You Have Received V2.

Introduction

Self introduction.

Where I’m from, where I studied, when I started attending.

A place to grow in grace, and enjoy the closeness of a church family.

Miss pastor in his absence. He tells these great and wonderful stories, his messages are full of information filled to the brim. He knows so much about the Word. He is so knowledgeable about the Word. He persuades to make good decisions. Pastor is a man who cares so very about the Church, the people who God has put him as a shepherd over. Pastor cares about and loves you, and every time I speak with him he I can sense that love that he has for us. But I also know that Pastors heart breaks for us. That he bathes us in prayer, that he weeps for us. Pastor is faithful even when we aren’t like we should. I don’t believe in man worship, but I do believe that Pastor has been a blessing in my life, and that the church family has been a blessing in my life and to that I am so grateful.

Message.... 1 Corinthians 15

On Christmas morning I woke up excitedly before the sun was up every day, so excited to go downstairs. I was fortunate to have parents that spoiled me on Christmas with gifts I did not deserve. There have been times on my birthday, where I would jump up and down with excitement seeing the gifts my parents got for me.

This was literally last year as a 23 year old man on my birthday. I could not have been more excited. I don’t know if I externalized it as much as I could have but I was jumping for joy. I was so excited knowing my parents had gotten me this gift. I don’t really expect anything either, because I’m out of the house, and my birthday doesn’t feel as special, but it felt so unwarranted. I was a nerdy kid… still kind of a nerdy adult.... but you guys have no idea. I didn’t tell anyone I wanted this, I didn’t ask anybody for this, my parents just got it for my. I was jumping with excitement. A gift like this comes once in a lifetime guys.

Has anyone ever had a similar experience? Somebody gets you exactly the right gift, and you didn’t have to ask? Didn’t think so. My parents nailed it. The best. Unbeaten. Unmatched gift.

Listen we receive gifts all the time. Some of us receive a gift on birthday, or christmas, or valentines day, or mothers or fathers day. some of you receive a small gift like a coffee or something here and there. Gifts are amazing they are our favorite! And today I’m here to share with you a little about what the Bible says YOU have received from God.

I. You Have received the gospel

You Have Received the Gospel1 Corinthians 15:1-8Paul says in which ye have received…Wherein ye standThe Gospel of Christ will center you and allow you to stand. By which ye also are savedGospel PresentationEarthquake Illustration

I heard a story of a man who was moving to an area, but there was a lot of earthquakes in the area. He was building his house from scratch from foundation up on a plot of land.... He went to the architect, and he said how should I build this house to withstand the earthquakes that come and go? So the architect he makes his plans, and gives him the plans.... He builds the house, and lives in it happily, and soon an earthquake comes, one of the largest that town has had, and all the houses in the area were destroyed.. except for one… When the man was asked why his was the only one that survived, he simply said. When I was building this house and looking at the plans. I did everything according to the blueprints, where it said a 2x4 I put a 2x4, when it said 3 inch screws I used three inch screws. Everything I did, was exactly what I did. It cost more… but I never cut any corners.

In the Bible God gives us the blueprints. He gave use everything he needed. God gave us the blueprints to a happy family, a wonderful life full of joy… He also gave us the blueprint to get to heavenWe received it in the Book we hold in our hands.

One of the greatest tools that I think that we have today… is Google maps. Imagine how dumb I would have to be to put in an address and get into my car, completely ignore the directions and after three hours of driving say. Huh, this is weird I should be at the library right now, why am I in the middle of the desert?

God presents his gospel clearly, don’t try to add steps, don’t try to take them away, because if you do, don’t be surprised when you end up at the wrong destination. God gave one way to get to heaven, God gave one way for the forgiveness of sins and the blueprints that your children have heard, and the blueprints you’re hearing now, is not Mr. Marcus’ blueprints, they’re God’s Blueprints.The boosters this week have heard the story of Billy Block… the Brooklyn Brat, he was in a gang, a detention center, and then was so gloriously saved. He accepted Christ. but Billy Block dies at the end of the story. Your children have been confronted with the question of their own death. Are they ready? Have they accepted Christ? Parents are you ready? Have you accepted Christ?Coin Flip

Every time you flip a coin you have a chance to land on heads, and a chance to land on tails. If I landed on heads one time in a row, it would be normal, if I landed twice, it would be normal, three times a little less, but the more and more times I land on heads, the more and more “lucky” you would consider it. Now let me give you the application… God does not promise you tomorrow, booster, teen, mom and dad. He does not even promise today. But everyday although the odds are not the same of course, but imagine it as the flip of a coin. Had God given you another hour? Has he given you another day? Will there be another opportunity to make the decision to trust Christ?

II. You Have Received Grace

1 Corinthians 15:8-11You have received Grace!God’s Riches at Christ’s ExpenseGod giving you something you don’t deserve. If you’re anything like me you’ve screwed up more times than you can count. Maybe its starting to look like Bill Gates salary.For some reason and I cant explain it other than Grace, God still allows me to serve him.Teenagers, you know what, you may fool me, your pastor, your parents… but you know what, a lot of you probably struggle with self worth.One of the hardest things that you go through in life is being a teenager. You are to be commended for what you can sometimes go through. It is normal to feel down, to feel like you’ve failed too much to feel like God doesn’t want to hear from you, but listen just because something is normal, doesn’t mean it’s the way it should be.Paul I believe struggled with his past, maybe you do too. Paul says I am the least of all the apostles because of my past, because of what I did… but you know what, he knew that God gave grace. God still used him.It is not too late parent, booster, teen to give what you have to God because there is enough grace for you. Don’t let that grace, be in vain like Paul says. God’s given you love and grace mercy, don’t waste it.God loved you enough to die for you even throughout all of your sin

III. You Have Received a Command

Finally we have received a command.If you notice back in the first vs. It does not say that the people of Corinth discovered the gospel, it does not say they invented it… they received it.If you are saved today it is because someone shared the gospel with you and you received it. There is always a giver of the gospel, whether someone hands you a tract or leaves a Bible, you are able to know the gospel, because someone at some point shared it.(Go over vs. 1-2)Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”You have a responsibility to tell others the gospel, to get involved. Paul talked about through the grace he’s given how he works as hard as he can, have you gotten involved, have you shared the gospel?