Theme: Christ is my Life
Text: Philippians 1:20-21
Introduction:
Dearly beloved in Christ, I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Lord is good and his love endures forever.
We live in a time of death news. The news of cries, panic are viral through many social media. All around the world and every media are full of issues related to COVID-19. We hear so much and bombarded with news on shortages of vaccines, oxygen and beds, queue in the cremation and burial grounds. But, here is the hope of life. The question that comes to our mind is where is God and What’s happening with the world? What is the Purpose of Life?
1. Creation of Human Life
Purpose of Human Life (Genesis 1:26-31): Four reasons are given for the creation of Man: Be fruitful, Increase in Number, Fill the earth and subdue it, Rule over the Creature on the ground (Genesis 1:28, 9:1-3)
God wanted to establish a world ruled by Adam, a man after his image and likeness. His Holy attributes were invested in him. His holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy, grace, and love, veracity, truth, etc. God succeeded in it. Yet each one is unique (Psalm 139:13-16).
He has given him all the authority over the entire creation on earth. He was created lesser than angels in power but higher than angels in relating to him. He never came to die for the angels but the sons of men. God gave man an extra sense than all other created beings on earth (Genesis 2:19-20).
The man was created to glorify God through the exercise of his personality—mind, heart, and will. With his mind he was to know God, with his heart he was to love God, and with his will, in response to his understanding and love of God, he was to choose for God in obedience(ref: bible.org).
God has created man to worship Him and to have dominion over the creations. God has created the world with an ulterior motive of bringing glory to him alone (Psalm 100:2-3, John 17:3-4, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). The sole purpose is to love the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:5, Luke 10:27).
But, the man quickly deviated from the primary purpose by encountering the fallen angel Satan, called Lucifer. The man easily believed the lie learned tricks of Satan, and he desired to become like God to know the good and evil. The man who was in the image and likeness of God forgot to realise and enjoy the Truth. Therefore he yielded to lie and embraced the death of his soul. He lost the relationship with God. He separated himself from God due to his disobedience to God and not keeping the Truth. The disobedience and wickedness became the lifestyle of the people on the earth till the flood destroy the created world. (Genesis 6:5-7)
God found very few obedient and honest men in the pre-historical period. Finally, God found Noah as the only worthy person to be spared among the multitudes and numerous on those days. He completely wiped out the world with a flood (Genesis 6:1-8). Noah worshipped God and pleased him with the Aroma (Genesis 8:21). God has revealed his purpose of creating man again here in this passage. He will not destroy the earth again with a flood (Genesis 8:22).
2. Increase of Human Race
The increase of the human race is witnessed through creating the Languages and Peoples group. The Babel Tower taught us the purpose of creation is being fulfilled by scattering them all over the world (Genesis 11: 5-9).
God has chosen a man among them to reach them. It was Abraham. He called and made a covenant with him to bless the nations (Genesis 12:1-3, 17:1-6). Abraham was chosen to become a father of a new spiritual people. He yielded himself to the call of God and became the father of numerous company of believers. He was waiting for a city whose architect and builder was God (Hebrews 11:8-10). His unquestionable faith is described by Paul in his letters (Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6), and James in his Epistle (James 2:21).
God has tried with Israel, the descendants of Abraham in Egypt and the wilderness(1 Corinthians 10:1-13), and in Canaan, but they utterly failed God. Though Abraham was so faithful to God and obedient to His call (Genesis 12:1-3).
God wanted to raise a nation to subdue all these nations and to establish the kingdom of God on the earth. That kingdom will have the constitution of love and unity, faithfulness and justice as its branches. Thrones of grace to bless the people. But that utopian kingdom could be established on the earth because of the disobedience and lust of the kings whom God raised in Israel and Judah.
But the nation of Israel utterly forgotten the purpose of their election through Abraham. So, he has to scatter them all over the world through Assyrians and Babylonians. But the promises of restoration was echoed through prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. But never happened, because of the continuous apostasy of Israel. In midst of this distorting history, God has kept a faithful lineage of Abraham to bring Christ to this world. It is recorded in Matthew 1 and in Luke 3.
3. Purpose of Cross
To fulfil the purpose of human life on earth. God finally sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ ( John 3:16, Luke 19:10, Matthew 1:21-23) Jesus came to this world and taught many lessons to His disciples through his doctrines, actions and reactions to the given situations (Matthew 5-7, John 14-17).
The disciples of Christ expected to be one in Christ. They must carry the message of love, forgiveness, and grace to all creation( Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18). But need to be preceded by their experience in their lives.
Every individual has to live a purposeful life in Christ (Philippians 3:7-21). At the same time, we need to maintain oneness through unity in expressing our love to another, care for one another. It is possible only forgiving each other. (John 17:20—24). The congregation has gifted with multi-talented persons. Bible has the record of few offices mentioned to the edification of the believers. But today, many avenues and services are available to the Church and the Society. It is a blessing to use our time, talent for the benefit of others. God would reward it at an appropriate time (Ephesians 4:1-16).
Conclusion:
Do we have a message of hope to this world in this pandemic situation? Is religious teaching relevant to the dying and hopeless world? YES. Jesus is the only hope for the world. He is the healer of all our diseases. Doctors are sincerely treating all, but healing comes from the Lord. Even death comes yet we are conquerors (Romans 8:28-39).
The purpose of creation and giving life to every one of us is understood and fulfilled only in Christ. Death is not the end of life but the end of life on the fallen earth. It is the beginning of the new life in the new earth and new heaven (Revelation 21:1-2). He is coming to lead us into the river of life (Revelation 22:1-7).
