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The Meaning of Life
By Dale Cox
Ecclesiastes 12:8
"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher.
""Everything is meaningless!"
Who can tell what the meaning of life is???
And I'm not talking about the Monty Python movie. I'm talking about why were here on this earth.
Why are we even here? What is the point to this whole life thing anyway?
Is it like that bumper sticker that says:
"The person with the most toys at the end, wins the game."
Are we all just here to see how much stuff we can get, or how much money we can acquire?
Is "that" the meaning of life?
No I don't think so!
A while back, I was driving through Tulsa, Oklahoma and I saw what looked like a huge beer bottle on the side of the road. It was beside a large plant and on the bottle was the words Liquid Life.
Have you ever seen this sign?
It's just a sign. But it really got me thinking about life.
And what people view as important in life.
Some people are just like that, they think that drinking is the answer. That drinking will take care of all their problems.
They are so consumed by drinking, that it's the only way they can live their lives.
Some of us are not that bad, but we still get it all backwards, what's important that is.
You know, the meaning of life and all.
We think that getting this job is the most important thing in our lives right now,
but then we get the job and a week later we find out about another job that sounds even better.
And we say to ourselves, man I wish I had that job.
Sometimes we think that a certain girl or boy is the most important thing in our lives.
But then they do something that makes us mad, and a week or two later they're not
really that important to us anymore.
Or we've found someone else that we like better.
So I ask you, what's important to you right now. Stop and think for just a moment.
What is the most important thing in your life, right this minute?
Everybody, stop right where you are, stop and think for just a moment, what's the most important thing in my life right now.
For some of you, the most important thing right now is when are we going to eat!
Some of you are more concerned with "does so and so like me, or not".
There once was this psychologist whose name was Abraham Maslow.
He had this theory about human motivation he called the "hierarchy of needs".
He claimed that everything a person did was a result of their needs,
and that if a person's need was great enough they would do almost anything to satisfy that need.
Or perhaps more correctly, Without meeting these initial needs,
we will not be able to continue our life and move upward on the hierarchy of needs.
While a lot of what Maslow said makes sense to me, and I agree with most of it.
I disagree with the basic theory.
If it were true that everything a person did was a result of their needs then this whole world
would be filled with a bunch of self-centered people who did not care about anything or anybody but themselves.
I know that�s not true, there is a lot of very loving and caring people out there.
Now certainly there are a lot of self-centered people in this world, but were not all that way.
Let me take a few moments to tell you my theory on the meaning of life.
Now I'm not a psychologist, or a scientist, or even a philosopher. I'm just a Christian who
believes God has a lot more to do with our lives then we give him credit for.
My theory is simple, I believe life is a series of choices. The choices we make, make up our lives.
And the meaning of life all boils down to one very important choice.
Its really a simple choice, it�s a choice between good and evil, light and dark,
Christ or Satan.
The choice is to live your life for Christ, or not. Its that simple.
But for some of you, the problem is you think you have forever to make that choice,
or that you can skirt around the subject and not make the choice right now.
The truth is like the song "Free Will", an old Rush song.
That if you choose not to decided, you still have made a choice.
Think about that!!
If you choose not to decide, you're not working for God,
So, you're working for the devil. In this case, there is no such thing as "The right, not to decide!"
So when do you have to make this choice???
What just happened on September 11th 2001?
Hundreds of people lost their lives in a blink of an eye.
We as humans, think we are indestructible. That we will live to a ripe old age.
But that�s not reality. Do you want to hear some facts?
Fact #1. Some 5,648 teenagers died in motor vehicle crashes in 2000.
( Based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality
Analysis Reporting System)
Fact#2. The highest death rates in this nation of all age groups and sexes, are 15-24 year old males.
Males ages 15-19 are about five times more likely than females to be victims of homicide and suicide,
and nearly eight times more likely to die by firearms.
Fact#3. 28% of the deaths of children between 1990-1994 were between the ages of 15-19; and were alcohol-related.
Still think you have forever to make that choice???
The choice is simple.
Some of you may have never thought about it before. You may not know why you even need to make a choice, so let me help you.
Read Revelation 20:12-15
12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;
and the books were opened: and another book was opened,
which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and
hell delivered up the dead which were in them:
and they were judged every man according to their works.
14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.
15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
In other words, one day we will all stand before God. And everyone who is saved will find their name written in the book of life.
But if you're not saved, then you'll be sent to Hell!
A burning lake of fire. That's why we call it saved. You get saved from the fires of Hell.
So how do you get saved?
Well Romans 10:9-10 says this.
If you confess with your mouth that "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
Lets take a look at these verses real quick, what do they mean?
First of all, we have to believe with all our hearts, that God and Jesus are real.
That Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and that God raised him again on the third day.
Then we have to confess to God that we believe this and that we want to be saved.
Pray to Jesus something from the heart. The words are not as important as what is in your heart.
Pray something like this.
"Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, I know that you�re the Son of God and that you love me.
I believe your word and that only you can save me. Please come into my heart and be
a part of me. I give my life to you, for your purpose. That your will be done in
my life."
And then tell someone.
Talk to your minister, talk to me, write to me, or tell someone you know who is a Christian.
Pray and invite Jesus into your life today, let him show you the meaning of life.
Read Revelation 3:20
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice,
and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
So don't just go through life not knowing what the meaning of your life is.
Make an "Educated Decision".
