Text: Hebrews 9:27
By: Whiskey, Joshua
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Hebrews 9:27 – “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”.
“The Flight That Never Landed”
In July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 took off from Amsterdam, bound for Kuala Lumpur. On board were 298 people men, women, children, newlyweds, businessmen, tourists, and students returning home. For most, it was just another flight a chance to catch some sleep, watch a movie, or read a book. Some probably had future plans. Maybe a girl was dreaming about her wedding, a student thinking of graduation, a parent looking forward to seeing their children again.
But they never made it home. Mid-air, over eastern Ukraine, the plane was struck down by a missile. Everyone on board died. Just like that.
The shocking part wasn’t just that they died it was that none of them expected it. They checked in, went through security, found their seats, and fastened their belts. Some even texted “Talk to you soon” or “See you in 12 hours.” But they didn’t know that those would be their last words, that the clock on their life was ticking its final seconds.
No one gets a text message from God saying, “Hey, your expiration date is next week.”
We live thinking we still have time, but death doesn’t consult our schedule. It doesn’t care if you just got married, started school, built a business, or had plans for vacation. When the time comes it comes.
Brethren, those 298 souls did not perish because they were evil, or because they were careless. No. They simply boarded a flight unaware of the divine appointment awaiting them. Just like us, they assumed they had more time. More time to Aspire, More Time to Dream Dreams not knowing their time to expire is just by the Corner.
That’s why Ecclesiastes 9:12 says: “As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.”
Your expiring date may not be known to you, but it is known to God. And the question is not if it will come but when, and how prepared will you be?
Brethren, have you ever taken a moment to look at the items in your kitchen or medicine cabinet? Each product from the milk in your fridge to the tablets in your drawer has an expiration date. That date reminds us that the product is only useful for a limited time. After that, it’s either harmful or useless.
Now, what if I told you that just like those products, we also have an expiration date?
You might not see it printed on your skin or on a card in your wallet, but heaven knows the day, the hour, the minute, and even the second. Life is short, fragile, and fleeting.
Psalm 90:10 reminds us, “The days of our years are threescore years and ten… and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years… it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”
POWERFUL DEFINITION OF “EXPIRE”
To expire means more than just to die. The word originates from the Latin exspirare ex meaning “out” and spirare meaning “to breathe.” So, to expire means ‘to breathe out one’s last breath.’ It is the moment the soul leaves the body. But it also carries a deeper spiritual meaning: To expire is to reach the end of your earthly usefulness and transition into eternity either to be welcomed into glory or judged for waste. Just as a product loses its value after its expiration, a life lived without purpose, without Christ, also loses eternal worth. We were not created just to exist, but to live for God’s glory until our expiration and beyond.
We don’t live forever here. One day, the chapter will close. The question is: what will your life mean by then? And what awaits you afterward?
POINT 1: WE ALL HAVE AN EXPIRING DATE
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 – “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die.”
Every heartbeat is a countdown. From the moment we are born, the clock starts ticking. Our appointment with death is already set even if we don’t know the date. No one escapes it. Rich or poor, young or old, educated or not death comes to all.
We go to school to prepare for the future, but are we preparing for the greatest certainty: eternity?
In 2020, Kobe Bryant, a world-famous basketball player, boarded a helicopter with his daughter and friends. None of them thought it would be their last flight. But that day, they all died. Wealth, fame, and success could not stop their expiration.
James 4:14 “For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
You may plan for 80 years, but you might get only 40. Life has no guarantee. The only guarantee is that it will end.
A young man once said, “I’ll give my life to God after I enjoy my youth.” But death came suddenly in an accident. He never got the chance. The devil loves the word “later” — but later is not promised.
POINT 2: HOW YOU LIVE DETERMINES WHAT HAPPENS AFTER EXPIRATION
Let’s go back to Hebrews 9:27 – “It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.”
Death is not the end; it is the door. Behind that door is judgment. The way a product is used determines its worth before it expires. In the same way, how you live now determines your worth before God when your time ends.
Jesus says in John 5:28-29: “The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
Eternity is real. Heaven is real. Hell is real. Not everyone will enter life eternal. Some will expire and enter eternal destruction.
Matthew 7:13-14 reminds us there are two paths—one leads to life, the other to destruction. Few find the narrow way because many live carelessly.
So, what kind of life should we live?
- A Life of Obedience – Obeying the Gospel (Romans 6:3-4; Acts 2:38)
- A Life of Holiness – Living separate from sin (1 Peter 1:15-16)
- A Life of Purpose – Bearing fruit for God (John 15:5-6)
- A Life of Watchfulness – Being ready at all times (Matthew 24:44).
There was once a woman who was known for always helping others. She was never rich, but she was rich in love. When she passed, her community testified of her kindness and how she led many to Christ. At her funeral, someone said, “She expired on earth, but she entered into eternal life.”
You are not just living for time; you are living for eternity. Don’t be durable in flesh and expired in spirit. Don’t be successful in the world but empty before God.
POINT 3: STRIVE FOR HEAVEN; DON’T EXPIRE INTO HELL
Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Heaven is not for the lazy, careless, or lukewarm. Heaven is for those who press, who fight, who endure, who obey, and who overcome.
Let us not live as if this world is all there is. We are pilgrims here. Colossians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
This world is not your home. Your job, fame, riches, beauty, popularity they will all expire. Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Imagine a man who spent his whole life building houses, yet never built a home in heaven. At the end, all his buildings remained on earth, but his soul was empty. What did he gain?
“You were not born just to live, eat, marry, and die. You were born to prepare for eternity. Life is not the final story; it is the test. What comes after is the true reward or punishment.”
CONCLUSION: WHAT’S YOUR EXPIRY STATUS?
Ask yourself:
- If I were to expire today, what will God say to me?
- Am I prepared to meet Him?
- Is my life counted worthy of heaven?
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”
Don’t just count your days. Make your days count.
CALL TO ACTION / INVITATION
- To the sinner: Today is the day of salvation. Obey the gospel (Acts 22:16).
- To the lukewarm Christian: Renew your fire. Your time is short.
- To the faithful: Keep pressing. Your reward is near.
Revelation 2:10 “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
Let’s live like heaven is real. Because it is. And so is hell.
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