“Why Am I Here,” Part 2

Good afternoon, here is the part two of “Why Am I Here,” or the better question might be, “What is the Purpose Of Life.” Solomon is considered the wisest man in the Bible and here is what he has to say on the subject.

An original plan, our trivial pursuits; and we are still asking what is:

III. Our ultimate purpose: God invites us to know and serve Him eternally:

13 Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole [duty] of man. - Eccl. 12:13.

After a life of meaningless disappointments, the wise king finally came to understand life’s ultimate goal. Here Solomon reduces the purpose of life down to two elements.

“Fear God”: To Know Him properly. No life will ever experience meaning without God. Solomon was not suggesting that people try religion. Instead, he instructs us to know God properly, i.e. on God’s terms. A holy God deserves and demands reverence and adoration. In short, he challenges us to have personal relationship with God based on faith and grace. By faith we know God and by grace we are accepted by God.

“Keep His commandments”: To Serve Him faithfully. Jesus said that all the commandments could be reduced to two: Love God with all your heart and Love your neighbor as yourself.

If we begin to live in accordance with these two commands we will begin to experience a sense of meaning and purpose. And the world will notice that our lives and our faith is worthy of a second look. 

"A man once stood before God, his heart breaking from the pain and injustice in the world. “Dear God,' he cried out, 'look at all the suffering, the anguish and distress in your world. Why don't you send help?' God responded, 'I did send help. I sent you.'" [David J. Wolpe, Teaching Your Children About God, CD]

We see that God had an original plan for each of us, but we are bad to wonder from that plan and follow our own pursuits. We have also looked briefly at our ultimate purpose, now let’s look at:

IV. Our eternal preparation: God gives us life as a preparation for eternity:

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil. - Eccl. 12:14.

What does a life matter that disregards eternity?

Mark 8:35-38: "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Matthew 16:24-27: Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.

Eventually most people will consider the reality of eternity. Those that recognize that life continues after death will have to wonder what impact their present life will have on their eternal life. Hopefully, some will come see that the decisions and actions of our lives determine the place of our eternal existence. In other words, life prepares us for eternity – for good or bad. This, too, is part of our purpose. We will spend a lot longer in eternity than we ever will here. What preparations have you made? Will you spend it with God the Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit or will you spend it eternally separated from Him.

Conclusion: “Everyone in Cabrini-Green (one of Chicago's toughest housing projects), it seems, knows sixty-three-year-old Brother Bill. He's hard to miss-he wears a flowing, sky-blue cassock made from hundreds of tattered denim patches. Brother Bill's mission is to bring peace to the troubled housing project. Fifty-three times, by his count, he has waded into gunfire in order to stop it; fifty-three times the gunfire has stopped, and fifty-three times he has emerged unscathed. He talks trigger-itching assailants into putting away their guns and going home to their families. He sits beside wounded gangsters who hope to die and persuades them to live. And he insists that there is nothing special about him or his accomplishments. He just says, ‘I'm an ordinary man on an extraordinary mission.’ He doesn't preach, he loves. One of his fans, a twenty-two-year-old Vice Lord, says ‘I really think God sent him here.’" [Time Magazine]

Brother Bill is a man who understands why he is here. Do you?