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WHERE DO WE GO WHEN WE DIE? (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    This past Sunday was Father’s Day.  It was also the 24th anniversary of my father’s death.  He died on June 20, 1997.

 

B.      Death is real.

1.      It haunts us.

2.      It attacks us.

3.      It leaves us hurt.

4.      It leaves us lonely.

5.      It leaves us with a lot of readjustments.

 

C.     One day, we will die.

1.      Hebrews 9:27

 

And as it is appointed unto men once to die…

 

2.      When I first typed this line in my notes, I had an error in the sentence.  I left off the “n” on the word men.  Here is how it read:  “And is it is appointed unto me once to die…”  Wow!

3.      One out of one humans have died.

4.      Only two have ever survived death:  Enoch and Elijah.

5.      Even our precious Lord suffered an agonizing death on the cross of Calvary (Luke 23:46).

 

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit:  and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

 

6.      Sometimes the Bible describes man’s passing as going the way of all the earth (Josh. 23:14; I Kings 2:2).

 

D.    If you really stop and seriously consider the fact that one day you will die, it is a sobering thought.

1.      I will cease being conscious of this world.

2.      I will cease participating in my daily activities.

3.      I will cease being part of the life of my friends and neighbors.

4.      There will most likely be a ceremony involving my life.

a.      Friends and family will attend.

b.      Songs will be sung, prayers will be uttered, and words spoken about us and our life.

c.       Our friends and family will see us in the casket or look at an urn that contains our ashes.

d.      A few will make the journey to the grave site and pay their final respects.

e.       Then, they will walk away from us to resume their lives again without us.

 

E.      Question:  What happens to me the very moment I die?  Do I just die and cease to exist?  Do I go somewhere after I die?

 

F.      As Christians, we turn to the Word of God for answers.  Fortunately, God has not left us in the dark about this issue.  Let’s go into God’s Word and see what it has to say about the question:  “Where Do I Go When I Die?”

 

 

I.                   MAN IS NOT A SINGLE NATURE BEING

 

A.    Evolutionists believes that man is just an evolved animal. 

1.      They believe our relatives are the apes and chimpanzees.

2.      They do not believe that man possess a spirit or soul.

3.      They cannot really explain what life is.

4.      However, when life is gone they believe that we will be like the old dog rover, dead all over.

 

B.      The Bible teaches that man is not a single nature being.  We are triune beings.

1.      Man is composed of body, soul, and spirit (I Thess. 5:23).

 

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

a.      The body is this outer shell.  It is our temporary dwelling.  The Bible refers to it as our tent or tabernacle (II Pet. 1:13-14).

 

Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus hath shewed me.

 

1)      I am “in” this tabernacle.

2)      I must “put off” this tabernacle.

b.      The soul and spirit make up what some refer to as our inner man.

1)      They can be distinguished from one another as they are here and in other verses such as Hebrews 4:12.

2)      For us to make a clear line of distinction is very difficult.  Sometimes the two words seem to be used interchangeably. 

2.      The Bible teaches us that our death involves a separation of the body and spirit.

a.      James 2:26a

 

For as the body without the spirit is dead…

 

b.      Two examples:

1)      Jesus commended His spirit to the Father (Luke 23:46).  His body, however remained on the cross and was buried by Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus.

2)      Ananias (Acts 5:5-6)

 

And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost:  and great fear came on all them that heard these things.  And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

 

a)      He gave up the ghost.  Something exited from the body of Ananias.

b)      The body, however, remained and the young men buried it.

 

II.                WHERE DOES THE BODY GO AT DEATH?

 

A.    We do not talk about the body and death very much.  Let’s consider just a few thoughts briefly.

 

B.      Our bodies are chemical and electrical machines.  When we die, it is like pulling an electrical plug out of the wall.  Our body immediately comes to a halt.

 

C.     We quit breathing, the heart stops pumping, the blood stops flowing, and there is the cessation of brain activity.

1.      The muscles in the body immediately relax.

2.      The skin on our body sags due to the lack of muscle support.

3.      The body grows pale as the blood drains from the smaller veins in our skin.

4.      The body slowly begins to cool to the temperature of the environment.

5.      The body is flexible at first.  However, after three hours the body begins to stiffen and maximizes at the twelfth hour.  This is called rigor mortis.

6.      NOTE:  Some believe that brain activity may continue for up to 10 minutes after death.  There is still a lot of research that is being conducted on this issue.

 

D.    When the funeral home gets the body, they wash it, disinfect it, and embalm it.

 

E.      The body can be disposed of in three ways:

1.      The traditional burial

2.      Cremation, the most popular method of our da

3.      Bio-cremation, that is, cremation in water

a.      Also called flameless cremation and alkaline hydrolysis

b.      The body is placed in water along with potassium hydroxide.  The potassium hydroxide heats the water and dissolves the body, leaving only the bones.  These are ground into ashes.

c.       NOTE:  This is supposed to be the most environmentally safe method of disposal.

 

F.      The Bible is truthful when it says that our bodies will return to the dust (Gen. 3:19; Eccl. 12:7a).

 

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken:  for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    One day all of us will be like Peter.  We will put off our earthly tabernacle.  This body that has served us well will return to the dust of the ground.

 

B.      Where our spirit goes will be our sole concern at that time. 

 

C.     Are you ready for that day?  Only you and the Lord know what will happen to you when you die.  Be honest.  Are you ready?