Telling The TRUTH
110511 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. Sodom and Gomorrah were about to be destroyed. God sent angels, but Lot was still reluctant. Listen to Genesis 1916 at New King James Version. And while He lingered, the men took hold of His hand, His wife's hand, and the hands of His two daughters, the Lord being merciful to Him, and they brought Him out and set Him outside the city. I guess they almost had to drag Lot outside, but He went, and God protected. Sometimes we are reluctant to do what God would have us to do. Sometimes He almost has to take us by the hand and pull us. Are you in tune with the Lord today? Are you willing to do what He wants you to do? Go where He wants you to go, and leave when He wants you to leave? God wants you to pray, to read His Word, to have fellowship with other believers. If you are a believer in Christ yourself, then reach out to those people who have not yet believed, and together you can accomplish what God would have you to accomplish for His glory. Pray, and take God's glorious gospel to people who really need the Lord. Don't hesitate. Don't procrastinate, but go. Go with the gospel to someone today. Warning after warning had come to Lot, and now listen to this final word, Genesis 1917, New King James Version. So it came to pass when they had brought them outside that He said, "Escape for your life. Do not look behind you, nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains lest you be destroyed." That's a very direct warning, wouldn't you say? But listen to what Lot said. Genesis 1918, "Then Lot said to Him, 'Please know, my Lord.' Lot was still trying to save Gomorrah. He was trying to save Sodom. He was trying to save His sons-in-law. But God had a plan, a divine design, like He does for you. God wants you to be in tune with Him. God wants you to live for Him. God wants you to listen to what He has to say in His Word. And He will give warning after warning to you. And He will give us direction after direction. But we have to follow what God tells us to do. One of the things He says to do is to go. And He says it again and again. And He wants you and me to read and heed His Word. God's Word, quick and powerful, can help you serve Him. Listen to what Lot is saying to the angels. Indeed, now your servant has found favor in your sight. And you have increased your mercy, which you have shown me by saving my life. But I cannot escape to the mountains lest some evil overtake me and I die. Genesis 19-19, New King James Version. Even in gratitude, the reluctance is still there. What would God have you to do? What would you do for Him? God has a perfect plan for your life. He has something for you to do that nobody could do the way you could do it. If you would do, what God would have you to do. Are you willing to go where God wants you to go? To do what God wants you to do? To say what God wants you to say? I hope you are. Read the Word of God prayerfully and then look into the deep crevices of your heart and say, God, what do you really want me to do? Are you willing to do God's will? Are you willing to accomplish God's purpose? Fellowship with other believers in Christ. And then take the gospel to people who need the Lord. Read the Bible daily. Pray consistently. You can reach people if you will. It's totally up to you. Lot is begging. Sodom and Gomorrah are being destroyed. Listen to Lot's plea. Genesis 19-20, New King James Version. See now, this city is near enough to flee to and it is a little one. Please let me escape there. Is it not a little one? And my soul shall live. I guess Lot really did have some insights knowing that cities are more dangerous than small towns and rural communities most of the time. What about you? Where do you live? What's going on where you are? Are you hiding from God? Or are you fellowshipping with Him openly and excitedly? Are you fellowshipping with believers in Christ so that together you can pray for those who need to know the Lord? Are you reading the Word of God every single day? Are you letting God speak to your heart? Are you abiding in His Word? Are you following His directions? God has something special for you. You are important in His sight. Don't hide from God, but walk hand in hand moment by moment with the Lord and watch Him use you. Get ready for great adventures. God's ready when you are, but you have to avail yourself of the privilege of being a servant of His. Lot has asked for permission to stop at a small city instead of going to the mountains and this is the reply the angel gave. Genesis 19-21, New King James Version. And He said to Him, "See, I have favored you concerning this thing also in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken." So Lot's prayer was answered. His request was granted and He was able to go to the small town. God has a special place for you. He has a special ministry for you. Even though you may not be in full-time Christian service, you may need to be serving the Lord where you are as a full-time Christian. Wherever you are, doing whatever you can do, glorify Him. What do you do that really pleases the Lord? Do you pray? Do you read His word? Do you fellowship with other believers? Do you accomplish what pleases Him the very most? I hope so. And I hope that you will continue to do what God would have you to do, the way He would have you to do it, when and where He would have you to do it. God has a plan for your life, pursue it, pray, and God will bless you abundantly and others through you. Have you ever heard the statement, "He who hesitates is lost"? Lot was almost lost, even though angels came to rescue Him. Listen to Genesis 19-22, New King James. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there. Therefore the name of the city was called Zor. Lot had asked for the privilege of going to a small town instead of going to the mountains. And yet he was slow. He was not moving rapidly. He was procrastinating. Procrastination is nearly always devastating. So what do you do? Will you do it now? Will you do all that you do for the glory of the Lord? Have you really checked out your relationship with the Lord lately? Are you in tune with Him? Are you doing what God would have you to do? Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and are you concerned about those who haven't? Are you fellowshiping with other believers? Are you reading the Word of God together? Are you reading the Bible alone? God's Word is quick and powerful and sharper than a two-edged sword and it will give guidance to you and to me. So pray and ask God for His will to be revealed directly to you. Lot had fooled around all night. He was certainly not in a hurry. He didn't seem to understand what was really happening. He couldn't comprehend that everything was about to be destroyed. Listen to Genesis 19-23, New King James Version. The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zor. God has a plan for you. Don't wait all night. Get going, get moving, get praying and let God speak to you. Get with other believers. Get a plan ready to share the gospel with people who need the Lord that you know who don't know Him. God can make you usable and He can use you in a very special way if you are willing. But don't put it off. Don't wait too long. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, today is the day of salvation. Somebody is waiting for you to tell them how to go to heaven. To admit they have sinned. To believe on Christ. To confess Him publicly. Will you go to someone today and tell them that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures? It is buried that He rose again on the third day. If they will trust Him, they can live forever. Every Saturday at 7.27 PM you are invited to attend a live youth event at Triple T, 13,000 US-41 North at Boone Building 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. Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us defuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as so many peddling the Word of God, but as of sincerity. But from God we speak in the sight of God in Christ. God has a perfect plan for you and for me. He wants us to follow that plan. God wants us to understand that everybody who is not yet admitted that He or she has sinned, who has not turned to Jesus Christ from His or her sins, is condemned already because He or she has not yet believed. But by believing new life comes. For if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved with a heart when believed to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. So there is an aroma out there. And it's the smell of death to the people who are not believers in Christ. And it's the smell of life to those who have believed. And Christ Himself wants us to give off that fragrance of love of Him. The love of God can permeate every fiber of your being, every factor that happens in your thinking. If you will avail yourself of the opportunity of reading and heeding the Word of God, God's Word is quick, powerful, sharpened and a two-edged sword. And God will use His Word if we will allow Him to, to make us His servant to accomplish His purpose. Again, now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us defuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. Places are important. Somebody has said there are only three rules of real estate, location, location, location. A long time ago God opened the door for us to locate Triple T Christian Youth Ministries on the corner of U.S. 41, north of Evansville at Booneville, New Harmony Road. These 30 acres are God's 30 acres. And here at this place we have seen literally thousands and thousands of different people come through the doors across the 45 and nearing 46 years of ministry. What a delight it is to fellowship with other believers wherever we are, and yet to come back to this place. This location, location, location where God placed us. There is a plan that God has for you. He wants you to understand that there is something that you can do that nobody could do quite the way you could do it if you would do what you should do. So have you paid or are you willing to pay the price of personal development? A lot of people say, "I've got talent." And talent is a wonderful thing and God does interest talents to people. But to develop that talent takes time and it takes energy and it takes concentration. God wants you to take the talents He's entrusted to you and to use them for His glory. We continually work with teenagers to creatively communicate Christianity. And in these very special moments of truth, when we are able to share techniques and ways to make things better, to reduce all of the folder all down to a succinct message, it can be humorous, but it's got to be pointed. And as we accomplish this in working with youth, it is really a delight to watch their development increase and their talents become more and more usable for God's glory. We were just talking about the teen talent contest that we have had across the years here at Triple T. And sometimes we have had some outstanding talent that has come. Some wonderfully talented people that have polished their talents and glorified the Lord through them. And then we've had others and we have to cringe when they are singing off-key, when they are not doing what they could do because they haven't had anybody to instruct them or to help them or at least they haven't paid attention. And so we want to help youth to become all they can be for God's glory. I will always be grateful to parents who cared about me, to a neighbor who challenged me when I was in junior high. I had an opportunity to either play basketball or be in the band. We couldn't do both on that particular occasion. And I had wanted to be in the band. I didn't know for sure what instrument my dad played the saxophone. I had a hard time learning even from him how to do it. But he bought me a bugle and I learned to pucker my lips and make the bugle play taps and revelate. Not great, but at least you could understand what the melody was trying to become in a communication. And so I chose the trombone. And we bought an inexpensive trombone by mail. And I remember when I got it I was able to play the scale. And dad was impressed. He said, "That is really great that you pick that out of the box and you're able to pick it up and play it." Well, the trombone then became my tool, my entree, into all kinds of magnificent opportunities. I remember being able to be in the junior high band in the 8th grade learning to play the trombone. Back to my neighbor, she lived across the street. She was my mother's best friend. And as I was contemplating whether to go out for basketball or be in the band, I'll always remember that very wise counsel that she gave. She said, "George, if you play basketball you'll have a lot of fun and it'll be okay, but after the game and after school. And when you graduate, that will be behind you unless you're really, really good." And she probably ascertained the fact that I wasn't going to be that great. But she said, "If you have music, it will stay with you all of your life. It'll be something you won't forget. You won't abandon, but you will keep." And so with that very wise counsel, I made the decision. The decision to be involved with music. I also joined the boys' glee club, even as a 7th grader. And I'll always remember that moment of truth when we were standing behind the curtains and we were going to sing a very special song as the boys' glee club together. And when the curtains opened, my heart was pounding. I felt like everybody was staring just at me. And the song that we sang was "Stout-hearted Men." Give me 10 men who are stout-hearted men, and I'll soon give you 10,000 more. That song has become a motivator for the ministry that we call Triple T Christian Youth Ministries. Always we have looked for guys and girls who would put Jesus Christ in first place. The verses that we've shared for those people who are already believers in Christ are Romans 12, 1 and 2. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is at good and acceptable and perfect will of God. I remember praying so diligently one Saturday night when we were still meeting at the house before we even had the building that we call the Triple T Christian Communication Center. I was staring out the window praying, "Lord, send us some guys. Some guys who are willing to sell out to you. Some guys who are willing to really put Jesus in first place." And that night, late, two guys came. And I challenged them that night to try it for 13 weeks. And they said, "We can try it for 13 weeks," and they did. And the ministry blossomed. It surged forward because those guys invited other guys and girls to join them and join the leadership team. Give me 10 men who are stout-hearted men, and I'll soon give you 10,000 more. And one of those guys has reached out to thousands and thousands of people. Just Halloween weekend, having an event called "Trunk or Treat." Thousands of people came to the ministry that he is directing. They came and they listened, and they had fun, but they heard and received the gospel. They had a number of privilege to go and to give out thousands of copies of the reproduction of our billboard that says "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." Then it says, "Telling the truth to through teenagers." It also had an invitation on it for "On the Edge Illusion" featuring John Lewis tonight at Triple T, November 5th, 7.27 p.m. Free nachos for everybody. This will be a fast-paced, high-energy production using juggling, illusions, live animals, thrilling stunts, and hilarious comedy. It starts at 7.27 p.m. tonight. It's geared for youth ages 10 to 19, but because this is a first Saturday, we are also inviting kids ages 5 to 9 to join us. And you can join us too at Triple T tonight at 7.27. See you here. Stay tuned. My grandfather, his name was Homer Jones, had told me about Homer Rodehaver, who had been the song leader for Billy Sunday's Evangelistic Campaigns. Mr. Rodehaver played the trombone, and he was going to be at the Amazon Rescue Mission. My granddad asked me if I would like to go and meet the other Homer, Homer Rodehaver. And I said, "Of course I would," and I did, as a very young teenager. I'll always remember that moment of truth when I got to meet that very famous person. And then in high school, we got new band uniforms. The old ones were kind of tattered, and all of us were fitted during my senior year for brand new outfits. And I remember going to the director of our band and saying, "I would really like to be the drum major. I'd like to be out front." And he said, "No. I want you to lead the band." And I said, "That's what I'm talking about." He said, "No. You don't understand, George." He said, "You see, I've got six trombones on the front row. You are in the front row. You're on the right side. You are what we call right gutter. And you take the first step, and everybody lines up by you from left to right, and they line up behind you. And when you take the first step, everybody else follows you. You are the leader of the band. Everybody lines up with you, and I have to put you in this pivotal position so that you are doing what you're supposed to do to lead the band really." He said, "The guy out there with the big hat and the baton isn't leading the band. He's just strutting out there, and it's okay. He blows a whistle, and that's when you take your first step. But you are the leader of the band." Well, I took that kind of tongue and cheek and said, "Okay." Then later, I was reading a book written by Dr. W. A. Chris Weil, the famous pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. In the book, he talked about playing trombone in the Baylor University band. And he said he was on the front row, the sixth man over, and the right gutter, and that he was the leader of the band. Everybody lined up behind him to the side of him, and I said, "Wow." I remember meeting Dr. Chris Weil thanking him for putting that in his book and telling him my story, and he said, "Young man, you were the leader of the band." Well, God always has a special position for each of us to pursue for his glory, and sometimes it isn't what we think it is. Sometimes the behind-the-scenes person, the executive vice president, or the one who is doing this or that or the other thing is really in a very strategic leadership position. So God wants us, whatever we are doing for his glory, to put him in first place. Playing that trombone gave me opportunity after opportunity to all kinds of things. And being in the marching band was one of my fondest memories, because we marched all over the tri-state. We marched downtown Evansville for a very special celebration. We marched in other small towns. We had a very great concert with masked bands from all over the small towns across the area, and we were privileged to have that in Robinson, Illinois, as well as in Mount Carmel. Well, what does God have for you to do for him? Do your best. Play well, whatever you are doing. Speak well if you are speaking. Teach well if you are teaching. Whatever you do, put Jesus Christ in first place. Back to basketball, we are bringing in a basketball coach. We're asking you to pray with us that God will open doors in five tri-state communities, Monday through Friday, December 5 through 9. One's already open. We're praying for others. A Triple T team and coach Todd Burton are ready to go with the gospel using basketball. These evangelistic youth efforts will be impacting lots of 10 to 19-year-olds. Todd's inbound sports outreach, and Triple T teams have ministered together several times for outstanding results in the past. But now God has opened new doors. We're praying that we will be at the right place at the right time during the first week of December. We keep going as God opens doors with the gospel, and we continue to share Jesus wherever we can. We want to train teenagers to be peer evangelist, to share their faith in Christ. And we just made some connections in the last few hours that hopefully will be able to train a lot of kids to be able to put their Bibles on top of their books, to take them to school, and to share Jesus there. Pray about being a Tiger teammate, the first $20 you invest provides a scholarship for another teenager. I hope that you will be considering being a part of this ministry. Again, contact us. Call us. Area code 812-867-2418. Check the web. tttchristianyouth.org. Remember, Christ through you can change the work. [Music] 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. 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] (dramatic music)