Where Do We Go When We Die?

One of life’s greatest questions is, “What happens when we die?” Last week we saw from Hebrews 9:27 that death is certain, judgment is coming, and Christ is returning. This week we ask a related question: Where do we go the moment we leave this life?

The apostle Paul gives us hope. He wrote, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Death was not loss for Paul, but gain, because it meant being with Jesus. He longed to depart this world and be in the presence of his Lord, which he said is “far better” (Philippians 1:23). For the Christian, death is not the end of our story—it is the doorway into eternal joy with Christ.

Jesus told a powerful story in Luke 16:19–31 about a rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus. When they both died, their destinies were revealed immediately. Lazarus was carried by angels to Abraham’s side, a place of comfort and rest. The rich man, however, opened his eyes in torment. His story shows us that death brings conscious existence—either in joy or in anguish. It also shows us that our eternal destinies are fixed at death. There are no second chances. The rich man’s greatest regret was that he had wasted his life and waited too long.

Paul also reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:6–8 that while we are “at home in the body,” we are away from the Lord. But when we are away from the body, we are “at home with the Lord.” Death is not exile for the believer—it is homecoming. Jesus promised the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). That promise still holds true for every child of God.

So, where do we go when we die? For those who are in Christ, death is a victory. It is leaving behind struggle and sorrow for eternal comfort and joy. For those outside of Christ, death is separation and regret. That is why Paul urges us in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.”

Death is certain. Eternity is real. And where we spend it depends on what we do with Jesus today.

Those Serving
CALL TO WORSHIP/PRAYER
Nathan Armstrong
SONG LEADER
Jason Schofield
LEAD LORD'S SUPPER
Andrew Cain
 ASSIST LORD’S SUPPER
James Passmore
Richard Jacobs
Benjamin Baker
Reggie Johnson
SCRIPTURE READING
Dan Dekoski
2 Corinthians 5:6-8
PREACHING
Matthew Allen
CLOSING PRAYER
Jeremy Price
CLOSING COMMENTS
Daniel Spargo
WELCOME CENTER
Emily McDonald // Kevin Shanesy // Kathryn Stewart
USHERS
Randy Mullins // Roy Pyle
COMMUNION PREP
Jeri Hastings
CLOSING THE BUILDING
Mike Rosato