Introduction - How Does God Speak?
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets. (Hebrews 1:1)
God spoke in ancient times through various ways. He chose when and how:
• With dreams (Genesis 28:12–16)
• In visions (Ezekiel 1:1)
• By angels (Genesis 19:1)
• As a man (Genesis 18:1–2)
• Through prophets (1 Samuel 15:1–3)
You may also remember that the Lord spoke to Moses from the burning bush (Exodus 3:2–6). These are instances where God spoke specifically to certain people. Of course, God has spoken generally to all mankind through the creation.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world. (Psalm 19:1–4)
The heavens and sky, even day and night speak. Yes, their words describe God’s power and glory to everyone on the planet. Why?
Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20)
Every person knows that God exists from seeing His work in the creation around us. Some acknowledge Him and some do not, but the Lord gives His general revelation or knowledge to all. Through this gift, everyone may desire the specific messages that He has given to each of us.
All the methods and messages were meant to get us ready for the ultimate messenger, Jesus. Therefore, God
has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. (Hebrews 1:2a)
Since Jesus is the supreme messenger, do you think we should pay attention to what He has said? How should we respond? If He is the greatest, should we listen to anyone that contradicts Him? These are critical questions each person needs to consider in order to have a truly fulfilling life. Let’s keep these in mind as we look at some messages from Heaven and see how they relate to us today. And of course, we will look at the ultimate message!
Message 1 - I Made You For A Purpose
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16)
Why did God make you? He made you for Him! This is very important because it means you are special and have a purpose. (The Bible tells us in Genesis 2 about the original job and plan God gave to mankind, but we will discuss that in the next message.) You are not a meaningless accident, nor the result of random time and chance. You have worth because the Lord thought you were worth making! Think about that. Since you are worth something, what are you doing with your valuable life? What should you be doing with it?
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Why Live for God?
Whatever you do with your valuable life, do it to bring glory to God. In modern times, we don’t fully grasp the concept of working or fighting for the honor of a superior or ideal. We may get glimpses of it in books or movies when a hero does something “in the name of the king” or when athletes work together for a team victory. However, we often go about our days focused on ourselves, even though science has shown that people who live for something bigger than themselves have happier lives. God says live for Him! He is the greatest cause to whom anyone could be devoted. Living for the Lord brings satisfaction, as one writer declared:
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:8–9)
Living for the Lord also brings rewards.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Seeking the Lord brings rewards, and He satisfies the soul. This is very encouraging information, but why should we glorify God? Not only because He made us, but also because of His great love for us.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
While we were God’s enemies, rebels, and sinners, He showed incredible love for us. People are kind and loving towards friends and family. We may even help a stranger. Yet, who loves an enemy so much they would die to rescue the offender? No one but God! You might say, “I was never God’s enemy; how does this apply to me?” We will investigate that question in message two.
This love is beyond human logic and requires a response. If you accept this undeserved love, you should love in return. We should devote ourselves to the Lord and glorify Him in response to His amazing love for us.
We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
The Meaning of Life
God made us for a purpose, but what is it? To discover the meaning of life, let’s begin with God’s plan for the universe.
[God] having made known to us the mystery of His will…that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. (Ephesians 1:9–10)
Did you notice that God’s will, which was a mystery, has been revealed? That is, the Lord does not want us to be ignorant of His plans and purposes. This is a wonderful thought—the almighty Creator wants us to know what He is doing! That’s why He gave us these messages from Heaven. God’s plan is to bring all things, both in Heaven and on Earth, together under the rule of Jesus. This will bring the Lord the glory He deserves. We are told
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10–11)
So, the purpose of the universe is to bring God glory. This will happen at the end of time; in the meantime, what does that mean for us today?
That we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:12)
Our purpose today is to bring glory to Jesus. This is the meaning of life. It is in this pursuit that we find meaning and lasting satisfaction, and we have a promise that people who are faithful to Jesus will be rewarded. He said,
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:31–40)
The faithful will “inherit the kingdom.” How are we to be faithful? We saw that showing compassion is one way, but Jesus summarized things with the two great commands.
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37–39)
The first commandment is to love God with everything in you. Make Him your priority; be faithful and devoted to Him. When you do, it will be easier to obey the second command to love others just like you love yourself. Caring for others, showing kindness and compassion brings glory to God and the blessing of fulfillment to us. Please notice that the Lord did not command everyone to be a monk or a nun. Loving Him and our neighbors is what we are to do wherever we are and whatever our vocation may be. So, you can keep these commandments today!
Think About It
1. Do you have worth because of your skills or accomplishments? Where does your worth come from?
2. What is God’s plan for the universe?
3. What is God’s purpose for you? And how do you fulfill it?
