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WHY> Week 2: Why Should I Believe in God in the First Place?

September 24, 2008 (10:30 AM)

Our church is on a 40-day journey together.  We are pursuing answers to some of life’s most important questions.  Today we are asking the question, “Why should I believe in God in the first place?”  It's a very important question. In fact, some say that this is one of the most important questions a person could ask. Your answer to this question could affect your life more than any of the other five questions. 

Let us begin this morning with watching a video that was taken to find out what average people on the streets think about God.  Their answers were interesting. Please direct your attention to the screens.

(VIDEO PRESENTATION)

Those are just some thoughts and perspectives people have about God.  Demographic research reveals to us that 94% of Americans believe in God. This means that the majority of people you meet already believe in God. The question is: “Who is that God that they believe in, and what is he like?” 

I think when it comes to God- a lot of people don't want to say that God doesn't exist because if he does exist, why make him mad. Yet they aren't really sure who he is or the impact he should have on their lives. So they just say, “Yeah, I believe in God. I'm good with that.”

I want to look with you today at the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament of the Bible. Ecclesiastes is the journal entries of a man named Solomon. Solomon explored life as what he called “under the sun” with no regard for the God who is above the sun.

In other words, he did this whole life experiment. He lived passionately, and he lived fully. He went on this quest to find meaning apart from God. As we look at his journal entries and look at him write down his experiences he makes a pretty compelling case for why a person should believe in God. I want to go further than just saying, “Why should a person believe in God?”  I want to ask, “Why should a person be in a relationship with God?” I think what Solomon is writing about is a relationship with God.

1)    First, a relationship with God OFFERS LASTING MEANING.

Solomon was King of Israel for 40 years in a time of peace. Solomon had much wealth.  He was the wealthiest king of his time. He earned over twenty-five tons of gold a year.

Solomon liked to build. His palace, his house, took thirteen years to construct with an army of people.  He used the smartest and best architects that the world knew at the time. He used the best materials available. It took thirteen years. It took seven years to construct the temple in Jerusalem. Solomon built at least six cities that we know about. He built the wall around Jerusalem.  Notice the longest building project was his home.

Solomon begins Ecclesiastes with his conclusion.  He begins with the end and then tells us how he got there. He says in verses 1-3,

“The words of the teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher. 'Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.' What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?”

Here is Solomon who has done this life experiment and at the end of the day apart from God, he says, he can't find any lasting meaning. He said it's meaningless.

When we get tired, we often get to that place in our lives, where we start asking the “why” questions. “Why am I here?”  “What is the point of it all anyway?”   “How does it all fit together?”  “Am I here just to get up and go to work all day so I can come home, go to sleep, get up, and go to work all day so I can come home, go to sleep, get up, and go to work all day?”  “What's the point?” That's what Solomon was asking. Solomon realized there was no lasting meaning in his life.

That word meaningless can literally have the idea of a mist that rises off the ground in the morning. When the sun hits that mist it evaporates. Solomon says that everything he pursued in life apart from God would appear that it would give meaning. At first, it would be a lot of fun, but soon it would be like that mist in the morning. It would disappear. He said it's like chasing the wind. You are always on to the next activity. You are always on to the next thrill. He said the meaning that it gives you just doesn't last.

Illustration: Brad Pitt was in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. He said this about the American Dream. “If you ask me, I say toss all this. We have to find something else. The emphasis now is on success and personal gain. I'm sitting in it, and I'm telling you that's not it. I'm the guy who has everything, I know. I'm telling you that once you have everything then you are just left with yourself.”Once you have everything then you are just left with yourself. “It doesn't help you sleep any better and you don't wake up any better because of it.” That's where Solomon found himself. He had everything. He was just left with himself. He said there wasn't enough meaning there to last. We realize the importance of a relationship with God.

2)    Second, a relationship with God GIVES SIGNIFICANCE.

A relationship with God gives us lasting meaning and also significance. He talks about it in chapter 1:4-8 from the opposite perspective. As he reaches the conclusion of life without God, Solomon doesn't find significance at all apart from God. Here is what he says,

“As generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.”

Solomon was not in a good place.  He's looking around at nature and he's seeing all of the aspects of nature. The sun rising and setting, generations coming and going, and he is overwhelmed with a deep sense of monotony.  He I saying, “What's the point? The sun rises and the sun sets, it's just going to happen again.” You can sense the monotony; it's insignificant. It doesn't matter. Who cares? Who cares if the sun rises and the sun sets? Life just keeps going.  As Solomon looks out at the “what,” the sun rising and setting apart from God, he just sees insignificance.

Nonetheless, I believe that when you look at those same things through the eyes of faith you begin to realize the “why.” The “why” can actually give significance to our lives.

In other words, when we bring God into the monotony of our lives, it makes even the most small and boring details filled with meaning.

Most of us live pretty monotonous lives. Monotonous in the sense that we do a lot of the same things day in and day out. We go through the same patterns, right? Some of you come to church every weekend. You park in the same area; you walk in and sit in the same area of the auditorium. We are predictable. As people we are pretty predictable. We go to the same place; we sit in the same seats.

Illustration: Tony Evans once talked about the monotony of life. He said you wake up in the morning and put the same slippers on, you walk to the same old closet, and you get the same old robe to put on. You go down the same old stairs to the same old kitchen table and have the same old breakfast. You go back upstairs and get ready the same old way. You put the same old work clothes on. You go downstairs, get in the car, and drive the same old way to work. You get to the same old job. You face the same old challenges. You look at the same old people. You navigate the same old issues. You get in your car and drive the same old way back home. You get to the same old house. You walk in and kiss the same old wife. You sit down and eat the same old food. You watch the same old TV show. You sit in the same old chair. When it's all said and done you get up and walk upstairs. You climb into the bed at night, ask the same old question, and you get the same old answer. You go to sleep, get up the next morning, and do it all over again. It's just kind of monotonous. It's life. That's what is wearing Solomon out. The sun rises and sets. The wind blows and it's just one thing after another.

This was wearing Solomon down and it will wear each one of us down.  So, let me challenge you with this thought: When you bring God into your own personal monotony suddenly there is significance in the details.

Some of you are here and you've been Christians for many, many years. I want to challenge you this week to bring God into your monotony. Bring him right into it.

Some of you are here and you aren't even sure if you believe in God. That's okay--just take a risk. Do the opposite of what Solomon did. Live this week as if there were a God. Pray to him, talk to him, and act like he's actually there. You may be surprised at the meaning and significance of the meaning that may come into your own monotony.

Here is the opportunity for all of us. Tonight, before you go to sleep, as you are climbing into bed, bring God into the monotony of your day. Simply lie in bed and before you fade off to sleep just thank God for the day. Thank him for the challenges and the opportunities. Lay my cares and burdens at his feet. Maybe you can confess your sins and thank God for forgiveness.

Eventually, you will get up the next morning and then you can offer a prayer like, “God, thanks for today.” Or you can even get down on my knees real quickly and say, “Thank you, and may today be lived for you, God.” It's simple.

Let me challenge you just to bring God with you into the monotony of your normal day.  Bring God into that and it will bring significance into your day.

3)    Third, a relationship with God EMPOWERS LIFE CHANGE.

What do you want to change about yourself? Better yet, what does your spouse really want to change about you?  What is it that you want to change?

One of the benefits of being a pastor is that I get a front row seat to see how the power of God can change a person's life if we really surrender to him and bring him in to the monotony of our lives. It can bring life change.

Solomon looked out in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10. He's looking out and saying that he's considered life as if there is not God. If there is no God, then I don't see any change really happening.

“What has been will be again. What has done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, 'Look? This is something new?' It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.”

I don't think that Solomon is saying that there are not new things. There are new things all the time.  What Solomon is doing is he's looking down through the passages of time and saying, “We are all still struggling with the same old struggles.” The same old behavioral patterns don't change. Our temptations are still the same. Murder, envy, domination, crime, and hatred -- we see it on the news every night. The sinful behaviors are still the same. He says, “I just don't see any change in life apart from God.”

Yet Solomon would go on at the end of his book, after he journals through his whole experience searching for life and meaning apart from God. He gets to the end in chapter 12:13. He says,

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

This is Solomon’s final conclusion. Fear God and keep his commandments. As we do that we will find the power to change.

God can bring real change into someone's life. It can happen. It happens everyday. It can

happen in our lives as well.  It's not just about believing in God, it's being in a relationship with God. There is a challenging passage in the book of James in the New Testament. James 2:19: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.” What does that mean? Even the demons believe there is a God.” The question is what difference does God make in our lives? What difference does that relationship make in our lives? Is it real? Is it tangible? Is our faith showing itself in action? That's the difference.

Illustration: If you have kids, Dr. Seuss is someone that you most likely read a lot of in your house. I know you came to The Village Churchl for profound theological insight, so let me share with you Dr. Seuss' story of the young zoad. “Did I ever tell you about the young zoad who came to a sign at the fork in the road. The zoad had to make up his mind what to do. Well the zoad scratched his head and his chin and his pants and he said to himself, 'I'll be taking a chance. If I go to place one, that place may be hot. So how will I know if I like it or not? If I go to place two and I find it's too cool, in that case I may catch a chill and turn blue. So place one may be best and not place two. Play safe,' cried the zoad, 'I'll play safe; I'm no dunce. I'll simply start off to both places at once.' And that's how the zoad who would not take a chance went no place at all with a split in his pants.”

I want to encourage you this week to bring God into the monotony and just do a little life experiment for those who aren't even sure that he's there.  Things seem out of control. Will you take a chance on God this week? Some of you aren't even sure he's here, but will you take a chance on him and let him move in your life? Starting tonight before you go to bed, just say, “God, I want to invite you into my night and into my morning and into this week.” See if he doesn't bring lasting meaning and significance and real change into your life.