Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / 7 Wonders

Why Do Exist? 01/16/05

Title: Why Do I Exist?’                                                                                                                                                  Main Texts: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:24-26 

Powerpoint Slide #1  ‘Why Do I Exist?’

Introduction: One of the funniest TV commercials ever was put out by the fast food chain Wendys.  And it spawned an unforgettable soundbite…You remember. An elderly woman and two of her friends open their huge hamburger buns and found a tiny burger. Then, one of the elderly women asks ‘Where’s the Beef?’

Powerpoint Slide #2  ‘Where’s the beef?’

When it comes to finding meaning and purpose in life, many people are asking the same question. They find themselves sandwiched between birth and death..with no substance in between. Struggling to find identity and meaning in life, they, like Clara Pellar, are asking ‘Where’s the beef?’. To be more specific, what they are really asking is ‘Why Do I Exist?’ ‘Am I just a product of random selection as Darwin put it and other evolutionists would have us believe?’ Are we here just because we were the ones who survived the battle of the fittest?

I have come to believe there are two ways and only two ways of answering these questions.

Powerpoint Slide #3 ‘Two Ways’

    •    Life has no meaning, we just live it and die.
    •    Life has meaning and part of life is discovering that meaning.

Transition: If you have your Bibles turn to the Book of Ecclesiastes.

Powerpoint Slide #4 ‘Ecclesiastes’

If you are not familiar with that book, it is in the middle of the Bible; Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. If you didn’t bring a Bible with you, you will find one under the seat in front of you. If you are using a church bible, turn to page 507.  Those who regularly attend this church believe that the Bible not only contains truth, but IS the truth. And this morning we will examine the two answers to the meaning of life from a man who was the wisest person who ever lived….King Solomon.

Powerpoint Slide #5 ‘Life has no meaning’

1. Life has no meaning…we just live it and die.

Have you ever asked ‘Why do I exist?’ Does my life have meaning…real purpose? What complicates the matter is that self proclaimed experts give us so many different answers to the meaning of life. Who do you believe? Who has the right answer?

Maybe you’re here this morning because you want to believe the Bible has the right answer to finding meaning and purpose in life but you are now surprised that I have taken you to the Book of Ecclesiastes.  Perhaps you have heard that that book carries the ‘eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may die’ philosophy. And that seems to support the answer that life has no meaning, we just live it and die. 

Well, you’re right, in a way. The Book of Ecclesiastes is disturbing because it was written by the wisest person who ever lived, Solomon, yet, he says over and over again (33 times I believe) that life is meaningless.

Powerpoint Slide # 6 ‘Ecc. 1:2’
Read: Ecc. 1:2

Perhaps your translation of the Bible reads ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity’ The Hebrew word for vanity does not mean conceit, but emptiness, meaningless.’
Solomon, the wisest person who ever lived is saying that no matter what we do in life, the end result will always be emptiness, meaninglessness.

Powerpoint Slide # 7 ‘Eccl. 1:8’
Read: Ecc. 1:8

What this is saying is that nothing, in itself, will ever satisfy you. You look, you hear, but …nothing. So you look for more or something different but you end up as empty as when you began.

Well, certainly Solomon lived in a different time and we have much more to satisfy us today. That was then and this is now, you may be thinking.  Solomon, the wisest person who ever lived wouldn’t agree.

Powerpoint Slide # 8 ‘Ecc. 1:9-10’
Read: Ecc. 1:9-10

The quantity and variety of things may have changed but Solomon says when it comes right down to it, there is nothing new under the sun.
Times may change but our relentless search to find meaning in life remains the same. And, we always look in the same places to find purpose in life.

Transition: Solomon gives three examples of the places he looked to find meaning and purpose in life. Three places, if we were honest, we too look, to find our meaning.

Powerpoint Slide # 9 ‘Ecc. 2:1-3,10a’
Read: Ecc. 2:1-3,10a

Powerpoint Slide # 10 ‘Pleasure’

Pleasure, laughter, fun…he wanted it, he got it. Solomon sought pleasure in…
    •    Wine, the drug on Solomon’s day…today we have drugs in many flavors and styles and many people still seek pleasure from them.
    •    Solomon wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do…he was a thrill seeker. If he lived today he would be involved in Extreme Sports.
         He would be an adrenaline junkie.
    •    He was the richest person who ever lived, he could buy anything and everything…and he probably had to because he had over 1000 wives.
         Men can you imagine the shopping sprees.

He found that pleasure and the accumulation of things didn’t satisfy. They left him still hungering for something else…can you identity?

Transition: But Solomon didn’t stop with pleasure.

Powerpoint Slides # 11, 12, 13  ‘Ecc. 2: 12-16;  1:16-18’
Read: Ecc. 2:12-16; 1:16-18

Powerpoint Slide # 14 ‘Knowledge’

Having two Master’s degrees and finishing the work on my Doctorate, I find these verses not very encouraging. What he was saying is that being highly educated or being a fool ultimately makes no difference because both the pursuit of knowledge and the lack of knowledge will never give life meaning. However, this is not an excuse to drop out of school or not to further your education. Solomon says that it is better to be educated than to be a fool, at least you won’t be walking around life in darkness. Education can improve the quality of life, but it won’t give it meaning and purpose.

Transition: Since pleasure, and knowledge didn’t give life meaning or purpose, Solomon decided to give work a try.

Powerpoint Slide # 15 ‘Ecc. 2:17-18,19b’
Read: Ecc. 2:17-18, 19b

Powerpoint Slide # 16 ‘Work’

Solomon looked to work to fill the void in his life…to give his life meaning and purpose… Know anyone like that? But notice, Solomon, after all his work, says that he hated it. He struggled, he worked so hard only to go to the grave without any guarantee that what he left behind would be appreciated

Powerpoint Slide # 17 ‘Ecc. 1:2’
Read: Ecc. 1:2
 
Application: Solomon isn’t a fatalist, he isn’t a pessimist. He is a realist. Pursuit for meaning in life through pleasure, knowledge or work will always end in frustration, physical stress and unfulfilled desires. Life is meaningless. Solomon honestly admits what we are reluctant to say. Pleasure, knowledge and work will not give meaning to life, it is not where you will find purpose. 

So if that is where you are searching, you might as well eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die. That’s why French philosopher John Paul Sartre said ‘Life is inherently absurd.’What’s absurd is believing that my daughters, and your children and grandchildren are here only because of random selection; they just happened here by chance and their life has no meaning besides living and dying. I won’t accept that.I hope you won’t either. And thank God, we don’t have too because God has something to say about the meaning and purpose of life.

Transition: Fortunately, Solomon found the right answer to his question. He found the reason for his existence and purpose for his life. If you are here this morning and you feel life is meaningless, I want to ask you to listen to what Solomon has to say about life.

Powerpoint Slide # 18  ‘Life has meaning and part of life is discovering that meaning.’

2. ‘Life has meaning and part of life is discovering that meaning.’

Here it is. I am going to give you Solomon’s answer right now and then explain how he got there.

Powerpoint Slide # 19 ‘Ecc.2:24-26’
Read: Ecc. 2:24-26 

God is saying you can not know meaning and purpose in life…without me. God doesn’t mix words. He doesn’t tell us what we want to hear, only what we need to hear. He is saying you can try pleasure, knowledge and work, but all will fail to give your life meaning and purpose. But, those who search for me will find purpose in life. Why?

Powerpoint Slide #20  ‘Ecc. 3:11a’
Read: Ecc. 3:11a

Because God has placed in all our hearts eternity. You are an eternal being. The Bible says that you will live out that eternity in one of two places …heaven or hell…both are real, make no mistake, BOTH  truly exist. And you will never be fulfilled, you will never find meaning and purpose in life apart from a right relationship with God. What is needed for a right relationship with God so that you will find meaning in life?

Powerpoint Slide # 21 ‘Know God as Your Creator’ 

I want to keep this simple because I believe it is simple. You were created by God. God wants you to get to know him.

Powerpoint Slide # 22 ‘Gen. 1:26-27’
Read: Gen. 1:26-27

You were created by the predetermined will of God. What that means is that you were born ….because God wanted you to live. And you remain alive because God wants you alive. Your purpose in life is to get to know the God who created you.

Powerpoint Slide # 23 ‘Acts 17:28’
Read: Acts 17:28

Every breath you take comes from God and is an opportunity for you to get to know him.

Transition: Meaning in life is found through a right relationship with God. You discover your purpose in life when you recognize and acknowledge God as your Creator and he is giving you the opportunity to get to know him. But, how can you get to know God?

Powerpoint Slide # 24 ‘Know Jesus as Your Savior’

By knowing Jesus, his son.

Powerpoint Slide # 25 ‘Phil. 3:8’
Read: Phil. 3:8

What is so important about knowing Jesus? Because he offers fullness, fulfillment in life.

Powerpoint Slide # 25 ‘Jn 10:10’
Read: Jn. 10:10

What is the fullness of life Jesus offers as Savior?

Powerpoint Slide # 26 ‘Jesus’ Offer’

    •    Forgiveness of Sin (1 Jn. 1:9)
    •    Access to the very presence of God the Father (Heb. 4:16)
    •    Admission to heaven when this life is done (Rom. 6:23)

Jesus’ offer to be your Savior gives you purpose, and meaning in life. How do you know Jesus as Savior?

Powerpoint Slide # 27 ‘Rom. 10:9-10,13’
Read: Rom. 10:9-10,13

Can it be any clearer? No hoops to jump through, no games to play, no money to give, no cleaning up your act so Jesus can be your Savior. Just ask and he will do it. And you will know Jesus as Savior and be in a right relationship with God.  And, you will find meaning and purpose for your life.

Transition: ‘Why Do I Exist?’ What’s the big picture here? What does it all come down to?

Powerpoint Slide # 28 ‘Great Commandment’
Read: Matt. 22:36-38

Do you know what this is saying to you? It is saying that the most important thing God wants for you, your ultimate purpose in life is to love God…the one who created you, the one who saved you, the one who offers you eternal life in heaven…to love God, with all your being. That is the big idea, that is your ultimate purpose for living. But there is more…

Powerpoint Slide # 29 ‘Matt. 22:39-40’
Read: Matt. 22:39-40

Love others. Loving others will bring meaning to your life and give it purpose. As God has demonstrated his love for us, we need to show love, compassion, mercy and grace to others. That is our purpose in life.

Conclusion
So the question remains

Powerpoint Slide #30  ‘Where’s the beef?’

Sandwiched between birth and death we can choose pleasure, knowledge and work to find meaning in life but we will find what Solomon found ‘Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!’ Make your life about pleasure, knowledge or work and you will never find meaning and purpose in life, you will never find fulfillment and satisfaction because they are just fillers not substance...not BEEF.

Powerpoint Slide #31 ‘Blank Why do I exist’

Solomon, the wisest person who ever lived reminds us that meaning and purpose come when we see life as a gift from God and develop a right relationship with Him. God loves you and has placed you here for a reason, he has placed eternity in your heart and he wants you to spend it in heaven.
 
Powerpoint Slide #32 ‘Be Still’
 
    •    If you are here this morning and you have never called out to God and trusted Jesus as your Savior,
    •    If you are here this morning and you believe God is speaking to your heart.
    •    If you want meaning and purpose in your life

Then you need Jesus as your Savior.

    •    Call upon the name of the Lord…talk to God.
    •    Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and is now alive.
    •    Ask God to forgive your sin because of Jesus’ death on the Cross for your sin.
    •    Ask Jesus to come into your life and be your Savior.

Ask him and he will do it. Ask him right now and find meaning and purpose in your life.