Eternity: A Matter of Life and Death

Pastor Scott Applegate

Sermon Notes:

What does God want my perspective to be?

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 NIV

1. God wants us to live fully alive rather than just exist
“…to live is Christ”

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 NIV

• To live fully alive is to live with purpose (Colossians 1:16, John 17:3)
• To live fully alive is to be filled with true joy and peace regardless of circumstances (John 14:27, John 15:11)
• To live fully alive is to know significance and security (Jude 1:1)
• To live fully alive is to live without regret (Ecclesiastes 7:2)

“Life is the sum total of what you do with the moments given you…you have no control over when you die or (most often) how you die, but you do have control over how you live.” Erwin McManus

It’s never too late until it’s too late…
• To trust Christ
• To be forgiven
• To forgive
• To be used by Christ
• To enjoy each moment

2. God wants us to see death from His perspective
“…to die is gain”

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15 NIV
• Death is gain because we will be face to face with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8)
• Death is gain because we will be free from sin, sickness, and sorrow (Revelation 21:4)
• Death is gain because we will finally be in our real home (John 14:1-3)