WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND MEANING OF LIFE? (1)
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Why are We Here?
i) Everyone looks for meaning in his or her life. It is not at all satisfying to think our lives have no more meaning than just being born, living a short while, then dying. There is nothing in the Bible that says, "The meaning of life is ...," but the Bible does tell God's purposes for us, and it is in fulfilling those purposes that we can find meaning and satisfaction in our lives.
a) Stewardship
i) God created mankind as a special species, above the other animals, and having at least some of the qualities of God, Himself. God appointed us as stewards of all His creation.
Genesis 1:26-28
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, " Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
ii) Related verses: Genesis 1:1, 2:7, 5:1-2, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalms 8:3-6, 100:1-5, 115:16, Isaiah 42:5-6, 64:8, Matthew 21:33-41, 25:14-30, Luke 16:1-13, Romans 1:20-22, 1 Peter 4:10.
b) Commandments
i) God has not left us on our own. He has given us commandments to help us carry out our stewardship duties wisely. As civilization moved forward, the prophets updated and refined the people's understanding of God's commandments. The Bible urges us to put our trust in God and obey His commandments.
ii) Related verses: The Ten Commandments, Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 11:1, Psalms 9:9-10, 25:10, 32:10, 40:4, 84:12, 119:1-2, Proverbs 3:5, 3:27-35, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Nahum 1:7, Matthew 5:19, 6:24, 12:50, Luke 6:46-48, 17:10, John 14:1-2, 14:15, 14:21, Romans 12:2, 2 Timothy 2:22-25, 1 John 2:3-6, 3:24, 5:1-3.
c) The Greatest Commandment
i) When Jesus came, He gave people a new understanding of God's purposes and commandments. He said all of God's commandments follow from two great principles: Love for God and love for other people. He said we should diligently apply these principles in our lives rather than just obey a set of rules:
Matthew 22:35-40
... An expert in religious law, tried to trap [Jesus] with this question: "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" Jesus replied, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."
ii) The English word "love" has many shades of meaning, but the "love" that Jesus spoke of is a translation of the Greek word agape. It means affection, benevolence, good-will, high esteem and concern for the welfare of the one loved. It is deliberate, purposeful, unselfish love rather than emotional, impulsive or self-serving love.
iii) People of Jesus' time had adopted a fairly narrow idea of who should be considered a "neighbor," but in His Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus explained that we should extend our love to all people of the world and consider them to be our neighbors.
iv) Related verses: Leviticus 19:18, 19:34, Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, 10:19, 11:1, Proverbs 17:17, Matthew 5:38-47, 7:12-14, 25:31-46, Luke 6:27-36, John 13:34-35, 15:12-14, Romans 8:28, 12:9-21, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Galatians 5:13-14, 5:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, James 2:8, 1 Peter 1:22, 3:14-17, 4:7-8, 4:16-21.
The End ...
1. Why are We Here?i) Everyone looks for meaning in his or her life. It is not at all satisfying to think our lives have no more meaning than just being born, living a short while, then dying. There is nothing in the Bible that says, "The meaning of life is ...," but the Bible does tell God's purposes for us, and it is in fulfilling those purposes that we can find meaning and satisfaction in our lives.
a) Stewardship
i) God created mankind as a special species, above the other animals, and having at least some of the qualities of God, Himself. God appointed us as stewards of all His creation.
Genesis 1:26-28
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, " Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
ii) Related verses: Genesis 1:1, 2:7, 5:1-2, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalms 8:3-6, 100:1-5, 115:16, Isaiah 42:5-6, 64:8, Matthew 21:33-41, 25:14-30, Luke 16:1-13, Romans 1:20-22, 1 Peter 4:10.
b) Commandments
i) God has not left us on our own. He has given us commandments to help us carry out our stewardship duties wisely. As civilization moved forward, the prophets updated and refined the people's understanding of God's commandments. The Bible urges us to put our trust in God and obey His commandments.
ii) Related verses: The Ten Commandments, Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 11:1, Psalms 9:9-10, 25:10, 32:10, 40:4, 84:12, 119:1-2, Proverbs 3:5, 3:27-35, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Nahum 1:7, Matthew 5:19, 6:24, 12:50, Luke 6:46-48, 17:10, John 14:1-2, 14:15, 14:21, Romans 12:2, 2 Timothy 2:22-25, 1 John 2:3-6, 3:24, 5:1-3.
c) The Greatest Commandment
i) When Jesus came, He gave people a new understanding of God's purposes and commandments. He said all of God's commandments follow from two great principles: Love for God and love for other people. He said we should diligently apply these principles in our lives rather than just obey a set of rules:
Matthew 22:35-40
... An expert in religious law, tried to trap [Jesus] with this question: "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" Jesus replied, " 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."
ii) The English word "love" has many shades of meaning, but the "love" that Jesus spoke of is a translation of the Greek word agape. It means affection, benevolence, good-will, high esteem and concern for the welfare of the one loved. It is deliberate, purposeful, unselfish love rather than emotional, impulsive or self-serving love.
iii) People of Jesus' time had adopted a fairly narrow idea of who should be considered a "neighbor," but in His Parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus explained that we should extend our love to all people of the world and consider them to be our neighbors.
iv) Related verses: Leviticus 19:18, 19:34, Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, 10:19, 11:1, Proverbs 17:17, Matthew 5:38-47, 7:12-14, 25:31-46, Luke 6:27-36, John 13:34-35, 15:12-14, Romans 8:28, 12:9-21, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Galatians 5:13-14, 5:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, James 2:8, 1 Peter 1:22, 3:14-17, 4:7-8, 4:16-21.
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