My Story of April 2, 2985

Introduction

This morning is Palm Sunday, and we are taking a break from John’s Gospel for the next two Sundays, but we will return on April 16.  Today, please take your Bibles and turn to 1 Corinthians 15:1.  I want to tell you my story of what happened to me 38 years ago today.

 

 

Growing Up in Venus

I was born in Cleburne, Texas on March 11, 1975.  My dad was from Waldron, Arkansas but had come to Texas to work, and he so working for Vought Aerospace and Defense in Grand Prairie until he took early retirement and moved back to Arkansas.

 

My mom grew up in a small town in Johnson County called Venus.  She came from a large family with 3 brothers and 2 sisters. She went to school there and has now moved back, and she lives there today.

 

 

I am the only child of my mom and dad, and we lived in Venus until I was 7 years old, but when I was five, my mom and dad divorced.  I lived with my mom but would go and stay with my dad every other weekend and for a week or two in the summer, and we rotated Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.

 

My mom and I lived in Venus for two more years after the divorce until I was seven.  I attended Kindergarten and First Grade at Venus Elementary School.  While having a broken family was hard, my maternal grandparents and multiple aunts and uncles and cousins also lived in Venus, which I liked. 

 

My family attended and were members of First Baptist Church in Venus.  My mom was the church pianist, and my dad was a deacon, and like I said previously, a lot of my mom’s family also were members at First Baptist Church Venus.

 

 

 

Moving to Alvarado

After I finished the first grade, my mom remarried, and we moved to Alvarado, just seven miles west, into a house with my stepdad.  He had three sons that were all older than me but lived with their mom.

 

I started the second grade at Alvarado Elementary in 1982, and I continued in school there through the twelfth grade.  I graduate from Alvarado High School in 1993.

 

 

April 2, 1985

On Tuesday, April 2, 1985, my life was changed forever.  I was in the fourth grade at Alvarado Elementary School.

 

As I mentioned previously, my family and I attended FBC Venus.  That remained true for me and my mom even after we moved to Alvarado, but my stepdad rarely attended if ever.

 

 

I was ten years old in 1985 and began having questions about life after death.  I was somewhat familiar with the subjects of heaven and hell as my mom and I attended Sunday School every Sunday as well as Sunday morning church and Sunday evening church. 

 

I began to wonder what would happen to me if I died?  Would I go to heaven or hell?

 

As Venus was about a ten-minute drive from Alvarado, I started asking these questions of my mom during our weekly drives.  Like many parents, she thought it would be best for me to talk to our pastor so she made an appointment for Bro. Doug Riggs to come by our house.

 

Because my mom and step-dad both worked in Cleburne when I was a kid, I came home after school each day and stayed by myself.  In that day, I was what was called a latch-key kid.

 

 

 

It was Tuesday, April 2, 1985, and I got out of school about 3 PM.  Bro. Doug was coming from Venus and was supposed to be at our house about 4 PM. 

 

I came home after school that day and confess that I was nervous about talking with Bro. Doug.  My mom had made arrangements to also be there leaving work early that day. 

 

In our living room, we had a large window that you could see out of if you were sitting on the couch.  I had the curtains open that afternoon watching for Bro. Doug. 

 

Our house number was 506, but it wasn’t easy to see, especially if our bushes were over grown.  I remember seeing what I thought was Bro. Doug’s car pass by once and then again.  I didn’t know if I should go out in the front yard and flag him down, but he finally stopped and came to the front door.

 

 

My mom wasn’t home yet so Bro. Doug and I waited on her, but it was so awkward!  Do you know what I mean?  What were we supposed to talk about?  Do preachers even know about anything other than the Bible?  So I just turned on the TV, and we watched the Dukes of Hazzard. Finally, after what seemed like hours, my mom got there.

 

Bro. Doug then asked me about my questions regarding heaven and hell.  He then very plainly and clearly explained to me the gospel of 1 Corinthians 15.

 

 

The Gospel

If you look there in verse 1, you will find the actual word “gospel.”  It literally means “good news.”  The gospel is good news for you.

 

In verses three and four, Paul explained the gospel for all to understand.  There are essentially two parts to the gospel that cannot be separated.  They are like two sides of a coin. 

 

The first part is death.  Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.  Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world.  He died in our place.

 

However, there are several conditions implied before His death.  First, it is implied that there is a holy God.  He is holy.  He is without sin.  He is completely good. 

 

Second, it is implied that we are sinful.  We were born into sin and make choices that are sin, and it is our sin that separates us from a holy God and requires someone paying a penalty for our sin. 

 

We as humans were not capable of paying the penalty because we are sinners.  However, Jesus was sinless.  Therefore, He was capable and qualified to pay our sin debt by dying on the cross.  The sinless Savior died on the cross in the place of sinful humanity.

 

 

The second part of the gospel is life.  Jesus died on Friday.  He was placed into a garden tomb that same evening and was there through early hours of Sunday morning. 

 

Verse 4 says that Jesus was raised on that third day.  He was brought back to life by the Holy Spirit never to die again, and because of that reality, you too can have eternal life today.

 

If you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can immediately have forgiveness of sins and a home in heaven when you die.  Bro. Doug asked me if I wanted to be saved, and I said yes.

 

Bro. Doug then invited me to pray after him.  So right then and there in my living room on the couch with the Dukes of Hazzard playing in the background, Bro. Doug prayed, and I repeated after him, and Jesus came into my life and saved me from my sins.  That was a Tuesday afternoon, 38 years ago today. 

 

 

The next Sunday was Palm Sunday, April 7, 1985.  After Bro. Doug preached that morning, he gave a public invitation just like I am going to give in just a moment.

 

As he was standing there at the front of the auditorium and we were all singing, I stepped out into the aisle and met him at the front and told him that I would like to join the church and be baptized since I asked Christ to come into my life and was saved last Tuesday.

 

He prayed with me again that morning, and then introduced me to the church.  He also shared with the church about him coming to my house on Tuesday and explaining the gospel to me, and I was saved.

 

The reason I am came forward during that Sunday morning invitation is because no one is born saved.  That is a personal decision that every individual must make on their own.  Mom and dad can’t make it for you, and church membership is also an individual decision. 

 

Like Emory Baptist Church, if you wanted to join FBC Venus, you had to request such.  You weren’t considered a member just because you attended.

 

The next Sunday was Easter Sunday, April 14, 1985.  I was baptized that Sunday morning, and I will never forget it.

 

 

Invitation

Today, I want to extend the same invitation that Bro. Doug gave to me.  Have you received Jesus into your heart and life as Lord and Savior like I did 38 years ago?  If not, would you like to receive Him today along with forgiveness of sin, a home in heaven when you die, and eternal life?

 

If you would, during this morning’s public invitation, I invite you to walk down one of these aisles and meet me or Bro. Ronnie like I did at FBC Venus.  I will pray with you and celebrate with when you come.