Finding True Purpose and Joy in Christ
Summary
What does it mean to ask, “What on earth am I here for?” This question is not just philosophical, but deeply practical, shaping the way we live every day. The answer is not found in the endless pursuit of happiness, comfort, or status, nor in the accumulation of possessions or the maintenance of our achievements. Instead, the fullness of life—what the Bible calls “pleroma”—is found in knowing and being known by God through Jesus Christ, and in living in fellowship with Him and with one another.
From the beginning, God’s intention was that we would experience complete joy, not as an add-on to our self-made lives, but as the very center of our existence. Jesus, the Word of Life, is the visible image of the invisible God, the fullness of deity in bodily form. In Him, we see what God is like, and through Him, we are invited into eternal life and true fellowship. The world’s trajectory—seeking identity, consuming for comfort, collecting for status, maintaining for security, unburdening for relief, and finally seeking rest—leads only to vanity and futility, as Solomon so powerfully described in Ecclesiastes.
But God’s design is different. Each of us is uniquely made, fearfully and wonderfully crafted by God for a purpose. That purpose is not self-actualization or mere survival, but to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This is not a joyless duty, but the very path to the fullness of joy. Jesus Himself summarized the law and the prophets in two commands: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. In this, we find our true purpose and the answer to our deepest longings.
Fellowship with God and with one another is not optional or secondary—it is central to our design. Relationship with God is the foundation, but fellowship is the lived experience of that relationship, the daily walking with God and with His people. When we substitute anything else for this—status, possessions, comfort—we find only emptiness. But when we humble ourselves, cry out for mercy, and align our lives with God’s purpose, we discover the joy that is truly complete.
Key Takeaways
- The fullness of life is not found in adding Jesus to our own agenda, but in centering our lives on Him. The world’s pattern of seeking fulfillment through autonomy, consumption, and achievement ultimately leads to emptiness. Only in Christ, who is the fullness of God in bodily form, do we find the joy and purpose our hearts long for. [02:49]
- Our unique identity is not accidental; God has intentionally crafted each of us for His purposes. Asking “Why am I me and not another me?” leads us to recognize the Creator’s hand in our lives. Embracing this truth brings comfort and direction, especially in seasons when our abilities or circumstances change. [21:05]
- The chief end of humanity is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This is not a burdensome command, but the very design for which we were made. Loving God and loving our neighbor are inseparable and together form the path to true fulfillment and joy. [24:14]
- Fellowship is more than mere relationship; it is the active, vulnerable sharing of life with God and with others. Isolation is contrary to God’s design, and the deepest friendships and support are found among those who share faith in Christ. Taking the risk to connect and be known is essential for experiencing the fullness of joy God intends. [31:04]
- The way to enter into this fullness is not through religious performance or self-improvement, but through humble dependence on God’s mercy. Like the tax collector in Jesus’ parable, we come to God not with our qualifications, but with our need. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord with childlike humility will be saved and welcomed into true fellowship and joy. [36:33]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:58] - Introduction: The Quest for Complete Joy
[01:59] - The Meaning of “Complete” and the Fullness in Christ
[03:56] - John’s Audience and the Challenge to Greco-Roman Thought
[05:21] - The Greek Concept of Pleroma and the Incarnation
[06:12] - The Human Condition: Seeking Fulfillment Without God
[08:37] - Vanity of Life Under the Sun: Lessons from Ecclesiastes
[10:59] - The Trajectory of Life Without God
[11:57] - Stages of Human Pursuit: Identity, Comfort, Status
[14:22] - Collecting, Maintaining, and Unburdening: The Search for Security
[17:06] - The Final Stage: Seeking Rest and the Need for Escape
[18:25] - The Mechanism of Escape and the Call to Worship
[19:35] - Why Am I Me? The Uniqueness of God’s Design
[21:05] - Purpose and the Creator’s Intent
[23:17] - The Chief End of Man: Glorify God and Enjoy Him
[24:14] - Jesus’ Summary: Love God and Love Neighbor
[25:23] - Fellowship with God and Each Other
[27:45] - The Manifestation of the Word of Life
[30:01] - Fellowship: God’s Remedy for Loneliness
[32:30] - Relationship vs. Fellowship: Experiencing Completeness
[34:39] - The Life Quest for Joy and the Only True Solution
[35:27] - The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
[36:33] - The Call to Humility and Salvation in Christ
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: “What On Earth Am I Here For?”
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### Bible Reading
- 1 John 1:1-4
(Main text of the sermon)
- Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
(Solomon’s reflection on the vanity of life “under the sun”)
- Luke 18:9-14
(The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector)
---
### Observation Questions
1. In 1 John 1:1-4, what does John say is the reason he is writing to the believers? What does he want them to experience? ([00:58])
2. According to Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, what does Solomon say about the pursuit of meaning and satisfaction in life apart from God? ([08:37])
3. In the parable from Luke 18:9-14, what is the main difference between the Pharisee and the tax collector in how they approach God? ([35:27])
4. The sermon describes several “stages” or “trajectories” of life under the sun (seeking identity, comfort, status, etc.). What are some examples the pastor gives for each stage? ([11:57])
---
### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does John emphasize that he and the other apostles “heard,” “saw,” and “touched” Jesus? What does this tell us about the nature of our faith? ([25:23])
2. The sermon says that “fellowship with God and with one another is not optional or secondary—it is central to our design.” Why is fellowship so important, and how is it different from just having a relationship? ([32:30])
3. According to the sermon, why do attempts to find fulfillment through autonomy, consumption, or achievement ultimately lead to emptiness? ([10:59])
4. In the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector, what does Jesus teach about the right way to approach God? How does this connect to the idea of “humble dependence” mentioned in the sermon? ([36:33])
---
### Application Questions
1. The sermon says that the fullness of life is not found in adding Jesus to our own agenda, but in centering our lives on Him. Is there an area of your life where you have been treating Jesus as an “add-on” rather than the center? What would it look like to make Him central in that area? ([02:49])
2. The pastor described the “trajectory of life under the sun” as a cycle of seeking identity, comfort, status, maintaining, unburdening, and finally rest. Which of these stages do you most relate to right now? How have you seen these patterns in your own life? ([11:57])
3. The sermon asks, “Why am I me and not another me?” and points to God’s intentional design and purpose for each person. When have you struggled with your own uniqueness or circumstances? How does knowing God made you on purpose change your perspective? ([21:05])
4. Jesus summarized the law as loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself. What is one practical way you can love God more fully this week? What is one way you can love a neighbor (or someone in your church) more intentionally? ([24:14])
5. The pastor said, “Fellowship is more than mere relationship; it is the active, vulnerable sharing of life with God and with others.” Are you experiencing true fellowship with other believers, or do you tend to isolate yourself? What is one step you could take to connect more deeply with someone in your church family? ([31:04])
6. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector shows that God responds to humble dependence, not religious performance. Is there an area where you have been trying to “qualify” yourself before God? What would it look like to come to Him with childlike humility this week? ([36:33])
7. The sermon says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord with childlike humility will be saved and welcomed into true fellowship and joy.” Have you ever had a moment where you simply cried out to God for mercy? If not, what is holding you back from doing so? ([36:33])
---
Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Thank God for making you uniquely and for inviting you into fellowship with Him and with others. Ask for help to center your life on Jesus, to love God and neighbor, and to walk in humble dependence on His mercy.
Devotional
Day 1: True Fulfillment Is Found in Christ Alone
The search for meaning and joy in life is universal, but apart from Christ, every attempt to find lasting fulfillment leads only to emptiness and futility. The world offers many paths—seeking identity, comfort, status, and security—but these ultimately leave us restless and unsatisfied. Only in Jesus, who is the fullness of God in bodily form, do we find the complete joy and purpose for which we were created. He is not an add-on to our self-actualization, but the very source of abundant life. [01:59]
John 10:10 (ESV)
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Reflection: In what ways have you sought fulfillment apart from Christ, and how can you intentionally turn to Him today as your true source of joy and purpose?
Day 2: The Futility of Life “Under the Sun” Without God
Human life, when lived apart from God, follows a predictable and ultimately unsatisfying trajectory: seeking autonomy, consuming for comfort, collecting for status, maintaining for security, unburdening for relief, and finally, seeking rest at the end. Solomon, the wisest man, tried every avenue and declared it all “vanity”—empty and futile. This cycle is a warning that no amount of effort, pleasure, or possession can fill the void meant for God. Only by orienting our lives toward our Creator do we escape this endless cycle and discover true meaning. [10:59]
Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 (ESV)
"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises. The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns. All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again. All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, 'See, this is new'? It has been already in the ages before us. There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after."
Reflection: Which stage of the “trajectory under the sun” do you most identify with right now, and how might God be inviting you to step off that path and into His purpose?
Day 3: You Are Uniquely Created for God’s Purpose
Every person is fearfully and wonderfully made by God, crafted with unique traits, personalities, and circumstances. Your existence is not an accident; God intentionally made you “you” for His glorious purposes. No matter your age or stage of life, you have a purpose that endures as long as you have breath. Embracing your God-given identity means recognizing that your life is designed to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever, not to chase after substitutes that never satisfy. [21:05]
Psalm 139:13-16 (ESV)
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."
Reflection: What is one unique aspect of your personality or story that you can thank God for today, and how might He want to use it for His glory?
Day 4: Fellowship With God and Others Is Central to Our Design
We were created not only for relationship with God but also for deep fellowship with one another. True Christian fellowship is more than casual acquaintance; it is a sharing of life, faith, and love under the lordship of Christ. Isolation and loneliness are not God’s design—He calls us into community where we are known, loved, and supported. Taking the risk to connect, even when it feels awkward or unnatural, is part of God’s strategy for our joy and growth. [31:04]
1 John 1:3 (ESV)
"That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."
Reflection: Who is one person in your church or community you can reach out to this week to deepen fellowship and encourage one another in Christ?
Day 5: Humble Faith in Christ Brings Complete Joy
The fullness of joy and eternal life is found not through religious performance or self-righteousness, but through humble faith in Jesus Christ. Like the tax collector who simply cried out for mercy, we are invited to come to God with honesty and humility, trusting in His grace rather than our own efforts. This is the path to being justified, restored, and filled with the joy that only God can give—a joy that is complete and enduring. [36:33]
Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)
"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 'Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.'"
Reflection: What is one area where you need to lay aside pride or self-reliance and simply ask God for mercy and help today?
Quotes
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