The Meaning of Life

Today we’re talking about an easy subject, the meaning of life.

If I can be frank. 42 – Address your complaints

We come down to it. I will give you the answer ahead of time in case you have to leave early. – Our purpose in life is to glorify God. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

We’re going to look at the text to understand why, but I want to look at a place where it’s put as succinctly as can be in the bible. The book of Ecclesiastes is one of the books of wisdom. It was written by Solomon, who had one of the wealthiest and most successful kingdoms of Israel and the world.

Remember God told him to ask for anything, and he asked for wisdom. Ecclesiastes is kind of his wrap up on life.

Ecc 1:13a – And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. – This brought us much of the book of Proverbs.

Once he didn’t find what he was looking for there though, he turned to pleasure. Ecc 2:1 – I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.”

Notice how in both vs he’s trying to fill something in his heart. He provides it with wisdom, then with pleasure. Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful above all things. How much it promises us if I can just have that I’ll be happy. Or just have that person, that job, that house, that waffle.

What conclusion does he come to? Ecc 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

I don’t want you to get hung up on the words used here. There is depth in language, and not everything is as it looks on the surface - I didn’t say he stole my money.

Fear God – The weight and awe of His glory. Like seeing a billion galaxies, or the morning sunrise. All of creation testifies about God.

Lion example

Keep His commands – Oh right, it’s just another set of rules to follow. No. Love the Lord God with all your heart. Love your neighbor as yourself. When you are most satisfied in Him you won’t covet, hate, yearn for anything else.

It is God and God alone who satisfies, and only when we lose sight of that do we sin. Where is the disconnect?

Why are most American’s going to heaven? They don’t see a need for a savior. Everyone has a savior they are looking to. It’s a disordered life.

Song – Young Oceans, You Are the Fullness: Why would I drink the world’s bitter wine My Lord? Why do I feast on seeds of desire my Lord? When I know You are fullness.

It’s letting anything slip into that number 1 spot that only God can fill.

So we should probably look at today’s text to justify what I’m saying. Why is He a God worth desiring

· He’s the God that came down to save us. Vs 15a

Why is this so incredible? Every other religion in the world has a far off god that we must work our way to and appease. To earn our standing among them. Only Christianity says there is no way to bridge that gap.

The Old Testament is the story of a people trying to achieve holiness and make their way back to God. It was also an example of failure. On our own we can never get back what was taken when sin entered the world.

The law was given not because we could use it to save ourselves, but so we would know how far away we really are.

Example of Eden and the Temple.

The word became flesh and dwelt among us.

He makes a way when there is no way. Abraham’s sacrifice, the Israelites trapped between the sea and Egypt. Over and over again our life takes us places that are insurmountable

· He is the inheritorof all creation. Vs 15b

This takes us back to language, and why it’s important to take in context.

Mormons – further clarification by Joseph Smith. Remove the deity of Jesus as well as God the Father. Everything is a created thing, even God.

The next sentence states He created all things. John, in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, the Word was God.

1 Cor 15:27 – all things have been put under His feet. - Romans 14:11 – Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess.

Make no mistake, we will face God and answer to Him.

· He created everything, visible and invisible. Vs 16a

Why visible and invisible? He is a God of order. Who created mathematics? Physics? Who holds the earth in place? All power and authority is created by Him.

We might thing we don’t covet anything because we don’t have stuff or care what others have. Do we crave security? Is our trust in our savings? In our ability to handle? Our power over a situation?

Romans 13:1- There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

Everything pales in comparison to God. – Isaiah 6:5. He saw God on the throne, the seraphim flying around Him, heaven crying out Holy, holy, holy, the foundations shook when God spoke. The first thing out of his mouth.

Isaiah 6:5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; - there was no hope, the guards fell back when Jesus said I Am He - for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

· All things were created for Him. Vs 16b

Rev 4:11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. In the KJ it says for your pleasure they are, and were created.

God saw it, and it was good. When we make things, or the kids draw things, what is pleasing to us, we keep, hang it on the wall, it pleases us to look at it.

What does it mean God is most pleased in us when we are most satisfied in Him?

Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

1 Sam 15:22 Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? – Saul had disobeyed and though, I’ll just throw up this sacrifice and we’ll all be good again.

· He holds everything together. Vs 17

Rev 4:11 by your will they existed.

When sin entered the world, we were ripped away from Him. A wall of sin came between us.

We can only get to heaven through Him.

God will not just restore His people, but all of creation. When Isaiah talks about the Savior that is to come, he says

Isaiah 11:6-10 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the fattened calf and the lion will lie down together. Those two lie down together all the time, it’s just that one usually doesn’t get back up. It says the child shall play over the hole of the cobra.

Death, pain, suffering, despair, it all entered the world through our sin, and Jesus will restore it all. That is our hope and our glory.

Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes’, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.

Our purpose is to day by day become more like Him, until he comes back or calls us home.

We have what we call the 5G process. Sounds like a 5 step program, or little factory where we insert the ugly sinner and you come out a good little Christian. It’s a description of what happens to us and how we change when we come face to face with the living God. The God who loves us.

We accept Christ and are a genuine Christian. This drives us to want to know Him and become a growing Christian. Out of this abundance we want to give back because we have been given so much. This is not enough, we want others to know this joy we have. It’s all done for God’s glory.

What kind of God do we serve? – Story of man on a train. – old story because involves a letter and no cell phone. Now a days we would probably text or send a message over Facebook.

Everyone close your eyes, we’ll pray