Date and time: Sunday 10th February, 2:00pm
Location: Castle Hill Bible Education Centre
Have you ever thought about the real purpose of life?
Are we all just the result of a random accident or is there more to it than that?
Mankind is able to make and do many amazing things, yet struggles to live at peace with his fellow man.
He can build incredible machines, and produce wonderful works of art, yet is steadily destroying the very planet he lives on.
For most of us life becomes a routine of work commitments balanced by periods of leisure. Over time we generally gather lots of possessions and people enjoy an ever expanding list of entertainment and holiday choices.
Yet many people confess to feeling a lack of purpose in their life.
The famous king Solomon in the Bible was given great wisdom by God and he set himself to understand the purpose of life. Early in his searchings he said:
What profit has a man from all his labour in which he toils under the sun? One generation passes away and another generation comes..
Ecclesiastes 1: 3
To him it just seemed futile.
Could it be that possessions, entertainment and leisure are not the ultimate answer to the purpose of life?
At the heart of human beings there seems to exist an emptiness or unfulfilled desire which money or possessions just cannot buy.
In the end, relationships with family, friends and just doing things with others are far more important to most people.
But there is an even greater relationship we can have. The only one that fully answers our need for peace and contentment.
The wise King Solomon who ruled Israel about 950BC, looked at life from all angles to discover its purpose. At the end of his searchings his conclusion was…
Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all
Ecclesiastes 12:13
So is this the real purpose of life?
Is this what we need to do to find lasting fulfillment?
Solomon certainly concluded that it was, but what exactly do his words mean?
And his statement raises a vital question.
Is a belief in God still credible in the world of today?
Is the idea of God just a feeling that some people have, which others don’t?
And how could we know for sure?
The longing by mankind for a higher purpose certainly fits well with the idea of God, but is it just wishful thinking?
The real purpose of life
The fact is we live on a unique planet. Its distance from the sun, its oceans to moderate and control the temperature, its delicately balanced atmosphere and its vast supplies of fresh water all combine to provide a wonderful world where an amazing diversity of life can exist.
We have never yet discovered anything else like it in the universe!
Everywhere we look in the natural world we find evidence of the most awe inspiring design. Whether in the intricate complexity of a single cell, or the wonders of the human body.
Design requires a designer and creator.
Our world and the living things on it could not just appear out of nowhere.
Yet despite the evidence of our creator’s existence, today’s society is geared towards reaching our own goals, securing our financial futures, our rights and the pursuit of personal happiness.
Is this the purpose of life? Are we put on this earth to be self-seeking and self-serving? Are we each the centre of our own little universe?
Actually, no! It’s not all about me. When the Creator of our magnificent universe looks down, I am not the centrepiece. Life doesn’t revolve around me, even though God loves us.
In fact, the Bible says it revolves around a man, His son Jesus Christ who lived about 2000 years ago.
Jesus has been appointed to rule the world with true justice.
Seriously? Sounds like a superhero story.
Maybe so, but God says that this Jesus will return to earth.
He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead.
Acts 17: 31
God created us and has set laws in motion “so that men would seek Him and find Him”. (Acts 17: 27)
In fact the very first words of the Bible in Genesis are, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”(Genesis 1: 1)
The Bible also reveals that God’s purpose is to fill the earth with His glory- His infinite creativity and perfect character. “but truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD” (Numbers 14: 21).
Genesis 1 also tells us in verse 27 that “God created man in His own image”.
We don’t yet reflect God’s power or wisdom or perfect character, but it’s His desire that we should.
Is that the real purpose of life?
How about enquiring further to see what it’s all about?
We would love to have you join us for the special seminar on 10th of February at 2pm : “What is the real purpose of life?”