Jim: Welcome to the Thee Generation Podcast. This is Jim Van Gelderen, and I am podcasting today from Albany, Missouri. 

You might ask, “Where is that?” And I think my answer would be: “I’m not sure.” I, just a couple of days ago, was in New Jersey. My wife and I drove into New York City, flew to Denver, Colorado, where our truck and trailer was parked. And picked that up and started our drive here to Missouri. We’re here in revival meetings at the Victory Baptist Church and excited about this week of meetings. 

Well, some of you know I’ve been on a journey with the last couple podcasts, and it’s basically been about my journey. And sometimes it’s good just to give some autobiographical things about your past and your journey that may encourage others that are coming behind and what God can do. And some of the truth that was a help to me can be a help to you. And just encourage you. I know testimonies encourage me about how truth sets free and truth moves us forward and encourages us. 

I did the last podcast on my call to preach, and I hope that was an encouragement and help if you had questions about that. But after my call to preach, obviously I knew that I wasn’t anywhere close to where I needed to be to be used of God. 

Now it wasn’t like I was in a lot of what we might call “deep sin.” When I was in high school, even junior high, my testimony would have been pretty boringーif I can say that. In other words, I wasn’t in a lot of deep sin. I probably was notーwell, I know I would not have been a vibrant Christianーbut I know I was not someone who would be spiritual. 

I was a good kid in the sense of good: just not causing trouble, being obedient. Good thingsーdon’t get me wrong, they’re very importantーbut I wasn’t intoーI get burdened about itーI wasn’t into some of the things other kids in the Christian school were into: sneaking the rock music and watching movies and sometimes guy-girl stuff. 

I didn’t have any of that in my life and I really did want God to use my life. But… I guess there wouldn’t have been a lot of negative, but there would not have been a lot of positive either. But when I was called to preach, I obviously knew that I had to move forward. 

Don’t remember a whole lot about my senior year, though it was a pretty good year, and God was beginning to show me some things. I remember I had an opportunity to speak at my graduation, and I can still remember the theme: “Forward in faith.” God was just beginning to help me understand how important faith was, but man, did I not realize how important it was. 

Because when I got to college, I think my error was I tried hard to be a good Christian. And I found thatーyou knowーI can’t do that in my own strength. But there were some good things that happened. I made some decisions. And I believe when you do make decisions to obey the Lord, even if you don’t understand everything, God will begin to slowly but surely bring you along. 

And I was, when I got to college, I began to recognize the importance of evangelism, and I’m talking about just personal soul winningーone on one, talking to people. And I was introduced to that. I had in high school done some of it, but I was introduced to it perhaps on a different level. Saw obviously a higher level of young people’s fervor for the Lord, and got out there on the streets, did some soul-winning witnessing. Not that I was that greatly effective, but God began to stir my own heart for the needs of lost folks. 

But perhaps my greatest burden was teenagers. And so when I got home after my freshman year, I remember I had a burden: I’ve gotta go witness to the teenagers in this area. I wanted to reach public school kids. I’d been in a Christian school since sixth grade. Before that, I went to a public school. So I kind of understood the needs of public school kids. 

So that, as soon as I got home, I went out that very first dayーand that was back in the day when teenagers would be everywhere. It was not hard to find young peopleーand I just started walking down the street from my home and met a guy named Lenny Orlando and Tony Parashus. And I remember giving them the Gospel. We engaged in a very good conversation. They didn’t get saved, but it was a very good conversation, and it stirred my heart. 

And the rest of that summer, I went out every night. And my burden was, of course, to give the Gospel to teens. I know some of you heard me tell this testimony before, but every night it was out that we were not in church. So that would be Monday night, Tuesday night, Thursday night, Friday and Saturday night, unless we had a youth activity. So four or five nights a week we were outーI say we, because sometimes other young people in the youth group joined meーwe were out on the streets talking to teenagers. 

And again, this is back in the late 70s. When there’d be hangouts, there’d be whole packs of kidsー10, 15 kids, and often smoking, and arm-in-arm with their girls, and music blaring. And I don’t know how to explain itーGod gave me a love for those young people, and a desire to engage them in Gospel conversations. 

Actually, my favorite was when I’d have 10 or more kids around me, and they’d be shouting different questions, or debating this, and I’d be preaching the Gospel to them. and I absolutely loved it, and I don’t even know why, because it is so anti the way I’m strung up, being shy and things. But it was my gifting starting to come out, just the gifting of giving the Gospel and trusting it to have power in their life. 

And so I sometimes say, “I’m not sure how much good I did those kids. I didn’t understand faith, but I was giving the Gospel.” And I don’t think I saw anybody save that summer, but I will say this: they didーjust talking to themーthey did a work in my own heart. They burdened me, because I realized they need the Gospel. And so that was my first summer. 

And, of course, came back a second summer, did that again. Came back a third summer. So for three summers I was out on the streets talking to teenagers on a regular basis. And I am convinced. That is where I learned to preach to unsaved teenagers. Just engaging those young people in Gospel conversations. 

Since that time, there’s one young man I met several times on the street. Pastor David Mulvane and I had a privilege, probably 10 plus years ago, to lead him to Christ. He was in jail in his 40s, and that was exciting. 

I had a young man get saved on the streets thereーI think it would have been after my sophomore-junior summerーthat for a while really lived for God. Kind of got back away from God, but a few years back he contacted me, and he’s been going to church some, and certainly God has saved himーthere’s no doubt about that. 

Another young man that got saved, not through us, but we kind ofーwe’re probably part of the seed planting and watering. He got saved working in a Christian institution. It was a subcontract that they had hired their group to come in and work heating-air conditioning, and he ended up getting saved. I just recently saw him within a year ago, and he’s come back to the Lord. And that was a great thing to talk to him, and clearly he’s been saved. 

So there is some fruit out of that time, but more than anything, God was preparing me and working in my heart. And I wanna encourage every young person listening. God’s got a call in your life. It’s not to wait to get to Bible college, not even to wait after you get out to Bible college to do it. You gotta start now. 

And it is, I’m not sureーif I hadn’t had those three summersーthat I’d even be in the kind of ministry I’ve been in for 38 years. God used it to prepare my heart and give me a love for those young people. 

Well, that’s my journey in evangelism as far as soul winning, and that was a very important part of God preparing me for ministry. So my encouragement in this one is for you to realize that whatever God’s calling you to do, He wants you to start preparing right now. 

Now, the next podcast, I’ll talk about other areas that God used in my heart to prepare me. But I did want you to understand how important it is to start the ministry now. 

What are you burdened about? What stirs you? What lights a fire in your heart? What do you wanna do with your life? Well, these are the kind of things, if you can answer them, begin to pursue those burdens God has laid in your heart, and God will lead you. I think it’s so important. to be moving forward now. 

So let me encourage you, at the end of this podcast, ask the Lord, “Lord, what is it that I need to be doing now to prepare for what You have for me to do in life?”

God bless you, young person. That’s just a point of surrender. Total surrender to Him. Find out what He wants you to do; He’ll give you the grace. Yep, you depend on Him; He will give you the grace. And He’ll teach you to depend upon him and the importance of walking by faith. 

So total surrender, total dependence. God bless.