“You never see a tool that wants to be worked on as a tool, you only see it when it’s finished. The tool is based on the potential it has. It is a terrible thing to buy it and it doesn’t perform. When you go to the job site, you may not be able to come back. If you are on a plane, those instruments better work. Only maintenance can ensure that. You learn, God uses you, you are maintained, you learn, etc.”
To View the Entire Article, Click Here
To Download the Article Directly to Your Computer, Click Here
To View the Outline, Click Here
To View the PowerPoint, Click Here
By T.B. Neil
God’s business is a soul-saving business. We are building a house. The house that we are building, is people. When we are praying, we are tools being maintained for the purpose of the building project.
EMPHASIS ON TOOLS
Tools are instruments that are used for a project. When you go to a building site, you don’t know what tool you are going to use first. There is a box of tools; you don’t always tell everyone what tools are there, but you make sure all the tools are there. They need to be ready to perform (maintained). You can’t be maintained on the site. If they aren’t maintained by the time they get to the site, they aren’t going to perform and they are going to cause a costly setback. Any tool that is not PROVEN shouldn’t be brought to the job site. Other tools can’t function because one of the tools isn’t working properly.
You match the tool with the need. Whatever the needs are, determines the tool that you need. There is no need for competition. It doesn’t matter who was chosen first. They will all have time for use and you can’t use them all at the same time. We are all subject to the same maintenance because we can’t afford to fail on the job site. We all, as tools, have ABILITIES to perform. The ability comes with AVAILABILITY and USABILITY.
Tools need to be usable when they are needed. They need to be ready to go at the TIME that they are needed. You can’t say “I’m not ready”. When the apostles worked for Jesus for three and a half years, they were being prepared, sharpened and maintained. He was preparing them for the job site. You don’t teach and train on the battlefield. You have to have the credentials before you get to the job site. We come to the job PREPARED, and ready to be used. If you are a drill, you need to have the batteries, if you are a sharp tool, you need to be sharp. The tools in the box need to stay in the box. There is no hustling and bustling for position. In the Bible, they name all the tools in the box, but you can’t find where all of them were used. (I.E. Nathaniel; you can find him in the Bible but you can’t find exactly where he was used. However, it says that they “all stood together”).
It’s not the job of the instruments to tell the user how to use them. On the day of Pentecost, Peter was chosen to be used and the rest of them were chosen to be supportive. They all stood together! You may not be used right now, but you are available to be used, if necessary. Don’t put your wishful thinking onto the job site. All of the tools may not be used, but they all need to be functional in case they are needed, if called upon. If we understand this, there is no competition, there is just compliments for accomplishments. Why didn’t you choose a saw yet? I don’t NEED a saw. You aren’t wasting time. You are charged and ready to go when you are needed.
We have made idols out of the Apostles. We have Pentecostal Catechism. We try to make gods and angels out of the Apostles. They are tools, not a god. Just like in the Old Testament, they tried to make gods out of Elijah. We can’t ask God to send more Peter’s and Paul’s etc. They are dead! He allowed Moses to die alone because He didn’t want them to worship Moses. Every tool will be buried, but their PURPOSE and their MINISTRY won’t be buried.
To View the Entire Article, Click Here
To Download the Article Directly to Your Computer, Click Here
