/

Rick’s comment was, man, I just wasted a whole hour.

Looking within yourself is not the answer.

2)  Then, there is what is called the */Philosophical approach/*          

There are several ways this philosophical approach plays out in people’s lives.

One such response that comes out of this, is known as /survivalist/

                   this is someone who says,

          “The purpose of life is just to stay alive.”

In other words, live as long as you can.

Then, another philosophical response is the /Naturalist/, \\ This person says, “The purpose of life is just to perpetuate itself.”

\\           In other words, you and I are here ONLY for biological reasons.

Rap artist, *ICE-T*, puts it like this, “The only reason we’re here is to reproduce.

\\ Just chill out and reproduce.

Keep the species alive.”

\\ Now…let me ask you…Does that really get you pumped up so that you really want to jump out of bed in the morning?

It may motivate some of us to jump in to bed, I don’t know.

Then, there’s the Hedonist response, which says,

“The purpose of life is pleasure – have fun, party-hardy.”

And then of course, there’s the Materialist who says,

“Life is all about the acquisition of things.”

In other words, life is measured by the things you own.

But every one of them is basically saying the same thing.

They all say create your own purpose in life.

And they all give the same basic approach –

go after your goals, have ambitions, aim high,

believe in yourself, figure out what you’re good at,

and involve other people.

That’s all good advice and will, if you do those things, bring some success into life.

But being a success and knowing your purpose in life */are not the same thing/*.

Because you can be a multi-millionaire success in life

and still never know, “What on earth am you’re here for.”

*So then…What on earth DID God put you and me on this earth for?

*

The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment.

It’s far greater than your own happiness.

It’s even greater than your own peace of mind.

You were made by God, and you were made for God,

and you were put here, whether you want to accept it or not,

          for His purposes.

But until we understand that and we accept that,

          life isn’t going to make sense.

That being the case, then *why does God want us here?*