I hate to ruin the surprise, but in the end you die, you go to heaven and live for eternity with Jesus. Merry Christmas, you won the lottery. Now, you might say to yourself, "No I won't. I'm not a Christian, and I don't believe all that stuff." In which case, you are right, but that's another matter. I'm talking to the Christians.
Brothers and sisters we know how the story ends. But do we appreciate how much power that gives us? What if I knew I wouldn't break my leg while skiing? Would I ski differently? Heck yeah, I would ski off every jump and berm and cliff I saw in the mountains. And if I knew I wouldn't skid out of control and possibly hurt or kill someone, I'd drive like a maniac too, I would put the pedal down and rip around every corner on my way home from work.
Seriously. We know how it ends. If I quit my job, I will live with Jesus for eternity. If I get home too late from work, I'll live with Jesus for eternity. If I offend someone, or shrink in fear of offending someone, I will live with Jesus for eternity. If I push the envelope or stay in a box. If I go to church or party all night. If I vote left or right, or give or keep or go or stay, I will live with Jesus for eternity. That is the inevitable answer. It's how it ends. There's not another ending.
So, what am I waiting for? What am I afraid of? Why don't I do the thing I want to do? Amazingly, I live in a prison of fear of what might happen, even though, no matter what happens between here and there, I will live with Jesus for eternity. So, this year, I am going to push the envelope, take the leap, and run off the edge.
If you don't leap, you can't fly.