LET US STUDY PEOPLE, GOD LOVES PEOPLE! DO YOU?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
CRUSHED?
DO WE SEE THE LITTLE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE? MAYBE TO UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE. JOB WAS UNDER STRESS, PROBLEMS, TRIALS, DEATH AND SICKNESS UNDER A CRUSHING LOAD.
… JOB NEVER SAID: NOW WIFEY DEAR, YOU ARE STUPID AND FOOLISH. Job saw the bigger picture. We tend to focus on the problems of today. Job knew better than saying that. Study what Job said…
Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
I have a friend that has pastored several years. He says I love to pastor. There is one problem with the job so he says. I asked and he replied: I WOULD LOVE PASTORING IF IT WERE NOT FOR PEOPLE. He said HUMAN BEINGS DRIVE ME CRAZY. I tried to tell him if it weren’t for people we would have no need to exist. I hear him. We must know all people are imperfect and have their own little quirks. We can expect smooth sailing and no storms but we must get real. There are tall people, short people, smart people, stupid people, all kinds of people.
THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE. WE ARE IN BOTH CLASSIFICATIONS. Every living person is a student and a teacher.
1. *STUDENT: a person that studies, observer, pupil, a learner, follower, positive, listener, helpful, cooperative.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THIS WEEK?
2. *TEACHER: one that guides, explains, reasons, to get individual to think, personal adaptation, to care, to communicate, enthusiasm. WHAT HAVE YOU TAUGHT THIS WEEK? A good teacher progressively turns the student into his own teacher. A good teacher teaches you to think, not how to think.
THE BOOK OF JAMES ADDRESS FOUR KINDS OF PEOPLE….
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
1. *THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT REFUSE TO LISTEN. (They tend to think they know it all.)
2. *THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WILL LISTEN AND THEN NEVER WILL DO ANYTHING.
3. *THEN THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WILL DO THINGS BUT WILL NOT RECEIVE INSTRUCTION.
4. *THE FOURTH AREA IS EVERY TEACHERS GOAL: THEY WILL LISTEN AND FOLLOW UP AND DO.
HOW DOES GOD LOOK AT HUMANITY? GOD’S EYES SEE MUCH DIFFERENTLY THAN MAN SEES THINGS. MAN SEES THE CARNAL AND TEMPORAL… GOD FOCUSES ON THE ETERNAL AND SPIRITUAL… THEN THERE IS THE FENCE STRADDLER.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1. *GOD’S CLASSIFICATION OF PEOPLE. THE CARNAL FLESH SIDE OF MAN #1 GOAL IS PLEASURE. This part of man rejects God or accepts a partial Biblical view: MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY. Thus they reject God’s Biblical standard in favor of what they think. The natural man refuses a standard of truth. All ways lead to God? They resist God’s plan and accept materialism and pleasure seeking. There is no submission --- The fleshly trades a God personal relationship for SIN. IF IT FEELS GOOD DO IT. There is no accountability. Faithfulness is for old-timers. This religious trip is foolishness and there is no fear of the judgement of God.
2 Peter 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
2. *THE GOD CLASSIFICATION OF PEOPLE THAT PLEASES HIM… THOSE THAT ACCEPT THE BIBLE AS GOD’S HOLY INFALLIBLE WORD. These people see in the light of eternity. Spiritual people have a PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE SON OF GOD. They have sought the FORGIVENESS of Jesus Christ. They avoid sin. They pray and study their Bible.
3. *THE THIRD CLASSIFICATION OF GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD PEOPLE ARE CLEAR… THEY ARE COMPROMISERS… THEY STRADDLE THE FENCE. They say they love God but they have one leg in one area and the other in the mess of the world. They love two opposite sides. They don’t want to offend anyone. No self-discipline.
Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
IN THE PAULINE EPISTLES: PAUL HAS A LESSON OF PEOPLE THAT HE MINISTERED WITH… THESE DIFFERENT PEOPLE BECOME TYPES OR EXAMPLES. PAUL MENTIONS PAUL TEACHES 4 DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORK OF THE LORD...
2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
1. *DEMAS (DEMOS)--- THE QUITTER. Demas is mentioned 3 times in Paul’s writings. Paul called him a fellow worker IN THE MINISTRY. Demas abandoned Paul.
2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed ….
DEMAS is known as “PAUL’S JUDAS.” Demas seemed to revert back to LOVING THE WORLD and deserted his ministry. Paul really needed Demas.
Demas made personal choices to LOVE THE THINGS OF THE WORLD.
THE SAD FACT IS STILL REAL TODAY. Many love Jesus and thrive and then they TURN AROUND AND LOOK BACK.
2. *JOHN MARK, OFTEN JUST CALLED MARK. MARK IS WHAT WE KNOW AS A VASILATOR, up and down. THIS THEN BECOMES A CONFLICT BETWEEN PAUL AND BARNABAS.
John Mark was BARNABAS’ NEPHEW. Barnabas’s sister’s son. JOHN MARK went on some missionary journey’s with PAUL and his uncle. On one mission trip JOHN MARK left and returned home. Later there was a heavy conflict when JOHN MARK WANTED TO GO ON THE NEXT MISSION. Paul says NO! Uncle says: GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE. John Mark proved the second chance was worth it. Paul admits JOHN MARK WAS A PROFITABLE WORKER.
3. *LUKE… LUKE WAS FAITHFUL. LUKE WAS AN EVANGELIST. HE WAS A WELL ROOTED AND A HARD WORKER ALL OF HIS MINISTRY. Luke wrote Luke and Acts. He was dependable and very helpful. He put his hand to the plow and never looked back.
4. *THEN IN REAL LIFE WE WILL MEET SOME LIKE ALEXANDER THE COPPERSMITH … THE EVIL PERSON. ALEXANDER WAS A FALSE TEACHER. 2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
ALEXANDER TAUGHT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND MORAL BEHAVIOR WAS NOT NECESSARY. Alexander hated Paul and hurt PAUL IN TERRIBLE WAYS.
CONCLUSION: We must acknowledge that to love all people requires faith and trust. OFTEN THE HARD TO LOVE PEOPLE BECOME THE TESTING GROUND OF WHO WE REALLY ARE.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
ABRAHAM WAS A FRIEND OF GOD.
James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
DAVID WAS A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART… DAVID WAS FAR FROM A PERFECT MAN, BUT HE LOVED GOD… DAVID WAS A HUMAN. DAVID WAS A PERSON JUST LIKE WE ARE.
1 Samuel 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
Acts 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
A STUDY OF REAL PEOPLE REVEALS JESUS DIED FOR ALL PEOPLE, NOT JUST GOOD PEOPLE.
Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Luke 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Love people, be kind, be compassionate, be quick to forgive. God loves people, so must we!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
