Why Am I Here?

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER

RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

(REVISED: 2019)

(Powerpoints used with this message are available free. Just email me at mnewland@sstelco.com and request #292.)

WHY AM I HERE? GOD’S PURPOSE FOR OUR LIFE

TEXT: Ecclesiastes 1:1 14; Ephesians 1:4-5,10; 2 Corinthians 5:19

ILL. I had a tremendous respect & admiration for Pres. Ronald Reagan & the inspirational leadership he provided to our nation & the Western world in a time of Cold War conflict.

But the reason I mention him this morning is because I want us to consider something he said, & which is engraved upon his tomb:

He said, “I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will eventually triumph. And there’s purpose & worth to each & every life.”

Have you ever asked yourself, "Why did God permit me to wake up this morning? Why is my heart still beating? Why am I here? What is the purpose of my continued existence?"

PROP. If you haven't asked that, you need to, because there is a reason, a purpose why God has permitted you & me to be here.

I believe it is important for us to know the answer to that question because if we don't, there can be all kinds of negative results. And in the O.T. book of Ecclesi-astes, King Solomon talks about negative results that arise when we don’t know or ignore God’s purpose for our life.

Now King Solomon, if anyone, should have known the answer. I mean, Solo¬mon had it all. He had wealth more than he could ever spend. He had posses¬sions more than he could ever enjoy. He had wives more than he could ever please.

He even had wisdom far greater than anyone else in his day. He had it all. Yet for a while, at least, he didn't have a real grasp on God’s purpose for his life.

I. LIFE WITHOUT A PURPOSE

A. Look with me at the 1st chapter of Ecclesiastes, & let's consider some of the negative results that come from not knowing God’s purpose for your life.

1. First of all, when you don't know God’s purpose, then life will seem empty. In vs. 2 Solomon writes, “Meaningless! Meaningless!... Utter¬ly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

Have you ever felt that way? Without realizing God’s purpose, life doesn't make much sense at all!

2. Secondly, when you don't know God’s purpose, then life can be an endless cycle of futility. In vs's 4, 5, & 6 Solomon says such things as, "Generations come and generations go... The sun rises & the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises," & "The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes..."

So life becomes like a merry go round going round & round, yet never getting anywhere. And Solomon gives this result in vs. 8, "All things are wearisome, more than one can say." In other words, "It's wearing me out."

3. Thirdly, when you don't know God’s purpose in your life, you'll never be really satisfied. Notice the last part of vs. 8, "The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing."

We always want more. We have gone from 10" black & white picture tubes to giant screens, & hi fidelity, stereo phonic, surround sound. But we're still not content.

Put a 250 channel remote control in our hands & we're still restless because the things of life don't really satisfy unless we realize what God is doing in our life.

4. Fourthly, when you don't know God’s purpose, life itself will seem insignificant. Listen to vs. 11, "There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow."

ILL. Tony Campolo wrote, "If you ever start to feel proud, just remember that soon after your body has been lowered into the grave, your family & friends will be eating potato salad & telling jokes, & you'll be history."

Wow, that's depressing, & I don't like to talk about depress¬ing things. Yet, we've only begun to scratch the surface of the lives that Solomon describes as “empty, meaningless, futile, insignificant, & out of control.”

II. HOW TO DISCOVER GOD'S PURPOSE

A. Now if your life is anything like that, I want you to be assured that God has a purpose for your life & for mine.

Listen to this passage in God’s Word, "Long before He laid down earth's foundation, He had us in mind. He had settled on us as the focus of His love to be made whole & holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4 5 Msg)