- For a very long time,
human beings have been trying
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to figure out their
nature of existence,
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because we want to know
exactly who or what we are.
00:00:05.47\00:00:09.17
Why are we here?
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You see if we
could just figure out
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the nature of the universe,
maybe it'll give some clue
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as to who we are or
what we're supposed to be.
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And if it happened to
be religiously inclined,
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of course, you also have to
factor in the existence of God.
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That's today's
episode of Authentic.
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[soft music]
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Human beings have
been trying to boil down
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the nature of our existence
and the nature of the universe
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for thousands of years.
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And I find it curious that
so many of the clay tablets
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we dig out of the earth,
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talk about questions
regarding the meaning of life.
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I mean, some of these tablets
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they talk about things like
census data of royal bookkeeping
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or some Kings triumph in war,
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but the one thing
that keeps on popping up
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over and over and over again,
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is the question of meaning,
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who in the world are we?
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Why was I born
into this universe?
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Am I really just a
biological machine?
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Some kind of accident
of Physics and Biology?
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Or is the reason
that you and I are here?
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And is there anybody out there,
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I mean, somewhere
out there in the universe
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who knows that we're
here or for that matter,
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cares that we're here?
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And how do you know for
sure that your existence
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is even real?
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How do I know that
my daily experience
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is not just a
figment of my imagination?
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An illusion created by
the chemistry of my brain?
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How do I know that all of this,
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you and me right now,
it's not just a dream?
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Maybe things like love or
passion or hate or inspiration
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are nothing but an illusion.
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I mean, how do I know,
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that I'm not just a
biological experiment
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somewhere out
there in the universe,
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just a brain sitting on a tray
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with a
15-year-old high school kid,
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prodding it with a scalpel
because I'm his science project
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and he's accidentally
creating every experience
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I think I'm having.
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Of course that's not
the way they talked about it
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in these ancient clay tablets,
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like this one from
the Ruins of Nineveh,
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but the questions
are exactly the same.
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We've been
struggling with the same things
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ever since we
learned the art of writing.
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Our ancient
ancestors seriously probed,
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just about every
corner of human experience,
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looking for answers.
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Last night, some of these
tablets say, I had a crazy
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dream. What did that mean?
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And why is it that
all life on this planet
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seems to rely on the sun?
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And what exactly would make
my life meaningful and great?
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I mean maybe if I go conquer
all my neighboring countries
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and make them worship me, then
my life will mean something.
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I mean, if we get
right to the root of it,
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everybody's been
looking for the very same thing.
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We're looking for
the reason we're here.
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That's the question that
motivates almost everything we
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do, because somehow
we're not very happy
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with the idea that we
just happen to be here,
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but it doesn't
really mean anything.
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And if you think about it,
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the fact that we
asked that question at all,
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is really pretty significant.
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Because if you were
just a biological machine,
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some random accident, a
leftover from the Big Bang,
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then why in the world
would you have an impulse
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to go out there
looking for meaning?
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I mean, think about this.
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Does your laptop care about
the meaning of its existence?
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It does a lot of artificial
thinking all day long.
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It does calculations
faster than your brain can.
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It takes care of
spreadsheets and communications,
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and these days that computer
can even run your house.
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But you know that your
laptop isn't sitting there
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on the kitchen table
wondering where it came from,
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why it exists and
what its purpose is.
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Because that would be weird.
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Consciousness and
self-awareness, don't just
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happen. And if your
computer does appear to care,
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I mean, if Siri
or Alexa asks you
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the occasional
meaningful questions,
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you would know immediately,
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that somebody had
programmed it to seem that way.
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Because it doesn't
happen all by itself.
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So let's
consider this possibility.
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Let's consider the possibility
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that somebody did
put us here on purpose.
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And that same
somebody, programmed us
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to ask these kinds of questions
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because there's something
we're supposed to discover,
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something we're
supposed to learn.
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If you read the
book of Ecclesiastes,
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an ancient book
of Jewish wisdom,
00:05:03.20\00:05:05.57
and found in the Old Testament,
00:05:05.57\00:05:08.14
you'll find this statement
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that looks well, a
little simplistic at first
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but the longer
you think about it,
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the more profound it becomes.
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And you find this statement
on the heels of an ancient poem
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that actually
became a number one hit
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for The Byrds back in
1965, you might remember it.
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"To everything."
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I won't sing,
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"To everything,
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"Turn, turn, turn
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"There is a season,
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"And a time to every
purpose under heaven."
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Yeah, that comes
from Ecclesiastes.
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They got it from chapter three.
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And it only goes to prove,
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that the questions that
haunt the human race today
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are the very same
questions we were asking,
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well, 3000 years ago.
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Now you'll notice
those ancient lyrics assume,
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there's got to be a
purpose for our existence.
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So maybe let's just do a
little bit of reading theater
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for a couple of minutes.
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And let me read you
of this ancient poetry.
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This is from
Ecclesiastes chapter three,
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beginning in verse one.
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"To everything,
there is a season,
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"A time for every
purpose under heaven
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"A time to be
born and a time to die,
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"A time to plant and a
time to pluck what is planted
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"A time to kill
and a time to heal
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"A time to break down
and a time to build up
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"A time to weep
and a time to laugh.
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"A time to mourn
and a time to dance
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"A time to cast away stones
and a time to gather stones
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"A time to embrace and a
time to refrain from embracing
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"A time to gain
and a time to lose
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"A time to keep and
a time to throw away
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"A time to tear
and a time to sow
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"A time to keep
silence and a time to speak
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"A time to love
and a time to hate
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"A time of war
and a time of peace."
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That has got to be one of
the most foundational poems
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in the history of human writing.
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And when you reading this,
it just kind of feels right.
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So let me ask you why.
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Why do we assume there's a
purpose and a time for anything?
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Why is it that we can't
seem to let go of that idea?
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You start to find the
answer in the next few words
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and this is the part
of this ancient passage
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that unfortunately never made it
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to the top 10
charts back in 1965.
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I'm going to continue in
verse nine, and you never know.
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Maybe we'll spend
the rest of this show,
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unpacking what
we're about to read,
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because, well,
it's just that profound.
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And I promise, this is gonna
give you enough to think about
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until the next time we meet.
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So here we go,
with what I think,
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is the most
important part of this passage.
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And I want you to
notice the assumptions
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buried in this text.
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Verse nine.
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"What profit has the worker
from that in which he labors?
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"I have seen the God-given task
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"with which the sons of
men are to be occupied."
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So there you have it again.
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It's the biggest
question in the world.
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Every day you get out of bed
and you go through the motions.
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You go to work,
you go to school,
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you go out looking for a job,
you plan a day of retirement.
00:08:01.88\00:08:05.95
But whatever you do, you
feel driven to do something.
00:08:05.95\00:08:10.35
For some reason, you
and I are painfully aware
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of how short this life is.
00:08:12.75\00:08:15.22
In a way that dogs
and cats probably aren't.
00:08:15.22\00:08:18.53
I mean, animals
don't seem to struggle
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with the idea of mortality,
00:08:21.03\00:08:22.86
but you and I live
under the assumption
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that time is a limited gift.
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This is something you
can't afford to waste.
00:08:26.94\00:08:30.11
And the older you get,
00:08:30.11\00:08:31.64
the more you realize
that one single lifetime
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is just a tiny blip
on the radar of eternity.
00:08:34.41\00:08:37.98
A period of time so short
that it almost seems well cruel.
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We have to spend most of
our lives just surviving,
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which makes some people wonder
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why we put in all this effort.
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I mean, if life is
just sleeping and eating,
00:08:51.59\00:08:54.30
and breathing and
reproducing, what's the point?
00:08:54.30\00:08:58.57
Everything you create,
00:08:58.57\00:09:00.07
and every child you
bring into this existence
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is just gonna occupy a world
00:09:02.00\00:09:03.94
where you one day
will no longer exist.
00:09:03.94\00:09:07.18
And for a lot of people,
that seems kind of futile.
00:09:07.18\00:09:10.55
But then of course,
you have to ask yourself
00:09:12.41\00:09:14.62
why this would even bother you,
00:09:14.62\00:09:16.28
because if you and I were
just biological computers,
00:09:16.28\00:09:19.29
we would simply get to
the end of our usefulness
00:09:19.29\00:09:21.32
and we would power down
and never even think about.
00:09:21.32\00:09:24.13
But for some reason, all
of this really bothers us.
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We live, we suffer, we die.
00:09:28.40\00:09:30.63
And for some reason, all of
that seems really, really wrong.
00:09:30.63\00:09:35.07
I mean, I can't even imagine
how many billions of words
00:09:35.07\00:09:38.37
the human race has
written on this very subject.
00:09:38.37\00:09:41.08
The idea that life seems
short and cruel and pointless.
00:09:41.08\00:09:45.71
But at the same
time we cling to life.
00:09:45.71\00:09:48.42
And it seems far too short.
00:09:48.42\00:09:51.45
Look, I've got to
take a quick break
00:09:51.45\00:09:52.72
but I'll be
right back after this.
00:09:52.72\00:09:54.92
- [Male Announcer] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:09:56.79\00:10:01.06
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:10:01.06\00:10:05.63
If you've ever read
Daniel to Revelation
00:10:05.63\00:10:07.84
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:10:07.84\00:10:10.87
Our free Focus on Prophecy
guides are designed to help you
00:10:10.87\00:10:14.34
unlock the
mysteries of the Bible
00:10:14.34\00:10:16.08
and deepen your understanding
of God's plan for you
00:10:16.08\00:10:19.01
and our world.
00:10:19.01\00:10:20.18
Study online, or
request them by mail.
00:10:20.18\00:10:22.55
And start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:10:22.55\00:10:25.45
- There's just
something about this existence
00:10:26.86\00:10:28.66
that doesn't make
sense, not rationally.
00:10:28.66\00:10:31.33
And that really bothers us.
00:10:31.33\00:10:34.36
It's like this broken tooth
00:10:34.36\00:10:36.60
at the back of your mouth
00:10:36.60\00:10:37.87
and your tongue just
can't leave it alone.
00:10:37.87\00:10:39.50
You have to keep going
back and exploring the question
00:10:39.50\00:10:42.20
of our existence over and over.
00:10:42.20\00:10:45.37
It reminds me
of a famous passage
00:10:45.37\00:10:47.11
from Thomas Hobbes "Leviathan".
00:10:47.11\00:10:49.24
And I don't know if you had
to read this book in college
00:10:49.24\00:10:51.11
but I did.
00:10:51.11\00:10:52.35
And at one point he says
00:10:52.35\00:10:53.75
one of the most heartbreaking
things in the world,
00:10:53.75\00:10:55.95
and I guess the
reason it's heartbreaking
00:10:55.95\00:10:58.05
is because we know it's true.
00:10:58.05\00:11:00.22
And he speaking
about living through war.
00:11:00.22\00:11:02.76
That awful moment
when the human race
00:11:02.76\00:11:04.46
manages to strip all
of human life of meaning.
00:11:04.46\00:11:07.23
Here's what he says,
00:11:07.23\00:11:08.70
"In such a
condition" that's war,
00:11:08.70\00:11:10.97
"there is no place for industry
00:11:10.97\00:11:12.57
"because the fruit
thereof is uncertain,
00:11:12.57\00:11:14.87
"and consequently no
culture of the earth,
00:11:14.87\00:11:17.21
"no navigation or
use of the commodities
00:11:17.21\00:11:19.71
"that may be imported by sea,
00:11:19.71\00:11:21.61
"no commodious building,
00:11:21.61\00:11:23.11
"no instruments of
moving and removing such things
00:11:23.11\00:11:25.38
"as require much force,
00:11:25.38\00:11:27.02
"no knowledge of
the face of the earth,
00:11:27.02\00:11:28.78
"no account of time, no
arts, no letters, no society,
00:11:28.78\00:11:31.99
"and which is worst of all,
00:11:31.99\00:11:33.42
"continual fear and
danger of violent death".
00:11:33.42\00:11:36.73
And here it comes.
00:11:36.73\00:11:37.66
Here's the troubling part,
00:11:37.66\00:11:38.99
"and the life of man
solitary, poor, nasty,
00:11:38.99\00:11:43.00
"brutish, and short".
00:11:43.00\00:11:45.67
Now I don't happen to
like that perspective,
00:11:45.67\00:11:47.70
but I have to admit
there's some truth to this.
00:11:47.70\00:11:50.34
For most people life
really can be lonely, nasty,
00:11:50.34\00:11:53.01
brutal and short.
00:11:53.01\00:11:54.61
And that bothers me, but why?
00:11:54.61\00:11:57.91
I mean, if the universe
is just too thin clause,
00:11:57.91\00:12:00.12
survival of the fittest,
00:12:00.12\00:12:01.32
then what Thomas
Hobbes is describing
00:12:01.32\00:12:03.72
is exactly the way
things are supposed to be.
00:12:03.72\00:12:06.49
And it shouldn't bother me
because that's just the nature
00:12:06.49\00:12:09.09
of an indifferent universe.
00:12:09.09\00:12:10.76
I mean, sure.
00:12:10.76\00:12:11.93
I want to avoid
pain, everybody does.
00:12:11.93\00:12:14.36
Because it's well, unpleasant
00:12:14.36\00:12:16.16
but beyond the avoidance
of pain why should I care?
00:12:16.16\00:12:20.00
And why do I seem to be
programmed to resist my own
00:12:20.00\00:12:23.37
death? Why does
something as hard as life
00:12:23.37\00:12:25.17
seem to have so
much, well, value?
00:12:25.17\00:12:29.28
Now if you've never read
the book of Ecclesiastes,
00:12:29.28\00:12:31.61
I'm going to encourage you,
even if you're not religious
00:12:31.61\00:12:33.88
to give this book a chance,
00:12:33.88\00:12:35.48
because well there are some
really profound thoughts in here
00:12:35.48\00:12:38.19
that have stood
the test of time.
00:12:38.19\00:12:39.49
Listen to this
starting with in verse 11.
00:12:39.49\00:12:41.39
"He," and that's God,
00:12:41.39\00:12:42.79
"has made everything
beautiful in its time."
00:12:42.79\00:12:44.96
Now I think I might
want to spend a whole program
00:12:44.96\00:12:47.13
one of these days talking
about what beauty actually is,
00:12:47.13\00:12:50.43
but here comes the
important part, listen.
00:12:50.43\00:12:52.60
"also he has put
eternity in their hearts
00:12:54.10\00:12:55.84
"except that no one can
find out the work that God does
00:12:55.84\00:12:58.77
"from beginning to end."
00:12:58.77\00:13:01.84
That is one of the most
deceptively simple things
00:13:01.84\00:13:04.15
I've ever read
because in seven words,
00:13:04.15\00:13:07.55
the author points to
the one thing that keeps us
00:13:07.55\00:13:09.78
from believing that
life has no meaning.
00:13:09.78\00:13:11.92
He says God has put
eternity in our hearts.
00:13:11.92\00:13:16.93
You know, a few years
ago, a good friend of mine
00:13:18.33\00:13:19.83
who I think I'll invite
on the show at some point,
00:13:19.83\00:13:22.26
he suddenly called me and
urged me to go to a website
00:13:22.26\00:13:24.83
because they had posted the
details of a notable funeral
00:13:24.83\00:13:27.94
that had just taken place.
00:13:27.94\00:13:30.07
It was a Memorial
service for Douglas Adams,
00:13:30.07\00:13:32.41
the author of "The Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Galaxy".
00:13:32.41\00:13:35.41
And of course Douglas Adams
00:13:35.41\00:13:37.25
was what we
would call a nihilist,
00:13:37.25\00:13:39.18
a person who
believes that our existence
00:13:39.18\00:13:41.28
doesn't mean anything.
00:13:41.28\00:13:43.75
And in his book, "The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the
00:13:43.75\00:13:46.32
Galaxy" he imagines this race
of aliens who destroy our planet
00:13:46.32\00:13:49.59
to make way for
a galactic freeway,
00:13:49.59\00:13:51.79
like you and I are just
an inconvenient ant pile
00:13:51.79\00:13:54.83
on a construction site.
00:13:54.83\00:13:56.70
So from the aliens
perspective, the human race,
00:13:56.70\00:13:59.93
all of our achievements,
all of our history,
00:13:59.93\00:14:02.17
all of our
philosophy, it means nothing.
00:14:02.17\00:14:04.47
You could just wipe it
out without any consequence.
00:14:04.47\00:14:07.54
It's kind of like what happens
00:14:07.54\00:14:09.01
in HG Wells War of the Worlds,
00:14:09.01\00:14:11.31
where to our
horror, we discovered that
00:14:11.31\00:14:13.45
the Martians are here
to harvest us for food.
00:14:13.45\00:14:17.72
It's horrific because somewhere
deep in the human psyche,
00:14:17.72\00:14:20.69
we have this instinct to believe
00:14:20.69\00:14:22.32
that we are more
important than that.
00:14:22.32\00:14:24.56
So in "The Hitchhiker's
Guide to the Galaxy"
00:14:25.69\00:14:28.76
the author
pretends that our earth
00:14:28.76\00:14:30.13
was nothing but an
experiment, a supercomputer
00:14:30.13\00:14:32.97
designed by
another supercomputer,
00:14:32.97\00:14:34.97
and its purpose was to
ponder the meaning of life.
00:14:34.97\00:14:37.61
And it was supposed to calculate
the answer to and I quote,
00:14:37.61\00:14:41.24
"the ultimate question of life,
00:14:41.24\00:14:42.78
"the universe, and everything".
00:14:42.78\00:14:45.11
So this computer
works on that problem
00:14:45.11\00:14:47.28
for seven and a
half million years,
00:14:47.28\00:14:49.78
and then it finally
spits out the answer.
00:14:49.78\00:14:52.12
The answer, 42.
00:14:52.12\00:14:54.69
Now of course, 42
doesn't mean anything.
00:14:55.89\00:14:59.26
And what Douglas Adams
is trying to tell us is that
00:14:59.26\00:15:01.36
the search for
meaning is pointless.
00:15:01.36\00:15:04.10
But then he himself
dies like we all do.
00:15:04.10\00:15:06.77
And a number of
very prominent people
00:15:06.77\00:15:08.50
mostly with the same mindset,
they come to the funeral
00:15:08.50\00:15:11.97
and that's when
it suddenly happens.
00:15:11.97\00:15:13.94
Richard Dawkins, one of
the most notorious atheist
00:15:13.94\00:15:16.68
in the world gives a eulogy.
00:15:16.68\00:15:19.48
And I want you to
listen to what he said
00:15:19.48\00:15:21.12
because it confirms what
the book of Ecclesiastes says.
00:15:21.12\00:15:24.32
God has put
eternity in our hearts.
00:15:24.32\00:15:27.26
He mentions an interview
he once had with Douglas Adams
00:15:27.26\00:15:30.59
and he asks his
friend the question,
00:15:30.59\00:15:32.76
what is it about science
00:15:32.76\00:15:34.66
that really gets
your blood running?
00:15:34.66\00:15:36.90
And here's the answer
that Douglas Adams gave.
00:15:36.90\00:15:39.10
I don't want you to miss this.
00:15:39.10\00:15:41.44
He said,
00:15:41.44\00:15:42.67
"The world is a
thing of utter inordinate,
00:15:42.67\00:15:44.81
"complexity and
richness and strangeness
00:15:44.81\00:15:47.08
"that is absolutely awesome.
00:15:47.08\00:15:49.44
"I mean, the idea that
such complexity can arise
00:15:49.44\00:15:52.38
"not only out
of such simplicity,
00:15:52.38\00:15:54.45
"but probably
absolutely out of nothing
00:15:54.45\00:15:56.85
"is the most
fabulous, extraordinary idea.
00:15:56.85\00:15:59.95
"And once you get
some kind of inkling
00:15:59.95\00:16:01.46
"of how that might've
happened, it's just wonderful.
00:16:01.46\00:16:04.73
"And the opportunity to spend
70 or 80 years of your life
00:16:04.73\00:16:09.43
"in such a
universe is time well spent
00:16:09.43\00:16:12.03
"as far as I'm concerned."
00:16:12.03\00:16:13.84
Now, I don't know about you,
00:16:15.37\00:16:17.41
but that does not sound like
a man who believes in nothing.
00:16:17.41\00:16:21.18
I mean, no matter
how hard he fights it,
00:16:21.18\00:16:23.45
there is still this idea
00:16:23.45\00:16:24.81
that you and I are
supposed to mean something,
00:16:24.81\00:16:26.61
that we're here for a reason.
00:16:26.61\00:16:28.68
And there is a
right way and a wrong way
00:16:28.68\00:16:30.89
to spend this
one short lifetime.
00:16:30.89\00:16:33.25
So that's what
Douglas Adams said.
00:16:34.39\00:16:37.26
Now, let me read you
what Richard Dawkins said
00:16:37.26\00:16:39.39
at the funeral, because
sometimes the words we speak
00:16:39.39\00:16:41.83
and the thoughts we
have, when we're by the grave
00:16:41.83\00:16:44.83
are some of the clearest
thoughts we'll ever have.
00:16:44.83\00:16:47.67
Here's what he said.
00:16:47.67\00:16:48.67
"It has been our
privilege to know a man
00:16:49.74\00:16:51.31
"whose capacity to make
the best of a full lifespan
00:16:51.31\00:16:54.01
"was as great as was
his charm and his humor
00:16:54.01\00:16:56.81
"and his sheer intelligence.
00:16:56.81\00:16:58.61
"If ever a man understood
what a magnificent place
00:16:58.61\00:17:01.05
"the world is, it was Douglas.
00:17:01.05\00:17:02.75
"And if ever a man left at a
better place for his existence,
00:17:02.75\00:17:05.89
"it was Douglas.
00:17:05.89\00:17:07.89
"It would have been
nice if he'd given us
00:17:07.89\00:17:09.42
"the full 70 or 80 years.
00:17:09.42\00:17:11.36
"But by God, we got our
money's worth from the 49".
00:17:11.36\00:17:16.23
Now don't miss this.
00:17:16.23\00:17:18.47
Richard Dawkins, a man
who says there is no God,
00:17:18.47\00:17:20.87
no plan for the universe,
just had the nerve to tell us
00:17:20.87\00:17:25.27
that Douglas
Adams lived life well.
00:17:25.27\00:17:27.94
That he used his time wisely.
00:17:27.94\00:17:30.58
And then he says that
the world was somehow cheated
00:17:30.58\00:17:33.15
when this man died at 49,
00:17:33.15\00:17:35.12
and he didn't get
a normal lifespan.
00:17:35.12\00:17:38.22
In other words, he's
saying what happened isn't fair.
00:17:38.22\00:17:42.32
So why would that matter?
00:17:43.63\00:17:45.86
I mean, if this is
perfectly mechanical universe,
00:17:45.86\00:17:48.06
Douglas Adams
was a weaker machine
00:17:48.06\00:17:50.37
who suddenly dropped dead of
a heart attack and he was 49.
00:17:50.37\00:17:54.17
That's just a numerical fact.
00:17:54.17\00:17:55.87
And we shouldn't have
any emotions about that.
00:17:55.87\00:17:58.94
But there's some
kind of driving force
00:17:58.94\00:18:00.68
buried deep inside us that says,
00:18:00.68\00:18:02.28
no, there's
something wrong with death.
00:18:02.28\00:18:05.25
This man should
have lived longer.
00:18:05.25\00:18:07.08
And all of us lost
something the day he died.
00:18:07.08\00:18:10.42
So why would we think like that?
00:18:11.35\00:18:15.02
Why would we think
there was anything fair
00:18:15.02\00:18:17.09
or unfair about life?
00:18:17.09\00:18:19.66
And apparently
on another occasion,
00:18:19.66\00:18:21.13
Richard Dawkins even
talked about how exciting it was
00:18:21.13\00:18:24.37
that Douglas Adams
was going to decompose.
00:18:24.37\00:18:26.80
And his body
would become nutrients
00:18:26.80\00:18:28.97
to feed the plants and trees.
00:18:28.97\00:18:30.47
And so in that way, he
kind of gets to keep on living.
00:18:30.47\00:18:34.28
Now, I didn't hear
those words for myself.
00:18:34.28\00:18:35.81
So maybe he didn't actually
say it, but I will say this,
00:18:35.81\00:18:39.21
when it comes to death, we
all start to think that way.
00:18:40.65\00:18:43.99
Because every
time somebody dies,
00:18:43.99\00:18:45.59
something inside of a
screams, this is wrong.
00:18:45.59\00:18:48.59
It's not
supposed to be like this.
00:18:48.59\00:18:51.13
So where in the
world does that come from?
00:18:51.13\00:18:54.96
I'll pick up on that
thought right after this break.
00:18:54.96\00:18:57.77
- [Male Announcer] Are
you searching for answers
00:19:01.80\00:19:03.07
to life's toughest questions,
00:19:03.07\00:19:04.67
like where is
God when we suffer?
00:19:04.67\00:19:06.98
Can I find a real happiness?
00:19:06.98\00:19:08.78
Or is there any hope
for our chaotic world?
00:19:08.78\00:19:11.91
The Discover Bible
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00:19:11.91\00:19:13.55
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00:19:39.01\00:19:41.21
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00:19:41.21\00:19:43.35
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00:19:43.35\00:19:45.75
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- Well, we're
back from the break,
00:20:01.83\00:20:03.37
and the director tells me
it's been driving him nuts
00:20:03.37\00:20:05.57
that I left the tablet
laying on the table this way.
00:20:05.57\00:20:07.87
But I got to tell you, I
don't fix things like this.
00:20:07.87\00:20:10.34
So Joel, get in here
and fix the tablet, man.
00:20:10.34\00:20:13.07
Fix the tablet.
00:20:13.07\00:20:14.41
This is quality television.
00:20:14.41\00:20:16.41
Come on, man.
00:20:16.41\00:20:17.58
What did you, you
failed the Syrian school?
00:20:17.58\00:20:19.11
Good help folks.
00:20:19.11\00:20:22.18
Hard to find.
00:20:22.18\00:20:23.42
Unless you give to
keep authentic on the air.
00:20:23.42\00:20:25.95
We're never
gonna get decent help.
00:20:25.95\00:20:27.76
Backtrack to our subject.
00:20:27.76\00:20:29.26
About 3000 years
ago, a wise Jewish King,
00:20:29.26\00:20:32.43
tried to tell us that God
put eternity in our hearts.
00:20:32.43\00:20:36.16
There's a reason
that life feels unjust.
00:20:37.33\00:20:40.07
There's a reason
that it bothers us
00:20:40.07\00:20:41.67
when it feels meaningless,
00:20:41.67\00:20:43.64
because this is not the
way it's supposed to be.
00:20:43.64\00:20:46.81
Life is not without meaning.
00:20:46.81\00:20:49.41
And it only seems that way,
00:20:49.41\00:20:50.68
because something
has gone horribly wrong.
00:20:50.68\00:20:54.28
Listen, your
logic might tell you
00:20:54.28\00:20:56.35
that death is inevitable.
00:20:56.35\00:20:57.85
It's just a part
of the circle of life.
00:20:57.85\00:21:00.56
We all put in a few
years, and then we buy the farm
00:21:00.56\00:21:03.09
just like every
other living thing.
00:21:03.09\00:21:05.93
But every time
you lose a person,
00:21:05.93\00:21:08.40
someone you love, to
the ravages of death,
00:21:08.40\00:21:11.40
every fiber of your
being begins to protest.
00:21:11.40\00:21:15.30
Think about how it
feels to stand by the grave
00:21:15.30\00:21:18.01
of a friend or a family member.
00:21:18.01\00:21:21.18
Where did those
emotions come from?
00:21:21.18\00:21:23.68
Why do you hate the
idea of death so much?
00:21:23.68\00:21:26.78
I mean, logic told you
the moment was going to come.
00:21:26.78\00:21:29.68
It was guaranteed.
00:21:29.68\00:21:31.05
So why in the world do
we have so much trouble
00:21:31.05\00:21:33.62
accepting that?
00:21:33.62\00:21:35.32
And when it comes time
to face your own death,
00:21:35.32\00:21:38.06
well, for some
reason, that bothers you too.
00:21:38.06\00:21:41.36
Maybe even more than
losing somebody else.
00:21:41.36\00:21:44.93
So what is the point of life?
00:21:44.93\00:21:47.67
Acquiring skills,
improving your mind,
00:21:47.67\00:21:49.70
only to have it all
disappear the moment you die.
00:21:49.70\00:21:52.77
There are billions of people
who have already been buried
00:21:52.77\00:21:55.61
and everything they are,
everything they believed,
00:21:55.61\00:21:58.41
everything they
learned, it's just gone.
00:21:58.41\00:22:01.92
It seems wrong.
00:22:02.78\00:22:04.19
Then if you listen
carefully to the narrative
00:22:06.09\00:22:08.49
of human existence that you find
00:22:08.49\00:22:09.99
in the average
high school textbook,
00:22:09.99\00:22:12.09
it really starts
to get depressing.
00:22:12.09\00:22:14.46
What we're told
is that the universe
00:22:14.46\00:22:15.86
is some 14 billion years old,
00:22:15.86\00:22:18.40
and that human
life conscious existence
00:22:18.40\00:22:21.30
only began to emerge
in fairly recent history.
00:22:21.30\00:22:24.77
And if the universe plays out
00:22:24.77\00:22:26.21
the way that
Math seems to suggest,
00:22:26.21\00:22:28.58
life is going to disappear
in the relatively near future.
00:22:28.58\00:22:32.41
And so our whole
existence, everything we are
00:22:32.41\00:22:35.42
is only going to be
a very brief interlude
00:22:35.42\00:22:38.82
on a very long timeline,
00:22:38.82\00:22:41.46
in an otherwise empty
and meaningless universe.
00:22:41.46\00:22:44.76
And that might be
what the Math tells us .
00:22:45.93\00:22:48.50
But somewhere
deep inside our hearts,
00:22:48.50\00:22:51.13
it's telling us
that can't be the truth.
00:22:51.13\00:22:54.17
Look, I'm
convinced there's a reason,
00:22:54.17\00:22:57.01
we all seem to be
trying to figure out who we are
00:22:57.01\00:23:00.18
and what we're doing here.
00:23:00.18\00:23:01.74
And that's because
somebody put you here on purpose
00:23:01.74\00:23:05.01
and he wants you to ask
these kinds of questions.
00:23:05.01\00:23:07.48
There's a reason
you want to know.
00:23:08.65\00:23:10.89
And there's a reason
you were born with a, well,
00:23:10.89\00:23:13.52
fuzzy memory of a
better time and a better place.
00:23:13.52\00:23:17.46
It's because you were born
with eternity in your heart.
00:23:17.46\00:23:21.50
So what does that mean?
00:23:22.63\00:23:24.67
Well, if there
is a purpose to life
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.50
and you are not
some miserable accident,
00:23:26.50\00:23:28.67
and somebody out there thinks
00:23:28.67\00:23:29.87
that your
existence means something.
00:23:29.87\00:23:32.64
Well, then maybe
there really is such a thing
00:23:32.64\00:23:34.84
as an authentic human life.
00:23:34.84\00:23:36.78
A right way to do this.
00:23:36.78\00:23:39.38
And I know it's no
longer popular to suggest
00:23:39.38\00:23:41.78
that there might be a right
way and a wrong way to live.
00:23:41.78\00:23:44.65
What we're told is, well, we
can just create our own reality
00:23:44.65\00:23:47.69
our own sets of truths,
and then live by those truths
00:23:47.69\00:23:51.49
to the best of our ability.
00:23:51.49\00:23:53.36
In other words they're saying,
the only right way to live,
00:23:53.36\00:23:56.43
is whatever you happen to
think the right way to live is,
00:23:56.43\00:23:59.37
because there's no meaning
out there apart from that.
00:23:59.37\00:24:02.40
But you know, as much as we try
00:24:03.67\00:24:05.57
to convince ourselves of that,
00:24:05.57\00:24:07.48
something tells us
that can't be true.
00:24:07.48\00:24:10.48
Because we all
recognize the wrong way to live,
00:24:10.48\00:24:13.11
whenever we see it.
00:24:13.11\00:24:14.82
I mean think about
somebody who wastes
00:24:14.82\00:24:16.58
this one, precious lifetime.
00:24:16.58\00:24:18.85
They never go to work.
00:24:18.85\00:24:20.09
They never try to
accomplish anything.
00:24:20.09\00:24:21.92
They never invest in themselves.
00:24:21.92\00:24:23.76
They just sit on
the couch playing X-Box
00:24:23.76\00:24:25.79
and drinking beer day after day.
00:24:25.79\00:24:28.36
All of us look at that
and we say what a waste,
00:24:28.36\00:24:32.03
because we realize what
a precious gift life is.
00:24:32.03\00:24:35.14
And there's not enough of it,
00:24:35.14\00:24:36.81
to spend the bulk
of it, doing nothing.
00:24:36.81\00:24:39.57
Everybody can see when
somebody is doing it wrong.
00:24:39.57\00:24:42.38
And if that's true,
00:24:42.38\00:24:44.38
then maybe there is
a way to do it right.
00:24:44.38\00:24:47.75
I'll come back right after this.
00:24:47.75\00:24:49.92
- [Female Announce] Here
at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:24:51.69\00:24:53.15
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:24:53.15\00:24:55.49
for the whole family.
00:24:55.49\00:24:56.96
Like our audio adventure
series, Discovery Mountain.
00:24:56.96\00:25:00.20
Discovery Mountain is a
Bible-based program for kids
00:25:00.20\00:25:02.96
of all ages and backgrounds.
00:25:02.96\00:25:04.93
Your family will enjoy
the faith building stories
00:25:04.93\00:25:07.67
from this small
mountain Summer camp and town,
00:25:07.67\00:25:10.54
with 24 seasonal
episodes every year,
00:25:10.54\00:25:13.07
and fresh content every week.
00:25:13.07\00:25:15.21
There's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:25:15.21\00:25:18.38
- To everything,
there is a season.
00:25:22.22\00:25:24.49
A time for every
purpose under heaven.
00:25:24.49\00:25:27.46
A time to be born
and at a time to die.
00:25:27.46\00:25:30.46
A time to plant and a
time to pluck what is planted.
00:25:30.46\00:25:33.19
A time to kill
and a time to heal.
00:25:33.19\00:25:36.26
A time to break down,
and a time to build up.
00:25:36.26\00:25:39.60
A time to weep
and a time to laugh.
00:25:39.60\00:25:42.14
There's a reason that
this seems so very timeless.
00:25:42.14\00:25:45.21
It feels right.
00:25:45.21\00:25:47.31
There really does seem
to be a time for things
00:25:47.31\00:25:49.81
and a time when it's
not time for those things.
00:25:49.81\00:25:52.98
There's a rhythm to life,
00:25:52.98\00:25:55.22
an implied purpose.
00:25:55.22\00:25:57.35
You know, maybe
something that seems like
00:25:58.65\00:26:01.42
a number one hit from 1965,
00:26:01.42\00:26:03.49
might be worth
looking at one more time.
00:26:03.49\00:26:07.00
Because The Byrds were
asking the same question
00:26:07.00\00:26:09.63
the human race has
always been exploring.
00:26:09.63\00:26:12.67
To everything there is a season.
00:26:12.67\00:26:14.80
And if that's true,
00:26:14.80\00:26:16.44
I kind of want to
know what my season is.
00:26:16.44\00:26:19.61
Why am I here?
00:26:19.61\00:26:20.88
And am I here right
now for a particular moment
00:26:20.88\00:26:24.81
in this universe's history?
00:26:24.81\00:26:27.08
How long will my
season in this place last?
00:26:27.08\00:26:30.52
And at the end of the road,
00:26:30.52\00:26:31.95
when I finally
cross life's finish line,
00:26:31.95\00:26:34.99
will I know, will I
have any way of knowing
00:26:34.99\00:26:37.83
that I did life the right way?
00:26:37.83\00:26:40.06
The way that I was expected to?
00:26:40.06\00:26:42.36
So here's what I want you to do.
00:26:43.37\00:26:45.07
I want you to think
about that one thought
00:26:45.07\00:26:47.50
until the next time you and
I get together and talk again.
00:26:47.50\00:26:51.84
Now, if you can't go that long,
00:26:51.84\00:26:53.21
just go to voiceofprophecy.com
00:26:53.21\00:26:54.24
and I've got a world of
resources there for you.
00:26:55.44\00:26:58.15
We've got some of the
best Bible study resources
00:26:58.15\00:27:01.25
in the entire world.
00:27:01.25\00:27:02.75
And if you click on
the study tab, this is it,
00:27:02.75\00:27:05.12
voiceofprophecy.com,
click on the study tab
00:27:05.12\00:27:08.62
and you'll find the
resources I'm talking about,
00:27:08.62\00:27:10.49
and easily, there is
enough there to keep you busy
00:27:10.49\00:27:14.36
until we can meet
again right here next week.
00:27:14.36\00:27:17.77
What I really want you
to do is to start digging
00:27:17.77\00:27:20.97
and then keep digging
and digging and digging
00:27:20.97\00:27:25.11
until you and I find the answers
00:27:25.11\00:27:26.64
that give us some peace of mind.
00:27:26.64\00:27:28.71
I mean, think about it.
00:27:28.71\00:27:30.41
Are you really here by accident?
00:27:30.41\00:27:33.05
Is the universe an accident?
00:27:33.05\00:27:35.22
Does none of this mean anything?
00:27:35.22\00:27:37.49
That's what the
Math might tell you.
00:27:37.49\00:27:39.82
That's what the
scientists might tell you,
00:27:39.82\00:27:42.39
but something
deep in your heart,
00:27:42.39\00:27:44.36
the eternity planted
in your heart tells you
00:27:44.36\00:27:47.66
it's got to be more than that.
00:27:47.66\00:27:51.17
It can't just be an accident.
00:27:51.17\00:27:53.97
Ask yourself why does
the question even bother you?
00:27:53.97\00:27:58.97
My name is Shawn Boonstra.
00:27:59.84\00:28:00.84
Thanks for joining me this week.
00:28:00.84\00:28:02.08
Until next time,
this has been Authentic.
00:28:02.08\00:28:06.05
[upbeat music]
00:28:06.05\00:28:08.62