Telling The TRUTH
070712 Telling The Truth 28 Minute Program
[music] You're listening to "Telling the Truth" from Triple T. Christian Youth Ministries, "Telling the Truth to and Through Teenagers." Here is Triple T. Founder and President George Dooms. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. When the task looms large, you need to recruit assistants. Nehemiah 2.17, New King James Version, then I said to them, "You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach." When you have people catching your vision, when you have other folk who can see the need to reach folk for Christ, when you have learned from the Word of God what His will is for your life to communicate His love, to share the Gospel with people, then you can pray together with other believers and you can form a team and you can go together to those folk who need the Lord. Always pray. Consistently read the Word of God. Faithfully fellowship with other believers and then go with the Gospel. God will make you usable and use you if you will present yourself to Him. Present your body, a living sacrifice. Read the 12th chapter of Romans and see how God wants us to work together. The Lord never wants us to go along as a lone ranger. He wants us to work together. He wants us to have a team that will accomplish His purpose of getting the Gospel to more people. And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me and also of the King's words that He had spoken to me. So they said, "Let us rise up and build." Then they set their hands to do this good work. Nehemiah 2.18, New King James Version. Yes, God will hear and answer prayer and He will give you people who will help you accomplish the task that God has laid on your heart. When you present the vision, others will catch the vision and come alongside and together they can say, "Let us rise up and build." There's a job to be done that you and only you can do, but you can't do it alone. You need help and helpers. That's why we consistently ask you to pray and then to read scriptures and to pray with other believers in fellowship, but also in the determination to accomplish the task that God has laid on your heart. There are people who need the Lord whom you can reach, but you do need help and you need people to pray with you and then go with you. Will you do this God's way and see people come to know Christ? It can be done as you build your team. Team means together everyone accomplishes more. Pray and go together. Listen to the disclaimer that Nehemiah presented the people he had recruited to go with him to accomplish the task. Nehemiah 2.20, New King James Version says, "So I answered them and said to them the God of Heaven Himself will prosper us. Therefore we, His servants, will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem." In other words, it hasn't happened yet. We anticipate it. We're going to move toward it. We're going to accomplish all that we can for God's glory, but we have to do it first. It's what you do with what you have that counts for eternity. Do you have prayer partners? Are you praying together? Are you reading God's Word together? In fellowship, are you determining to go together to share the good news of the saving power of the Lord Jesus with people whom you know who don't know Him or who from all outward appearances are having spiritual difficulties? Have compassion, but don't hesitate to share what God can do for others like He has done for you. People are waiting. Will you share Jesus today? I hope that you understand that God and you make a majority, but you need a team working with you to share the good news. There's a burden on my heart for you to catch the vision of sharing the gospel with people in your community. This broadcast is going to a lot of different places and there are many, many believers who are listening. My prayer is that you will understand the necessity of praying, of reading God's Word, of fellowshiping with other believers in Christ, and then of going with the gospel to folk who need the Lord. It can happen. Listen to Nehemiah 4-6, New King James Version. He had a burden. He had a vision. He shared the vision and people caught the vision. And this is what happened. So we built the wall and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height for the people had a mind to work. That's my prayer for you, that you will have a mind to work, to do the work of an evangelist, to share the story that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, that He rose again, and that people who admit they have sinned, who believe on Christ, who confess Him publicly, will receive forgiveness and receive the gift of God, eternal life. But someone has to tell them, "Would you be that someone where you are? Will you do it today? Will you learn the plan of salvation and share it effectively?" Nehemiah 4-9, New King James, says, "Nevertheless, we made our prayer to our God, and because of them, we set a watch against them day and night. When you determine to serve the Lord, there are going to be difficulties and problems and people who are against you. But greater is He that is in you than He who is in the world. Nonetheless, He that is in the world will devastate you in every possible manner, but God will help you accomplish what He wants done. Will you constantly, consistently pray and let God speak to you through His Word, and then get with other believers in Christian fellowship, determining to go to the people who need the Lord that together you can reach? There are folk out there who are waiting. You are the one who knows the good news. You have heard it. Now will you do something about it. Jesus said, "Go. Go into all the world and preach." And we add, proclaim, proclamation, publicize, promote the gospel to everyone everywhere. Will you? Will you get other people to go with you? Will you be a Christian communicator this very day? Pray and go. Ephesians 6 tells us about the whole armor of God to put it on, to stand against the wiles of the devil. Nehemiah 4.13, New King James Version, "Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings, and I set the people according to their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. Yes, taking the armor, being prepared for battle, knowing that the enemy is going to come your way, let you understand that the one tool you have above of me, on all else, is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. But also keep your shield of faith always up there, making sure that the fiery darts of the wicked when are not going to penetrate you or your army. But go, go into battle against the wiles of the devil. Present the plan of salvation, help people go to heaven, and not to hell by sharing with them the plan that God has provided. Tell them about Jesus, who he is, what he did, that he died, was buried, and rose again, and he wants to give them eternal life. Have you received the gift of God eternal life? Who will you tell today? Are you following the joy formula? Jesus first, other second, yourself last. There are people whom you need to protect, whom you need to really embrace in the love of God. Nehemiah 414, New King James Version says, "And I looked and arose and said that the nobles do not be afraid of them. Remember your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." There's a lot more at stake than just you. There are people out there who are close to you, your brethren, your family. What are you doing for God's glory? What are you willing to do for him? Who are you willing to tell about Jesus? Who do you have a real compassion for? Who need to hear the plan of salvation? What will you do about it? It's up to you. God will never force you, but He will give you opportunities, and He will give you responsibilities, and He will give you privileges and great results. It's your call. It's up to you. What will you do with Jesus? Call the Christ. Every Saturday at 7.27 p.m. you are invited to attend a live youth event at Triple T, 13,000 US-41 North at Booneville and Harmony Road, midway between I-64 and Evansville Regional Airport. Every first Saturday a good news club for those in first through fifth grades is available in a separate area. For more information call 812-867-2418 or visit www.tripletchristianyouth.org. The leading youth concept is a series of steps to reach people for Jesus Christ. The world must be saved. Jesus said, "I am come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly." He gave us John 3.16, but He also gave us John 3.17. And almost everybody I know that as a Christian has memorized John 3.16. Not so many have memorized John 3.17. So let's listen to Jesus Himself as He is giving us this very, very special message from His heart. This is God's Word speaking in the words of Jesus Christ. First let's listen again to John 3.16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that her beliefs in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3.17, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." The world must be saved. But how does it happen? One at a time. Just the way you became a Christian, if you have become one. When we admit we have sinned, we believe on Jesus Christ, when we are willing to share our faith in Him with others. Well, the first concept is to pray without ceasing. Second, seek God's will. You do that in every area of your life. The third thing to do is set your goals. Set your goals again in all of those four areas. The physical, the mental, the social, the spiritual. The number four, you just have to start right where you are. Not where you wish you were. Not where you used to be. Not where you're going some take to be. But where are you now? And then concept number five, use what you have. If you don't have it, you can't use it. So if you don't have it, acquire it. And then use what you have. But you have been entrusted by God with a multiplicity of talents, and God wants you to ferret out those talents and use them for His glory. The word ferret comes from a little animal. Some of us were at a zoo, and we saw that little ferret come out. Out in the West, when the farmers were having difficulties, some of their plants were being attacked by some varmints. They put those little ferrets down there, and they got those things out. That's why we use the word ferret. Those are the little animals that go after their goal. They are goal seekers. They go after, and they bring them out to the top. We need to find out what is down deep inside of us, that God has entrusted to us because you have talents. God has given you talents. But if you're not going to pay the price to develop those talents, you might as well not have them, right? So it's what you do with what you have that counts. So what we are to do is to use what we have. Moses was approached by God, and he was called of God to lead the children of Israel. But you know what Moses said? "I cannot. No way, Jose. I can't do it." You know what God said? He said, "Moses, I want you to answer a question for me." What is that in your hand? And Moses said, "A rod." God said, "Take that rod and throw it down." Moses threw that rod down, and the rod became a snake. God said, "Okay, Moses, pick it up." Fearfully, trembling, he reached out and grabbed that snake by the tail, and it became a rod. And God said, "Use what you have, Moses. Use your rod to lead my people." Moses was obedient to God at that moment. He later argued again about not being able to speak and having other problems. But we will take a look at what is in our hands. We will find out that we are going to have something special. Take an inventory of your tools. What do you have available? What do you know? What can you use for God's glory? The one thing that we have, all of us have in common, is the Bible, the Word of God. And so as we have a Bible, let's not just hold it high, but let it penetrate our hearts. Use it for God's glory. Let us find out all we can about the Bible. And then let us take the concepts and precepts of the Word of God and expose them to people who need to know Jesus. God does want to use you, and He wants you to pray this prayer. Lord, make me usable, and use me for your glory. So continue taking your inventory. Has God given you the privilege to be able to carry a tune and make a melody with your voice? Wonderful. But pay the price to develop that to the ultimate degree you possibly can. Practice, rehearse, do it over and over. I have a friend who wants to sing for God's glory. And when I first met him, I thought, boy, he can sing pretty well. Now I hear him sing, and I say, he can sing much, much better. You know why? Because every day he sings, every day he practices, every day he uses what he has to develop it further for God's glory. I don't know what your abilities are. I don't know what your talents are, but whatever you can do, use what you have for God's glory. And the more you use what you have, the more adept you will be at the utilization of that talent or that tool. What's the real need? Getting the gospel from its hiding place and exposing it to people in the world, one at a time. Remember what Jesus says here? We're not talking about a collective group of people all of a sudden becoming Christianized. We're talking about individuals, men, women, guys and girls saying, I know I've sinned. I know I've messed up. I'm sorry about it. I'm going to move to Jesus Christ from my sins, and they're going to have changed hearts. You see, if you will use what you have, you will be able to accomplish far more than if you don't use them. And of course, as I said earlier, you must acquire the tools. If we're really going to have an impact, if we're going to make an impact on people, then we're going to have to expand that circle we've found ourselves in before, and we're going to have to increase it and enlarge it again and again. We're going to have to tell other people about the circle, about what's going on, about where and why and what and how it can all happen. But how do we do this? Well, we get our tools together. What kinds of tools do we need? It all depends on your circumstance, on your situation. Here at Middle Eastern Youth Ministries, we use things like posters. A poster that says this is the event, this is the happening, this is what's going to take place, and when it's going to take place, and where it's going to take place. And maybe we need a small reproduction of that poster that we call a flyer, or bulletin insert, or piece of promotional information that we can have available to hand out to lots and lots of people. To put in the mail, or to hand out one-on-one, or to do some other distribution of that information. What else can we do? What tools can we use? Let's collect everything that we need to get the job done. Has the media been informed about you and what you're trying to do? Use what you have. Use a computer, or a pen, or a pencil, and write a news release. Always put it back on the computer and say, "This is what's going to happen. This is who's coming. This is where it's going to take place. This is the month. This is the day. This is the year. And this is the precise time that it's going to transpire." As we work together to get the word out, this is just one more tool we can use for God's glory. And God wants us to just take a constant personal inventory and a group inventory, too, and say, "What can I do? What can I use for Him?" I hope that each of us will understand that promotion doesn't come from the east or from the west or from the north or the south, but it comes from God. God will allow us to be at the right place at the right time to share what we know and what we can with other people effectively. And as this happens, then we can have more and more people, not just informed, but making the commitment to come and be evolved in this effort. Why are we doing what we're doing anyway, so that we can have fun? We're going to have some fun doing it, hopefully, but that's not the purpose. The purpose is to reach people with God's glorious gospel, to get them to the sound of the gospel, to get them to a place where they can be reached effectively. That's why we do all the things to help it happen. This is why we do things at Triple T Christian Youth Ministry that we call icebreakers and involvements and inspiration in the impact itself. That can be a movie or a message from an individual speaker, a music group, or whatever, as long as the gospel is precisely and concisely presented to the people who are going to come to believe on Christ. And when we do this, we're going to see great things happen. We need to understand that the tools have got to be on hand. So, again, use what you have. It's one thing to have them all piled up in the corner and say, "Isn't that beautiful? Look at those posters, boy, I've got a stack of posters. I've got a stack of bulletin inserts. Look at that." And if they don't get out, what good is it? Use them for door stops or dust collectors. Use what you have. Put your feet to work and make a distribution plan and get out there to the people who need to have them, who need to know what's happening. So as we do this, we can see again what's going to happen. As we together put all of it in proper perspective. Using what you have takes work. It takes effort. It takes energy. It's not going to happen automatically. It happens when we make the determination in our hearts and then in our heads, and when we follow up with that decision to use what we have. You see, the word "use" is an active word. "U-S-E." Use it. Somebody has phrased it this way. Use it or lose it. We need to use it for God's glory. The book of James talks practically, pragmatically about working out the plan and doing something. Be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror. For he observes himself and goes away and immediately forgets what kind of a man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work. And one will be blessed in what he does. Use what you have for God's glory. And as you put it all together, you'll be able to see that you have one major thing umbrellaing everything else that's there. It's just all over the top of it and it's called P-R-A-Y-E-R. Prayer. Prayer gets the job done. Before you use anything, you need to pray. Dear God, make me usable. Use me. Use this object. Use this tool. Use this talent for your glory. Then you need to pray specifically for the people for whom you are concerned. You need to pray that God will help you reach out to them. And the job will be done and the world will be won one at a time, okay? So if we get it together properly because we pray, because everything depends on God, and we work as if it all depends on us, prayer is the one thing in every Christian's arsenal that can be used at any moment under any circumstance. But you know why we are powerless as Christians? Because we are prayerless. Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little or no power. So let's understand that you and I have to use the privilege of prayer. You can't say, "I believe in prayer. I've read books about prayer. I've talked about prayer. I've even listened to other lectures about prayer. Boy, do I know a lot about prayer. That will do you no good at all unless you use what you have. The privilege of prayer. Call an the Lord. Talk with Him directly, specifically. Make your requests known to God. And when we do this, we can even pray again specifically about the tools that are before us. Lord, how am I supposed to use this? How can I really reach the most possible people in the shortest possible time? Show me what to do. Give me the guidance and direction that only you can so that I can be effective for you so that we can multiply our outreach, so that we can honestly have an impact. I must personally advance Christianity today. Remember, that's a real meaning of impact. Prayer is a privilege that should not be neglected. If we will understand this, wow, what a great thing is going to happen. Praying alone is okay, but praying together with others really adds dimension to what is indescribable and very, very difficult to ascertain. In advance of what's going to transpire, we don't know what will happen, but we can pray expectantly. Suffice it to say, the Bible tells us, Jesus said, again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done by them, by my Father in heaven. For for two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them. That's why we pray in Jesus' name. Jesus told us to. Don't get in the habit of saying thy name, your name, your holy name. His name is Jesus. Say it when you pray. However, once we've prayed, we must then move out as if it all depends on us. God does not do for you what you can do for yourself. If God wanted to, he could take his finger and could write John 3, 16 in clouds all over the world, in any language anywhere, so that everybody could just look up and see the gospel and be saved. God could do that. Do you believe he could do that? But he didn't choose to do that. Do you know what God chose to do? He chose to use people. People like you, people like me. And we not only have the responsibility, but we have the privilege of using what we have for his glory. So, if what we're doing is not successful, is it God's fault? He's available to us. We need to pray to ask him for guidance, direction, perfect leadership that the Holy Spirit can and will provide for us. We make ourselves available to the Lord. Then we need to take that step, and then the next step, and the next step, so that we can accomplish God's purpose for our lives. The utilization of things for the glory of God will make the difference, all the difference that is needed. We want you to know that Triple Kitchen Use Ministries depends on people like you to pray. Our number one need is people praying daily. Will you pray? Check our website, let us know that you're praying. Christ through you can change the world. Every Saturday at 7.27 p.m. you are invited to attend a live youth event at Triple T, 13,000 US-41 North at Boonville and Harmony Road, midway between I-64 and Evansville Regional Airport. Every first Saturday, a good news club for those in first through fifth grades is available in a separate area. For more information call 812-867-2418 or visit www.tripletchristianyouth.org. For your free copy of The Telling the Truth newsletter, call 812-867-2418, 812-867-2418, or write Triple T, 13,000 US-41 North, Evansville, Indiana, 477-25. Tune in to Telling the Truth next week at this same time on this same station. [MUSIC]