Title: “Life is Temporary”

He's a real nowhere man, Sitting in his Nowhere Land, Making all his nowhere plans for nobody. Doesn't have a point of view, Knows not where he's going to, Isn't he a bit like you and me? These are the lyrics of a song “Nowhere Man”, written by The Beatles, in their album Rubber Soul, 1965. It was a hit. What’s interesting is that this song is the first song they wrote that was totally unrelated to love or romance. So fans took notice that they had written something different from the usual here. John Lennon, the one behind the lyrics, said that he wrote this song about himself, suggesting to us that as much as he had his career, fame, money, he was struggling with the meaning of life. An American pastor, John Piper, said that this song expressed a popular school of thought at the time, called Existentialism. It is basically the belief that there’s no Ultimate Purpose or Ultimate Meaning in life – life is just simply absurd! So whatever you call it – God, Ultimate Purpose, Ultimate Meaning - it’s not there until you create it for yourself. One of the devil’s big lies that people bought into in that day.

Lost in an image, in a dream But there’s no one there to wake her up And the world is spinning and she keeps on winning But tell me what happens when it stops? She’s so lucky, she’s a star But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking If there’s nothing missing in my life Then why do these tears come at night? This song we’re more familiar with – Lucky by Britney Spears. I believe she was writing these things about herself, because I don’t think you can come up with lyrics like that unless you’ve felt this way. Again, a reflection of the struggle going on inside: I have everything I wanted, but why does it seem I’m still missing something in life? It’s interesting how the third-person language is used in these two songs. It doesn’t say ‘I feel this way, I feel that way’. Rather, it creates this imaginary character and says ‘he/she feels this and that way’. So I tried putting myself in the writer’s shoes, and I thought of 2 reasons why they might have used the third-person. The song will sound way too ‘emo’ if in first-person, haha so better not. If I create this imaginary guy whom I can empathize with, it gives the idea that everyone does feel this way from time to time, so it’s quite a normal thing to go through. It may not be a real problem for me, it could be just a phase, so I guess my life’s fine. The second is the realisation of a problem, but the reluctance to face up to it. Everyone faces a sense of emptiness and meaninglessness in life, but no one likes to come face to face with it. As long as we can occupy ourselves we little purposes, little joys, little pleasures, little things to look forward to, we will. Because facing up to the fact that my life has no Ultimate Meaning is very depressing. I have a friend who studies in one of the best universities in the world – Cambridge University. He finished his first year 2nd in his entire cohort. He is so confident of himself that he even turned down a prestigious government scholarship because he felt he could earn bigger money by himself. He already knows how to make money through shares, and no doubt he’ll be very rich one day. But he once told me something which got stuck in my head and started me thinking, he said ‘Anyone can be depressed if he thinks about life enough’. For someone who has such a bright future, what made him say such a thing? The meaninglessness of life haunts us – even those of us who have plenty. The Bible answers this mystery perfectly, as we’ll see later.

This week we celebrated the 40th anniversary of man’s first visit to the moon. The flight was called Apollo 11. Neil Armstrong, the one on the left, was the mission commander. He’s the most famous, the one who said those famous words ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ But I want you to meet this guy, Aldrin Buzz, because Buzz Lightyear of Toy Story was named after him. This was a historic achievement, an experience people would died for, but this is what Aldrin Buzz felt when we came back down to earth, like literally back down to earth.

“ What I felt was depression. What am I doing? What is my role in life now? I realized that I was experiencing a melancholy of things done. I really had no future plans after returning from the moon. Dr. Aldrin Buzz A melancholy of things done? Melancholy is basically sad and depressed. You feel depressed by what you’ve done? You feel depressed by what you’ve achieved? You feel depressed by being the first group to walk on the moon? “Yes, because what do I do now? What’s there to look forward to now? What’s my role in life now?” “I thought that will satisfy me. But why do I feel still feel empty?”

Closer to our times, is this guy, Tom Brady, an American footballer who is still playing, and widely regarded as one of the best American footballers of all time. These are his achievements: Played in four Super Bowls (super bowls are like the championship final, a mega event in the US) winning three of them Won two Super Bowl MVP awards Holds the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single regular season. Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, in 2005. Helped set the record for the longest consecutive win streak in NFL history with 21 straight wins over two season In 2007, he became the first quarterback to lead a team to a 16-0 regular season. He was named “Sportsman of the Year” by The Sporting News for the second time in his career. He was also named the NFL MVP in 2007 Male Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press Dating a Brazillian super model Makes over $8 million dollars per year But this is what he has to say: http://ylhelp.com/2008/04/07/the-best-talk-talk-illustrations-2-of-5

“ Why do I have 3 Super Bowl Rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people will say, ‘Hey man, this is what it is, I’ve reached my dream, my goal, my life is…’ But me, I think, ‘There’s gotta be more than this!’ What’s the answer? I wish I knew. I wish I knew.

What’s the point of living, what on earth is the point?! I decided to work for possessions and achievements, but still felt empty. I decided to busy myself with work, I decided to just enjoy life’s pleasures, I decided to chase after knowledge and wisdom, Book of Ecclesiastes This problem was identified by the Bible ages ago. The entire book of Ecclesiastes essentially sets out to try to answer this one question: “What’s the point of living??” Ecc 1:2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!"        says the Teacher.        "Utterly meaningless!        Everything is meaningless.“ This verse sets the tone for the rest of the book, with the word ‘meaningless’ repeated 38 times across the whole book.

“Mataiotēs!” Repeated 38 times Meaningless! Pointless! in Greek translation of Ecclesiastes Meaningless! Pointless! Futility/vainity! The Greek word used for this ‘meaningless’ is Mataiotes (mah-tah-your-tes). It is repeated 38 times in this book, that’s more than half the number of times this word appears in the entire Old Testament (OT). (The OT is written primarily in Hebrew, but I use the Greek translation here, to make a comparison with an NT passage later) (NT is written primarily is Greek) Some English versions (ESV, NASB, KJV) translate ‘mataiotes’ as vanity – to do something in vain. I think vainity or futility capture the flavour well – the sense of no matter how hard you try, or no matter how much you attain, it’s no point, you still feel like you’ve wasted your time. It still doesn’t fully satisfy you. These were the reflections of the writer of Ecclesiastes as he pursued various things life had to offer. The idea that you spend your entire life climbing to the top of a ladder, only to realise that the ladder was placed on the wrong wall. And just to give you a better idea of what futility is like:

Is like Liverpool believing they can win this season

Romans 8:20-21 (Paraphrased) For the creation was subjected to futility, because of Him who subjected it, In hope that the creation itself will turn to God, And be brought into the freedom of being children of God. “mataiotēs” It is ordained by God! Now watch this verse written by Paul in Romans. I paraphrased the back part of the verse slightly, so it’s easier to understand for now. But if you want to, you can examine the full length of the verse in your own time. This word ‘futility’ used here is the same ‘mataiotes’ in Ecclesiastes. Some Bible scholars say that Paul might have had Eccelesiastes in mind when he wrote this verse. And for Greek readers at that time, when they see this word ‘mataiotes’, Ecclesiastes would spring to mind. The verse says that creation was subjected to this futility. This Ecclesiastes futility – all of creation was subjected to it! Because of God who subjected it! For a good purpose! In hope that creation would turn to Him! Wow, this was an eye-opening discovery for me. It tells me that we have an innate longing for God. God has put in us an innate longing for something bigger, something better, something eternal. In the hope that we would seek Him, and realise that He is the answer. Side Note: (After all, we were created for a relationship with God. When Adam and Eve was cast out of the Garden of Eden, from a theological perspective they were cast out of the presence of God and communion with Him. Mankind since, have had the longing to return into the blessed state of being in communion with God - whether they recognize it or not, whether they believe there is a God or not, they have a deep sense that there could be ‘more to life than this’. This, according to Rom 8:20, is God’s design, who since the fall, has launched his restoration plan to return man to Himself.) For a purpose!

Everyone has a God-shaped hole A hole that only God can fill. The missing piece, that only God can fit perfectly. This is the piece that Tom Brady, Aldrin Buzz, Britney Spears are missing. They have everything, but they have nothing. “What good is it if a man gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul.” Everyone has a God-shaped hole in the heart.

The sense that life continues beyond this present existence. God has put eternity into the hearts of man. Ecc 3:11 Now together with this God-shaped hole of ‘mataiotes’, God has also planted eternity into the hearts of man. God has put in us a sense that life continues beyond this present existence. God has put in us a sense that there’s more to life than this, that life doesn’t end here. God has put in us an idea of eternity. Though we cannot grasp what eternity feels like, but we know that such a thing can possibly exist. And God has made our hearts long for eternal things. The sense that life continues beyond this present existence.

“If there is a desire on earth that cannot be met it's because we were created for a different place. Our hearts long for eternal things - God has put this longing in us.” C.S. Lewis (The is a picture of an aurora, which is an amazing display of colourful lights in the sky. It only occurs in certain parts of the world at certain times. This one lasted 25 min in Oklahoma. I think it’s these kind of things, the magical stuff of nature that happens on earth, that remind us that there’s something bigger out there.) A fish would never be happy living on land because it was made for the waters. An eagle would never be happy walking around on land because it was made for the skies. Many Christians have foolishly concluded that because they live on earth, it’s their home. It is not. Your identity is in eternity, your homeland is heaven. One day your heart is going to stop beating, but that’s not the end of you.

This is Busselton Jetty, Australia This is Busselton Jetty, Australia. It is the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, almost 2km long.

It looks out into Indian Ocean. From the shore we say this is a long jetty. But if you take a plane higher and higher and look at the bigger picture – the expanse of the Indian Ocean, the jetty appears smaller and smaller compared to the vast ocean. 2 km becomes like 2 inches. And it’s another 10,000km before it reaches the next piece of land, the tip of Africa. Similarly, have you ever tried to imagine what eternity is like? It’ll blow your mind. It’s just infinitely long. The more you think of it, the shorter life appears to be. If eternity is infinitely long, life is infinitely short! Isn’t it a pity if we think jetty is all there is, and we make the jetty our home? When there’s another 10,000km to go?

So this is usually how we look at life. “There’s a jetty in front of me. I just walk down the jetty, I don’t know when I’ll drop off, but I know some day I will. But let’s not think about that, there are things to be occupied with now, so I’ll occupy myself with them, I’ll occupy myself with hopes for the future, so that I don’t get depressed thinking about that.”

All that is not eternal, is eternally useless. C.S. Lewis “The things we see now are here today and gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now are eternal.” 2 Cor 4:18 But this is how God calls us to look at life – you’re only a few steps away from the end! Ecc 2:3 describes life as only a few days long! “I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.” Ecc 2:3 Life is merely a preparation for eternity! No wonder C.S. Lewis, a great Christian thinker and author, has this to say, ‘All that is not eternal, is eternally useless.’

as aliens and strangers in the world” “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world” 1 Pet 2:11 And this is how Apostle Peter addressed us Christians – as aliens and strangers of the world! We’re only passing through, this is not our home! (Aliens are not how we read it to be, like ET creatures or whatever haha. It was used to described foreigners.) Try to imagine yourself as a stranger to this place. Walking around with this thought in your head, “I won’t be here for long”.

So dear God, “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life.” Psa 39:4 This is quite a prayer to pray. I don’t think David is just being poetic here, I think this is a sincere cry.

radically alter our values. You won’t be here long, so don’t get too attached! Realizing that life is temporary will radically alter our values. A sense of destiny begins with a deep realisation of the brevity of life.

3 Grand Pursuits in Life The God we are to know The Purpose we are to embrace The Life we are to live How then do we live? I propose these 3 Grand Pursuits – hallmarks of a life lived with a sense of destiny. (Adapted from Mentoring Paradigms by Rev Edmund Chan)

G P L An easy way to remember. G P L Grand Pursuits in Life God Purpose Life

G The God we are to know “This is eternal life – that they may know you.” John 17:3 The first pursuit of life – the God we are to know. We often think of eternal life as basically living forever, yes that’s true but that’s such a given. It’s much more than that. It’s living forever with God. From John 17:3, eternal life is not a just an eternal possession, it’s an eternal relationship. That’s why eternal life starts now. And we can taste the goodness of it today!

“This is eternal life – that they may know you.” oϊδα, oida - having information γινώσκω, ginōskō - experiencing what is known We’ve all heard before, there’s a difference between knowing God and knowing about God. This is distinguished more clearly in the Greek. These are the 2 most common words that are translated as ‘know’. Oida – knowing factually. “e.g. you know the way to the place, you know the commands of God” Ginosko – strongest definition I’ve seen is experiencing what is known. Element of emotions, often has to do with relationship. Deeper than facts. “e.g. my sheep know my voice; Jesus says, I know the Father; Phil 3:10, I want to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings’

ginōskō “This is eternal life – that they may know you.” John 17:3 ‘Know’ used here is ‘ginosko’.

P The Purpose we are to embrace “All things work together for our good.” Romans 8:28-29 Secondly, the God-ordained purpose for our lives. As his children, we are destined to be moulded, shaped and made more like Jesus. This is what we are to embrace, not to reject!

“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 What is this good?

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.” Romans 8:29 To become more like Jesus!

“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.” Romans 8:28-29

L The Life we are to live “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Phil 1:21 Thirdly, the kind of life we are to live – one that is without compromises. “Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart.” This is a love without compromises.

L The Life we are to live Live with an undivided heart because life is too short for compromises.

G P L To know GOD deeper. Staying at God’s feet To embrace God’s will for me to be more Christ-like. Staying in God’s hand L To live without compromises. Life is too short! Staying at God’s side

We’ve been called to a Higher Purpose! What does it mean to be called? It means there is an onus to respond. And I hope you respond to God’s call to live to a higher purpose.

We are the gathering of the called-out! The Church of Jesus Ekklesia Ek = out klesia = called The Greek word for church is ‘ekklesia’, which means the gathering of those who are called. What a strong statement of the church of Jesus! But when we lose our sense of destiny, our sense of calling, then instead of SJC St. James Church, we should call ourselves SDC sian diao church. And instead of JYM, we should call ourselves DYM – depression youth ministry. But hey let’s rise out of this shallowness. Let’s live unto the 3-fold calling of God – the God we are to know, the life we are to live, and the purpose we are to embrace. I tell you, if just some of us embrace this calling, this whole place will shake into revival. Last Sunday, Ivan shared during worship that for the first time, our attendance hit 100 or more for 3 consecutive weeks. It made me recall a quote that he also shared a while ago, also during worship time – a quote by John Wesley, ‘Give me a 100 men who love God an hate sin and we will shake the gates of hell.’ It is my dream that we rise up to this vision. We are the gathering of the called-out!

In closing, I want to share with you the life of a man called Dietrich Bonhoeffer. “Two days after Hitler was installed as Chancellor, Bonhoeffer delivered a radio address attacking Hitler, in which he warned Germany against following him, who could very well turn out to be a seducer. He was cut off the air in the middle of a sentence. He was 27 years old. 3 months later, he spoke out for church resistance to Hitler's persecution of Jews when he declared that church must not simply "bandage the victims under the wheel, but jam the spoke in the wheel itself." He poured himself into resisting the Hitler movement, and in 1943, at 37 years old, was arrested and imprisoned. He ministered to fellow prisoners and guards with such impact that he even won admiration from guards. Sympathetic guards helped smuggle his letters out of prison. A guard even offered to help him escape from the prison, but Bonhoeffer decided against doing so. On April 4, 1945, Bonhoeffer concluded his last Sunday service of his life, done in the prison, and asked an English prisoner Payne Best that if he ever gets to go back home one day, to remember him to Bishop George Bell of Chichester, and tell him these words: "This is the end — for me the beginning of life." (This is the end of the 2km, but the beginning of the 10,000) On April 9, 1945, He was hanged. The execution was brutal. Bonhoeffer was stripped of his clothing and led naked into the execution yard, where he was hanged with thin wire for strangulation. The camp doctor who witnessed the execution wrote: “I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer ... kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the few steps to the gallows, brave and composed. His death ensued after a few seconds. In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.” This was a man who lived without compromises.

Closing Prayer. Lyrics of This is Our Time What a day to be alive, what a time to live my life, to have a destiny and call, to see it day by day unfold. What a day to know you Lord, to live and walk within your love, to see the wondrous things you’ve done and know there’s greater things to come. And we sense the wonder of it all, we feel the urgency. There’s not a day to be wasted, so God help your church, the Ekklesia, the called out ones, help us to see. That this is our time, this is our day, now’s not the time to hold back or delay, dreams can live again, faith and hope restored, taste and see that the Lord is good. This is the day of salvation, a time to break free from containment, people need, people need you Lord. And I myself need you Lord. All I ever need in life is you, all they ever need in life is you. Help us to decide to walk towards an undivided heart that is rested in you alone and restless to make you known. Amen