Our Temporary Lives

Life is …

• Too short?

• Too boring?

• Too exciting?

• YOLO? (You Only Live Once)

Life is …

• Meaningless or meaningful?

• It all depends on YOU.

My Life

• Non-Christian family

• Criticized since young (fat, stupid,

horrible, waste of space)

• Useless and won’t be a benefit to the

society

My Life

• Accepted Christ when I was 14

• My life got WORST – persecution by

parents, relatives, countless ‘spiritual

attacks’, negative peer pressure by

friends

My Life

• Everything seemed to be falling to

pieces!

• My life was MEANINGLESS – I had no

aim in life, no goals, I didn’t know

what to do!

But let’s stop here…

• … before it becomes depressing.

Let’s talk about a movie

• The Terminal (2004)

Let’s talk about a movie

• About a guy who got stranded in an

airport (partially inspired by a true

story –Mehran Nasseri in Charles De

Gaulle Airport in Paris from 1988 –

2006)

Let’s talk about a movie

• The guy in the movie (Viktor) came from a

fictional country (Krakhozia) to America to

help complete his dead father’s jazz artists’

signature collection.

• When he arrived, his country went into civil

war and therefore his country is not

recognized by the airport scanners and

system.

Let’s talk about a movie

• So the airport authorities were faced with

an odd situation – to allow him to leave

the airport premises would be wrong as

he has no right to step outside due to his

country’s complications. Hence, they

allowed him to stay in the terminal.

Let’s talk about a movie

• Throughout the show, Viktor

managed to fight off various

temptations and traps to make him

leave the airport. He stayed until the

end and he finished his purpose of

coming to America.

Why this movie?

• The significance of this movie to our

lives is in the similar themes of the

movie to our lives.

A. Temporariness

B. Distractions

C. Purpose

Temporariness

• We are all thrown and will continually

be thrown into various temporary

places in our lives.

Education, work, location/address

etc.

Distractions

• We will all have various distractions

in our lives.

Priorities, desires, perspectives, etc.

Purpose

• We all have different purposes in

live.

Different careers, goals, aspirations

etc.

Life is Temporary

• So we fix our eyes not on what is

seen, but on what is unseen. For

what is seen is temporary, but what

is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians

4:18

Life is Temporary

• For we know that if the earthly tent

we live in is destroyed, we have a

building from God, an eternal house

in heaven, not built by human hands

- 2 Corinthians 5:1

Life is Full of Distractions

• No temptation has overtaken you that is

not common to man. God is faithful, and

he will not let you be tempted beyond

your ability, but with the temptation he

will also provide the way of escape, that

you may be able to endure it - 1

Corinthians 10:13

Life is Full of Distractions

• Therefore do not be anxious about

tomorrow, for tomorrow will be

anxious for itself. Sufficient for the

day is its own trouble – Matthew 6:34

Life is Full of Purpose

• For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord, plans for welfare

and not for evil, to give you a future

and a hope – Jeremiah 29:11

So why are we still unhappy?

• Temporariness = most of us prefer

permanency.

• Distractions = It is human nature to

be curious and to drop out of focus.

• Purpose = It blurs out our purpose in

our lives.

Life is Temporary, therefore…

• Make full use of your temporary state –

high school, college/university, work, etc.

Different friend circles as well.

Different phases of life will bring you to a

different ‘temporary’ state. Make it count.

Life is Full of Distractions, therefore…

• Recognize the good and bad; pros

and cons.

Different phases of life will bring you

a set of different distractions.

Life is Full of Purpose, therefore…

• Stay true to your temporary purposes

and your PERMANENT purpose.

Different phases of life will present

different purposes that is relevant to the

context – just make sure you’re not

lacking from your permanent purpose as

well.

To summarize…

• Trust in God no matter where you are. Your

temporariness will turn into permanency because it

contributes to your overall bigger plan in your life –

there is a purpose to where you’re put into.

• Trust in God for the right direction and guidance. Your

distractions are just a way to sharpen your purposes in

your temporary state and in life – nothing is too much

for you to handle.

Thank you

• Thank you and God bless you all.