The Search of a Lifetime
Text: Gen 1:1
Last week – Where do I come from?
This week – Why am I here? What is the purpose of Life?
Many people try to answer the question
Purpose of life is to get more money?
Go to school so they can get a good job so they can sent their kids to school so they can get a good job . . .
Purpose in life is to find inner peace
search for some mountain top experience
Budism, Taoism, many eastern religions
Purpose in life is to be an extremist for my cause
Environmentalism
Abortion
Civil Rights
Racial
Women’s Rights
What is God’s Answer?
First Two answers - in Genesis
Final answer in the Gospels
I. Enjoy God’s Blessings – Genesis 2:8-16
A. We were CREATED to enjoy God’s Blessings
B. God planted a Garden
C. Placed man in it
D. Told him he was free to eat from all trees save one
1. Adam did not plant it
2. Adam did not water it
3. Adam did not plow it
4. Adam simply enjoyed it
E. God WANTS to bless us
F. Some will say that we presume too much if we ask
God to bless us.
1. Mal 3:10
Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.
2. Matt 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.
3. Exodus 3:8 – God gave Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey
4. James 4:2 – You do not have because you do not ask
G. As parents, we WANT to give good gifts to our
children.
H. All we have to do is live in His blessings
II. Be good stewards of what He has given us
A. Everything was created by God
B. All was given to our charge
1. Gen 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."
C. We were free to control the whole Earth but for one tree
D. Man Sinned and God saw that we could not be trusted with His creation
E. God now had to change the rules
1. No longer would man be in control, but God
2. Man would now till the earth
3. Demanded first-fruits
a) First child belonged to God
b) First crops belonged to God
c) First born animals belonged to God
d) Illus.
Answering a knock on the door of his African hut, a missionary found a native boy holding up a large fish. The boy said, "Preacher, you taught us to give at least one-tenth, so here - I’ve brought you my tenth." As the missionary gratefully took the fish, he questioned the young lad. "Where are the other nine fish?" At this, the boy beamed and said, "Oh, they’re still back in the river. I’m going back to catch them now."
F. Stewardship is God asking us to care for things that would be better of in His hands anyway
III. Glory to the Father
A. Luke 19:40
People cried praise to Jesus
Pharisees asked them to stop lest a riot occur
"I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
B. Romans 1:19-20
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. . .
C. The purpose of God’s creation is to point others to Christ
D. Are we not part of God’s creation?
E. Everything that we do should point people to Christ
F. Can we put our name in Romans 1?
Ever since Steven’s birth, His invisible nature has been clearly perceived in Steven, so they are without excuse. . .
Many people are looking for their purpose in life, some spend much time and money doing it.
Our purpose is to
Enjoy His Blessings
Take Care of His creation
Point people to Him
Maybe not the best order
If you don’t point people to Him and Take Care of His creation, you may not get the blessings
John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you
