Finding Meaning In Our Lives

Finding Meaning In Our Lives

Pastor Vincent - 4 June 2015

Doing Nothing, Yet Believing Everything

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Corinthians 1:17 NIV) In life, we are subjected to various circumstances and decision points that propel us to mobilize our human wits to do something, find something, or solve something right away. Our human nature always draws us to focus on the signs and outcomes of things, and thus it activates our big self easily, causing the big self to drive us. Yet, the big irony is, it's also this big self that hinder us from magnifying Christ, ie the biggest victory before we ever activate anything. When Christ sent His disciples to preach the gospel, those who were sent included people like Peter who was a mere fisherman, lowly educated he was. But God has a message for us -- a lot of times, we focus a lot on the outcomes eg whether one will believe in Christ, whether our family will be saved, can we fulfil our key performance indicators at work etc etc... But when Christ commissioned His people to preach the gospel, it's because the gospel itself is all that we ever need in evangelism, not our eloquence nor human wits. The gospel, in its inherent nature, has all its power to effect the outcome God has intended to bring on. But it's only when man looks upon God with a believing heart can he participate in the glorious fulfilment of God's work. As we continue on our pilgrim's journey, God wants us to do nothing out of our human nature, but believe in everything because we genuinely and sincerely hold onto God's promises. When we rest ourselves on the right platform (eg the unchanging promise of God), it will activate all our spiritual senses and propel us to live by faith.

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* The quest for significance (meaning) is built into our humanness.

* Man is created with lasting and higher meaning as image bearers of God.

* Meaninglessness actually leads to boredom, alcoholism, juvenile delinquency and even suicide.

* Sociologist Durkheim – Greatest number of suicides are caused by anomie, something rendered by meaninglessness. (Anomic suicide takes place when somebody has no goal or purpose in life, or if he has an unattainable goal in his life)

* Quality of church teaching has to increase to truly give meaning to the inner soul.

 

Verses to Read: <Ecclesiastes 2:1-11>

  • Sigmund Freud – Man has the will to pleasure
  • Alfred Adler – Man has the will to power
  • Word of God – Man has the will to meaning

 

Solomon couldn’t find meaning through his heart

* Our fallen hearts can only tell us there is no meaning. 

* Only God’s truth points us to where true meaning lies.

 

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

<Ecclesiastes 12:13-14>. 

 

God’s Commandments and Judgment

* Commandments – What we are created for?

* Judgment – What we are ultimately destined for?

① Commandment of Reigning <Gen 1:28>

② Commandment of Obedience <Gen 2:16-17>

 

The Fall

* Continue to reign, yet in disobedience

* Mankind will destroy each other eventually

 

Restoration of “true meaning” through Christ

1) Dignity and worth as God’s image bearer – Do His will

2) Eternity

3) Morality

4) Call to excellence

 

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Pastor Vincent Choo
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Vincent serves as the President of The Blessed Run Church. He is also the Senior Pastor of The Life Church and Missions (Singapore) and is an ardent missionary to the Chinese World. He currently lives in Singapore with his wife, Qiufen, and has three kids, Mary, David, and Caleb.

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