Why are we here? This question has been asked by many people. The question has plagued many people in various ways.

Some ask from a philosophical point of view. They love debate and discussion. They enjoy matching wits with others and digging deeper into issues of logic. Others hate this.

Some ask from a scientific view. They are interested in proof of the origins of the universe. From a purely philosophical point of view, scientist will never be able to prove why we are here or how things started. For behind every action must be an actor. If the light goes on, someone must flick the switch. And they will not be able to determine an answer without turning to God. Richard Hawkins has said that he believes that there is no beginning because there would be no time as we know it today.

But the Bible speaks to this issue. I am not going to get into various theories this morning. There is a place for that discussion. But this morning I am going to give you affirmative statements as to why you are here.

There is one theory I am going to put before you, because so many in our world are adopting it. This theory says that we are here to live a happy and pleasant life. If our life isn’t happy and pleasant, than we must do whatever we can to make it happy, if not for us, for our children and grandchildren.

So we make sure that we work long enough hours and make enough money to be happy. We take our kids to school. We know education is important for happiness. With education they can get a good job, make money and be happy. All we want, we say, is for our children to be happy.

So who doesn’t want happiness? I know I do. I much prefer happiness to sorrow, joy to mourning. Give me a nice peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a glass of milk, a warm fire and a good Patriots game and I am happy indeed!

Unless I am in debt. Unless I just had a fight with my neighbor. Unless my children are three hours late from a trip out with friends. Unless the cat claws the blanket chest that came from my grandparents.

What we often miss in this equation is that happiness should never be a goal. Happiness is a byproduct of living life the way God intended. We should never look for happiness. If we live for God, happiness will find us.

So why are we here? The answer is found in Revelation 4:11. (Revelation 4:11) 11
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Do you see why you are here? You are here because God wanted you here. Notice what the verse said. “For you created all things…” That includes you and I.
David knew this. (Psalm 139:13 -16)
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

We are here because God wanted to be here.

He made us for a purpose.

Adam and Eve were created to work the garden. They were created also for fellowship with God. God had someone in the universe that he could talk to. So he would come in the evening to talk with Adam and Eve.

I cannot imagine the conversations. Though Adam and Eve had not sinned, they also did not know everything. I wonder what conversations went on between God and Adam and Eve.

That closeness, what theologians call the “immanence of God.” That means that God is within this world, that he is close to us at all times.

A boy came home from church. His mother asked him, “Son, what did you learn at church today?” He said, “God’s first name.” “What is that?” the mother queried. “Andy!” the boy replied. “Andy?” “Yes,” the boy explained. We sang a song that said, “Andy walked with me andy talked with me.”

This closeness is what God wanted for us: To walk and talk with him.

The fundamental problem is that everyone did not walk with God or talk with him. Sin entered and man did what he wanted to do. How many of us have spent much of our lives walking and talking by ourselves or with other people? How many of us have done that with God on the fringe or on the outskirts of our lives? Sin separates us from God.

Jesus died to reconcile us to God. He took our sin from us and paid for it on the cross. He did this to bring you and I back to God.

So why are we here? We are here because God wants us here. Why are we here? To do the work God called us to do and to fellowship with Him.

But John, the revealer, gives the response to this truth. We must understand that there is a correct response to any situation. If a car is in your lane coming at you, the correct response is to get your car out of the way of the oncoming car. If a person breaks a leg, the correct response is to get help. If a student does a good job in a speech contest at school, the appropriate response is to clap.

The right response to our creator, to the one who made us, is to do what verse 11 says, (Re 4:11) 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

It is appropriate in light of how God made us to give God glory, honor and power.
This is what Psalm 100 tells us. 1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures for ever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

He made us. We are his. Worship the Lord. Thank the Lord. Praise the Lord. He is worthy of the glory. He is worthy of the honor. He is worthy of the power that He has.
All our life is to be lived under the umbrella of our creator. We are here because God wants us here. Our response is to say to God, I am going to glorify you with my life. I am going honor you with my life.

That is the purpose of the Palermo Christian Church. We have posted it on our website, we put it on the overhead, we speak of it often. The purpose of the Palermo Christian Church is to glorify God.

The purpose is not to glorify the pastor. It is not to glorify the organization. Our sole purpose is to lift up the name of the Lord Jesus, to honor God in what we do, what we say and how we do it.

So why are you here? You are here because God wants you here. I want to challenge you on the basis of what has been said today to be thankful that God made you. I want to challenge you to live your life in a way that brings glory and honor to God.
What is in your life that is dishonoring to God? Take it out. What is in your life that if known would make people think that you are not a follower of Jesus Christ. Make the change.

For when we live for Jesus, when we do what God wants us to do, we experience something better than happiness. We experience joy, a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.

(1Peter 1:6 -9)
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your soul.