Who Am I, & Why Am I Here?

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER

RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

(This is a revised & updated version of a message that I contributed to Sermon Central several years ago.)

TEXT: Psalms 8:1-9; Colossians 2:10; Job 12:10

ILL. Some years ago, Time Magazine featured a story about Peter Sellers, a well-known English actor. The article was about him appearing on the Muppet Show & being interviewed by Kermit The Frog. His interview began with Kermit telling Peter, "Now, just relax & be yourself."

Peter Sellers responded, "I can't be myself because I don't know who I am. The real me doesn't exist."

Now I suppose that Peter Sellers was trying to be funny, because he was a comedian by trade. But on this occasion his words were anything but funny. In fact, they were rather sad.

One of his long time friends, commenting on his words, said, "Poor Peter! The real Peter disappeared a long time ago. What he is now is simply a mixture of all the stage & screen characters he has ever played, & now he is frantically trying to unsnarl that mess & find out who he really is."

I don't know if Peter Sellers was ever able to unsnarl that mess, for just six months later he was dead. But whether or not he did, he wasn't alone in his confused feelings.

A. Mingle with students on many college campuses today; hear some of their self-centered demands; notice the "safe zones" where mention of Jesus or anything that might disturb them is not allowed; & begin to understand why some modern sociologists are calling them the "Selfish" or "Coddled" or "Snowflake" Generation.

But it is not just students! Many adults, like Peter Sellers, ponder such questions as "Who am I?", "Why am I here?" & "What is the meaning of my life anyway?"

ILL. Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life", begins the first chapter of his book with these words: "It's not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your wildest dreams & ambitions. . . . Focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose. The Bible says, "It is God who directs the life of his creatures; everyone's life is in his power." (Job 12:10 TEV)

A. There are many beautiful & insightful Psalms, & today we're going to turn our attention to the words of a Psalm written by David a long, long time ago.

It is the 8th Psalm, & as I read it, I can just picture young David sit¬ting on a hillside outside of Bethlehem, gazing up at the moon & stars, his heart filled with the wonder of it all. Then taking out his harp, David begins to sing, & here are some of the words of his song:

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children & infants you have ordained praise. . .

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon & the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings & crowned him with glory & honor.

"You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks & herds, & the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, & the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the sea.

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:1-9)

B. As David looked up at the vastness of God's universe, he felt his own smallness. So he asks God, "What is man that you are mindful of him… that You care about him?”

ILL. I really enjoy reading about Snoopy, the dog in the Charlie Brown cartoons. One night Snoopy was stretched out on top of his doghouse saying, "I can hear my heart beat¬ing. I can hear my stomach growling. I can hear my bones creaking." Then he complains, "My body is making so much noise that I can't sleep."

I feel that way sometimes. I feel as if I'm losing the battle, & decay is winning. So before it's eternally too late, it is important to find an answer to David's question, "What is mankind that God is so concerned about us?" What are we, & where are we going?

C. The world gives us all kinds of answers. Some tell us that we're just accidents of nature, no more important than the cockroach that runs across the kitchen floor. But that kind of answer just doesn't satisfy.