04/27/03 - "What on Earth am I here for?" - by Pastor Mike Baker

Today is the first day in our six week program entitled 40 Days of Purpose. We hope to answer the following three of life's greatest questions:

1. Why am I alive?
2. Does my life matter?
3. What is my purpose?

Question #1 Why am I alive? We find that the prophet Jeremiah asked a similar question (Jer 20:18). Was I born to have a bunch of problems? However, we also must keep in mind that being successful does not necessarily equal finding your purpose.
ANSWER: You were made by God and put here for his purpose. Proverbs 16:4 He made everything for His purpose. God has never made anything without a purpose. God's motives: Eph 1:4 We are the focus of His love! He made us to love us. God made you because He wanted/longs for you!

Question #2 Does my life matter? Is 49:4. Live can be seen to have three levels:

1. Survivor level - just getting by
2. Success level - comparing ourselves to rest of the world or others but it takes more than success.
3. Signifigance - knowing the meaning of life, knowing how much you matter, knowing His purposes and are living them out.

Is 44:2
Ps 139:16
Ps 33

His purposes last forever. These are the things that we are going to be doing in heaven. Our life today is just a warm-up. II Cor 5:1 A home that will last forever. I matter so much to God, that He wants me to be with Him forever!

Question #3 What is my purpose? Ps 89 "Why did you create us?"

Unless you assume a God, the question of life's purpose is meaningless. - Bertrand Russell, aetheist

There is only way to know the purpose of something and that is to ask the creator or read the owner's manual. In the beginning was God! Life started with God, continues with God and will end with God. Pr 9:10 Want to know God? Get to know Him. Col 1:15, Acts 10:35

Memory verse for this week. Eph 2:10

For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. - New Revised Standard Version