Q&A Part 6 – What Happens After I Die?
Pastor Scott Applegate
Sermon Notes:
“ … death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.”
Ecclesiastes 7:2b NIV
“Sorrow is better than laughter, it may sadden your face but it sharpens your understanding.” Ecclesiastes 7:3 NIV
Whose Vantage Point Am I Looking At The Reality Of Death From?
Vantage Point #1: The downside – “under the sun”
- Death is inevitable.
“We must all die, wise and foolish alike.” Ecclesiastes 2:16 GN
- Death is just physical.
“Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other.” Ecclesiastes 3:19 NIV
- Death is unsearchable.
“There is no way for us to know what will happen after we die.” Ecclesiastes 3:22 GN
- Death is the end.
“The dead know nothing … their loves, their hates, their passions all died with them.” Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 LB
- Looking at death from the downside brings despair.
Vantage Point #2: The inside
“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV
- The look from the inside brings confusion.
Vantage Point #3: The upside
- The look from the upside reveals the better question: What happens after I die?
- There will be either Eternal Separation or Eternal Celebration
“He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.” II Thessalonians 1:8-9 NIV
“God himself will be with them … He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4 NIV
How Do I Prepare To Die?
- Trust in Jesus Christ.
“ … Jesus has destroyed death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:10 NIV
2. Invest in Eternity.
“It is a wonderful thing to be alive. If a person lives to be very old let him rejoice in every day of life, but let him also remember that eternity is far longer and that everything down here is futile in comparison.” Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 LB