What Kind of Person Are You?

I have a question for you today. I don't do this on purpose. I just realize all of a sudden I always start with a question. Well, here's my question today. What kind of person are you? What kind of person are you? I ask that question because, generally speaking, people nowadays really seem to be curious to know what kind of person they are. And there's logic behind that. It's nice to know how we fit in with others, what other people are like, how do we compare with others. I guess because I worked in an academic background quite a bit, I also recognize that having an understanding of who you are can help you in choosing a career path in life. What kind of institution after high school you want to go to? College, tech school, or just into a profession right away? Employers, of course, they want to know what kind of people we are, too. It helps them to, when they hire people or have a big corporation, to know a little bit about the people working with them so they can find the right fit. Many of us here, I suspect, have probably taken some kind of personality test. How many of you have ever taken a personality test of sorts? Oh, looks like just about everybody. Some of the most popular ones right now, and I believe it's still the most popular one, is the Myers-Briggs type indicator. Some of you may have taken that. I have many years ago now. There's also Winslow personality profile. There's a process communication model, and I probably could have come up with about 100 different ones, but these three are the most popular. Now, after you take the test, your responses are tabulated, and they're typically compared with other groups of people, and various matrices are put together. Then there's usually some sort of trained advisor, or sometimes there's a program algorithm, because you can do this online or on a computer, and that algorithm or advisor will tell us what our personality traits are, if you didn't know. Sometimes they'll emphasize our dominant personality traits. They'll recommend or suggest or encourage us to think about what sort of occupations we might want to consider, what would be compatible with our tastes, with other people like us, what they like to do, and that can all be very helpful. They'll sometimes even label us. They'll give us labels of the sort of personality, the type you are. Have you ever been labeled by a personality type? There are many different types. There's one test. I noticed it had 24 different personality labels they can give you. There's more time than I wanted to get into. But I did go to Nexus Analytics. It's a free online test, and they actually will categorize you into one of 16 personality types, such as Commander, Debater, Defender, Adventurer, or Entertainer. I'm one of the oles, but I'm not going to tell you which one of the five. Now, learning more about our personality types is very interesting. I find it intriguing, but after a while I kind of wonder if this is real or is this some kind of pseudo-science, especially if it's in the back of what your cereal box is. It probably isn't too great of a test. But we're interested in these things. It can be helpful, and it can be fun.

But I guess for me, a lot of times it's frustrating, and I think for some of us here, because some of us never quite seem to fit neatly into any one category. We always kind of slosh over into another category. And I think that's pretty realistic. I think that's pretty real. We human beings, for worse or for better, tend to be rather complicated. Our personalities tend to be very complicated. I guess God made us that way. And maybe we're not meant to be easily categorized, although having some ideas, as I say, can be helpful and interesting. Nonetheless, that question, what kind of person are you, is a vital question we need to consider. And we will be doing that today. I'm not going to give you a personality test. I'm not going to do that. But we will look to Scripture. We will look to Scripture to help us identify three kinds of people. At least, that will be the limit of our analysis today. We can chop up things, ideas in all sorts of ways. But I'm going to look at three types of people that we can identify through the use of Scripture. So, when it comes to one's attitude and our approach towards God, we can identify three kinds of people. And I'm going to give you the labels right now. These three kinds of people can be categorized as the do-nots, the have-tos, and the doers. That one you may have heard of before. What kind of person are you? Now, the first kind of person is the do-nots. Although the Bible, we're going to find very quickly, tends to call them something else from time to time. We can call them the do-nots because of their attitude and approach to God. They know God, but they do not revere, honor, or respect God or His ways of righteousness. It's interesting we heard some of this in the sermonette today. They do not revere or respect God or His ways of righteousness. These are people who allow their carnal nature to have total rule over them. They essentially live for themselves, and they live for their own pleasure. That tends to be their focus, themselves and their pleasure. Now, you may have guessed we're going to be turning to the book of Proverbs. We began Proverbs 1, verse 7. The Bible often calls this kind of people, this kind of person, a fool. Or foolish, or generally speaking, they're just fools. We see this in Proverbs 1, verse 7. A very familiar place. Nonetheless, that's where we're going. Proverbs 1, verse 7. The fear of the Lord, the fear here is Hebrew yira, and it means reverence.

The fear or reverence of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. But conversely, fools despise wisdom and instruction. They are going to reject despise, the wisdom and instruction, the beginning of knowledge, which is founded in God's Word. Now, Proverbs reveals various traits of the do-nots, or fools. They essentially come down to this. The do-nots, or fools, do not have moral understanding. Again, we heard about that in the sermonette. They do not have moral understanding.

Notice what some Proverbs tell us with that point. Proverbs 10.23, for example. Proverbs 10.23 tells us that the do-nots, or fools, enjoy doing what is wicked. They enjoy doing what is wicked. Proverbs 10.23, to do evil is like sport to a fool. It's fun.

But a man of understanding has wisdom, suggesting they know better than to play around with evil. And then, if we also look at verse 14. Verse 14 adds that these people, this type of person, that they do not treasure true knowledge, but they invite disaster through their vain babbling. They talk a lot. All they do is talk. Look at verse 14, Proverbs 10. Wise people store up knowledge. They bank it. They use it. They make good capital of it. But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

He's always talking, and he's always talking nonsense. It seems to be the gist. Let's also look at Proverbs 15, verse 5. We're just going to look at a few. There are many other things here, referencing the do-nots, the foolish people. Proverbs 15, 5 adds that these sort of people do not like to be corrected.

Proverbs 15, 5. A fool despises his father's instruction, might we even add the instruction of God our father? A fool despises his father's instruction that he who receives correction is prudent or wise to get discipline, to get correction. And so again, the do-nots do not have moral understanding. They have no understanding of right from wrong, good from evil. Generally speaking, that's what we mean by moral understanding. What about other traits or qualities? Let's look at Proverbs 26, verse 5. Proverbs 26, verse 5 has this to say, in essence it says, Though fools do not revere God in his wisdom, they think they are wise, nonetheless. Proverbs 26, verse 5. This goes back to that old, very old, but very fun adage. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. See, he already thinks he is wise. And that's why sometimes we have to point things out to him that he's not so wise. Fools do not revere God in his wisdom, but yet they believe they are wise, very much like what we see in society today. Proverbs 20, verse 3. These people do not avoid disputes because they love to argue over just about anything. Again, they love to talk, and they love to get on chat rooms, and they love to text, and they get on blogs, and they get on TV. And I think you understand how this applies nowadays. Proverbs 20, verse 3. It is honorable for a man to stop striving since any fool can start a quarrel. And if you pay attention at all to what goes on in the media nowadays, if you want to hear somebody quarrel about something, just turn on the TV for about 15 seconds, and you're going to catch it. It's really not a cheerful sort of thing. Proverbs 14, verse 3. One last proverb. Proverbs 14, verse 3.

Fools do not speak with humility. How do they speak? Proverbs 14, verse 3. In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride. The NIV puts it this way, maybe a little more understandable. A fool's mouth lashes out with pride. A fool's mouth lashes out with pride. In other words, for pride is arrogance. They're haughty. They think they know it all. In fact, they know it all. They do, they think.

On the other hand, the lips of the wise will preserve them, will preserve themselves. The wise are much more guarded in what they have to say. Proverbs makes clear that those who do not fear God and respect his way of life are foolish and really foolish in some of the worst possible ways. Although these do-nots may be quite intelligent and brilliant people, and I think I would not deny that a lot of people who see on television and elsewhere writing about their opinions, they have highfalutin degrees with many letters behind their names, and they compose themselves very well.

They are intelligent people, and even brilliant. But morally speaking, based on what we read in Scripture, morally speaking, they're stupid. They're dim-witted. They're not bright. They're actually the opposite, morally speaking. You can turn with me, please, to Romans 1. I'm not sure if I need to read all this because, obviously, we're on the same channel, Mr. Carmichael and I today. Romans 1 is interesting, especially after looking at some of these traits of fools. The do-nots, as we looked at Proverbs, because what we find here in Romans 1, verse 18 through 19, we could call Paul's elaboration of what we've just read.

Paul goes into many details about situations, sorts of personalities, same sort of issues he saw going on in his day and age. What's really fascinating and really sad is that the same thing is still continuing on in our day and age, as we heard earlier today. What Paul reminds us is that, very much in harmony with Proverbs, is that the same human foolishness written about in Proverbs is continuing on in Paul's time, and it's still continuing on today. We can be fairly certain it's going to continue on as long as human beings do not submit to God.

We read what happens. Let's go ahead and read verse 18 of Romans 1. Repetition is an excellent form of education. I feel if we are inspired with the same scriptures, there must be a reason for that. There must be a reason for that, and we need to hear this. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

Men have made this evil, not God. And they do this by suppressing the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. These very intelligent people, if you read their books, they come so close to actually saying there must be a Creator, but just before they make that final statement, they draw back. They will not say that. They will not put any form of a biblical name on a rocket. I wonder why that is. They may have a suspicion, but they put something else on there instead.

Suppressing the truth is what humanity is good at, especially if the truth is about God. Suppressing the truth of God through counterfeit wisdom, of a false belief system, through counterfeit wisdom of human reasoning, I believe it reflects just how much humanity, generally speaking, despises God, and they despise His wisdom. Continuing on to verse 22, professing to be wise, this reflects just what we've been reading about in Proverbs, professing to be wise, actually arrogantly claiming that they are wise, that they know it all, that they are the source of wisdom. Professing to be wise, they became fools, Paul says, and they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and these other creatures.

By rejecting God and creating false gods, false ways of worship, humanity has also created its own ways, its own rules to live by, its own moral system, its own definition of right and wrong and good and evil. So the foolish human beings generally choose for themselves right from wrong. They choose for themselves how to pursue their own carnal pleasures. And because people do not do what God commands, we understand that God has allowed humanity to live in the mess of its own choosing.

In essence, letting humanity get sick of sin. One day humanity will become so sick of sin that they will turn to God. Let's look at verse 26-32. As I was listening to Mr. Carmichael read through these same lines, I thought to myself, is there anything in this list that we're going to look at?

And I'll read it. Verse 26-32. Is there anything in this list, I wonder, that society, the leaders of society, the proponents of society, in wicked ways, is there anything here that they would say is bad? Is there anything in this list that human society would say is evil? And I looked at this and I started thinking, I don't think there's anything here anymore.

I think it's all considered, hey, you want to do it? Do your own thing, man. Enjoy it. It's not evil.

Verse 26. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. They're vile. Don't be confused by what they say. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their lust for one another, men committing with men, committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves a penalty for their error, their sin, which was due. And of course it's a reference to doing whatever you want, not ignoring the proper use of male and female gender as God established it did. Doing what they want to do. Verse 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind. If you feel like society is getting crazier, here's why. God's letting them enact their craziness. They're debased. They're unsound. They are mentally, morally, emotionally, psychologically ill. And so God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting. Again, don't be confused by what we hear in society. It is not fitting. It is not appropriate. Being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, pure out hatred, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness. They are whispers. Remember? The foolish love to talk. They're backbiters, haters of God. Can't get much more clear than that. They're violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things. Embarrassing things to even have to watch on TV with your kids and family. Not late at night anymore, right? On prime time. I can't believe they're advertising that.

Do you still feel that way and you see things like that on TV?

Good. That's an indicator of where you are and where society is. It should be embarrassing to us and shocking. They are undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, may have missed disobedience, their parents. They are unforgiving, unmercival. Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, they know maybe deep in their hearts somewhere this shouldn't be done. But they do it. And that those who practice such things are deserving of death. But not only do they do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. It's shocking to hear politicians today stand up for things like infanticide, which any other generation, any other people, would have acknowledged as evil.

Maybe I'm wrong on that. I'm sure putting babies in fires and worshiping a false god was a terrible thing back then, too. But these people are doing it not because they're worshipping a god, they're just doing it because it's convenient. They want to keep doing what they want to do. It's so self-centered. They don't even worship a god anymore.

They're just worshipping themselves, as it were. And so Paul aptly, appropriately, describes the increasingly self-centered, pleasure-seeking world we're living in today. The god, the father, thankfully, has called us out of the world so that we might repent of the sin that we see around us. We might worship and we might serve him now, and then his first words forever in the kingdom of God.

Paul makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 6, verse 9 through 11. Paul hits this topic often, doesn't he? 1 Corinthians 6, verse 9 through 11. There's another plan, a much better plan, and it belongs to God, and God has made us a part of it. 1 Corinthians 6, 9 through 11. Here we read Paul writing the Corinthians, who also lived in a very terrible society. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

They won't. That should be a red flag for all of us to remember. Do not be deceived. Don't be tricked. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners. No sinner is going to inherit the kingdom of God. Look at verse 11. Before we look too narrowly down our nose at people and society, Paul reminds us of something.

And such were some of you, and such were some of us. But, continuing, you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Some of us know what the world's like. We've been there. We've repented, and we're on that much better path. When we are among those who are called, chosen, and faithful, we certainly have great reason, great cause to praise and worship God.

Without God's mercy, though, we would still be among the foolish. We would still be among the do-nots, with our minds darkened, and without hope. True hope. We must not allow ourselves to be like the do-nots.

I guess that would be the bottom line for this kind of first type of person here. We must not allow ourselves to be like the do-nots. Instead, we must keep ourselves from caving in to the moral foolishness, the moral foolish influences of the world around us. We never want to come to a point where we appear godly, where we do not live a godly life. The society we live in is all about appearances, and that's something we must be careful about ourselves.

We must make sure our loyalty is pure to God, and that what people see is the best we got, and the best that we are, and that best is of God. But we will find ourselves in a bad spot one day if we do not revere and honor God, if we do not keep His law in His way of life, and if we do not repent and stop living for ourselves and our own pleasures.

That we know. Are you? Am I? Like this first kind of people? Do we fit in any way at any time into this category of people called fools? The do-nots. The second kind of people. The second kind of people is the half-twos. H-A-V-E-T-O. And I put an apostrophe S in there. The half-twos. It's probably not grammatically incorrect, but it helps when you read.

The half-twos. These people recognize the greater requirements and obligations placed upon them by others. These people recognize that there are requirements and obligations upon people, and these can be within our family, for example. For example, children are typically obligated to do their chores. Parents are obligated to feed and clothe and nurture and lovingly discipline their children. And spouses have the duty and obligation to love one another. Now, obligations upon oneself exist within and throughout our society. It exists in nearly every sort of relationship. For example, we have the obligation to drive safely and responsibly.

That's one of the greater requirements placed upon us by the laws of men. We are also required to pay our taxes, aren't we? You ever tried not paying your taxes? Don't do that. We are also to obey and support the laws of the land.

And we understand, and I think most people do in most societies around the globe, that we ought to be a good neighbor, especially to the guy and gal living next door to us. We need to be good neighbors. People generally recognize that these requirements must be upheld in order to maintain a civil and peaceful society. I believe that most people around the globe, whether they know of God or don't know of God, I think it's a common thing that people recognize that there is something called a good citizen.

That might mean in that culture, in that environment. And people try, generally speaking, to be good citizens, each in their way. As followers of Jesus Christ, we would also understand and add to that, in place foremost, even above the laws of humanity, that God's expectation is that we obey Him, that we love God, that we love our neighbor just as we love ourselves. Perhaps even better than we love ourselves at times.

Now, I say that because the challenge for the have-tos is that they often do only what they feel compelled to do. Hence, I call them have-tos. They only do what they feel they have to do. We understand. They only do what they need to do, what they must do. So this type of person aims to do the minimum amount required. Nothing more, nothing less. And I suspect this approach might be a familiar one. For example, most of us were kids at one time or another. Most children only do their chores when they have to do them. They only do their chores when they have to do them, which is usually after the nagging has become strained and dad is about ready to do some disciplining.

Lovingly. Finally, when they recognize dad's prime fraction, they get up and do what they've been putting off. To be fair, I have to address the adults in the room. Most adults only do the posted speed limit because they have to.

When? As long as the state troopers nearby make sure they do the speed limit. I'm not talking you all, okay? But I've noticed that. This attitude and approach is very much akin to how we view paying our taxes. We only pay how much? Well, we have to. We only pay the minimum amount required. I have never generously, exceedingly, willingly given more than what I have to pay to Uncle Sam, the income tax service.

We only pay what we have to, as required and compelled to do, under threat of legal action by the Treasury Department of the United States of America. We do no more and no less. Only what we have to do. Now, this approach is very understandable, humanly speaking. But would this approach be appropriate for those who are striving to live God's way of life and to be like Christ? I'm a creature of habit. I'm a creature of my society. I'm human. Would this approach, only doing the minimum, be appropriate for those who are striving to live life God's way and to be like Christ?

To think and to say that we have to do whatever it is can imply that we're undertaking something tedious, something annoying, burdensome, and bothersome. We're conveying that what we do is neither convenient nor something that we really want to do. Is that how we should speak about things related to believing and to obeying God? Would we ever say, for example—I've never heard this—but would we ever say, for example, that we have to tithe? Would we ever say we have to keep the Sabbath?

That we have to love our neighbor? That we have to love God? Mind you, are you catching my tone of voice here? My tone of voice in saying have to, meaning it, we're saying have to in a rather sour or, to borrow the vernacular nowadays, a rather salty way, a rather begrudging attitude that says, God's way is really a burden, a hassle, a chore, and a bother.

Is that the attitude and approach we should have toward God who's called us—why?—to receive salvation, and all that is good and holy and pure that goes along with it? Let's rethink the have-tos and consider what our attitude should be. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 9, 6-8. 2 Corinthians 9, 6-8. What should our attitude be? We don't want to get caught in the have-to attitude. What should it be? Remember, God is a God of giving. God is a God of abundance.

And as we bless others, God will bless us. 2 Corinthians 9, beginning in verse 6. But this I say, Paul writes, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly, or of necessity, because we have to. For God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, having all sufficiency and all things, having everything you need, even what you may want, may have an abundance for every good work. We can just keep doing more good things.

So what we learn here is that we get to. We don't have to. We get to give. We get to share God's abundance with others. And the Scripture is not limited to giving money or giving material things, but also to giving through our prayers, through our kind words and deeds, through those words of encouragement, with the reminder that we can never outgive God. We can never outgive God. Let's turn to Hebrews 6, verse 10. Hebrews 6, 10. Here's something else we should remember.

Hebrews 6, 10. When we serve others, especially our brethren, and this is so easy to forget, when we serve others, and especially our brethren, we are serving God. Yeah, we are serving God. That's what it says. Hebrews 6, 10. I hope I said that right. Hebrews 6, 10. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward his name, in that you have ministered to the saints, it's our brethren, and you do minister. You're still doing it. Do we remember the scripture, I wonder, do I remember the scripture, when we are weary from serving, or when we feel put upon when we're asked to help serve? And it happens. I admit it. It happens. How about we think about the scripture when we're facing our have-to attitude? Serving truly is a labor. I see us. Serving is a labor. It is a labor of love, though. It is a labor of love towards our brethren and towards God. But not, and this is important, it's a labor of love towards our brethren and towards God, but not as we would define love. But as God defines love, we could be laboring. Maybe we think we're loving. Maybe it doesn't quite fit with what God says. We need to make sure the labor of love we do truly is what God would consider love. That's a critical distinction. It's a critical distinction between what we think love means and what God says love is. And I also add this when it comes regarding this labor of love. Frankly, I believe much of the labor required in serving can be the labor we must exert to overcome our own egoistic and pleasure-seeking selves. Our ego and our own desire to be happy and well pleased tend to get in the way of our wanting and needing to do our labor of love.

I really do not think self-sacrifice was meant to be easy. Do you? Self-sacrifice meant to be easy. I don't read that anywhere. But God's Holy Spirit in us, in our willingness to yield to God, will give us that spiritual will, that spiritual gumption and strength to overcome ourself and to serve our brethren and to serve God with even greater willingness and joy. It takes heart, it takes self-sacrifice, and it takes God's Holy Spirit to serve well. But our reward is beyond anything we have yet experienced. Our reward is salvation. Our reward is eternal life. What a reward we get, we will receive for getting to serve God and to do good. Let's also look over in Romans 12. Romans 12, verses 1-2. We're going the wrong way. Romans 12, verses 1-2.

We're still talking now about combating and being aware of this half-two attitude that can appear. In Romans 12 and in verses 1-2, Paul exhorts us to never forget our need to serve, to never forget our need to resist what we can call the half-two attitude. Paul writes this, verse 1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. It's the right thing to do. The right thing to do in life is what Paul's talking about here. It is a reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed. This takes time. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We have to keep going to Scripture. We have to keep training ourselves. We have to keep correcting ourselves, repenting.

God wants us to grow in His way of abundant love. He doesn't want us to remain miserly and teeny-hearted. Or tiny-hearted, if you'd rather have it that way. He wants us to be large-hearted. He wants us to experience the abundant joy of giving of ourselves willingly and totally according to His purpose. And to God's glory, not our own.

There is something more here in Romans 12. God has given each of us precious and valuable gifts. I know, growing up, I wanted to know, what's my gift? What's my gift? Quit worrying about what your gift is. Go do something. Go serve. Guess what you're going to discover? Your gift. You're going to discover your gift. It's there. Quit worrying about it. You've got it. Go serve, and you'll discover what it is.

God gives His precious and valuable gifts. But these gifts are not for us. They're not for you.

They're not for you. They're for others. God expects us to be using our gifts for others. Let's read verse 6 now, Romans 12. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. In other words, don't be hiding it away.

If it's prophecy, sometimes we might call this inspired teaching, preaching. If it's prophecy, then let us prophesy a proportion to our faith. Or ministry, then let us use it in our ministering. He who teaches in teaching. We have a lot of teachers in this room. And he who exhorts and exhortation. He who gives won't do it with liberality. He who leads with diligence. He who shows mercy with cheerfulness. Now this is a short list. These aren't all the gifts. I don't know if there is a complete list. But these are only some of the wonderful and lovely gifts God gives us to use for others. We should be using them not because we have to, but because we want to as an aspect of our labor of love. And then perhaps remind us of how we can be serving, perhaps nudges in a useful direction, helpful direction. Paul provides us a list of things that we really should want to be doing. It's verse 9. He says, let love be without hypocrisy. Don't be double-faced. Get rid of that. Of horror what is evil? Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another. He's telling us how to be a Christian, in other words. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love. In honor giving preference to one another. It's wonderful seeing people try to get to the end of the potluck line. They want to know, you go ahead. No, you go ahead. You go ahead. You go ahead. Yeah, Christians. Terrible thing. They want to go last.

In honor giving preference to one another. Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, and given to hospitality. These are things we can be doing and serving. Whether physically, because we're able to, if we're not able to, we can do it through prayer. We can do it through a kind word, a smile. All these are beautiful, wonderful, lovely gifts, and things we can do. These are things we should be doing, not because we have to, but because God is love. And these attitudes and approaches and actions are all crucial parts of the love of God. When God's love is in us and aspires us to action, then we need to stop holding back our cheerful giving. Pop the stopper on our heart. And love. Share, give, encourage, support, aid. Allow God to share His love through us, because we're just so many buckets, we're just so many shovels, we're just so many hands. God is going to use us to help one another if we let Him, if we get a little better handle and a have-to attitude and do what we really want to do. So, are you, am I, the second kind of people? Do we fit in any way, at any time, into this category of people called the have-tos? It takes us to the third kind of people, the doers. The doers. Now, in several ways today, already, in this sermon, we have already learned, and we can also surmise very much about what it means to be a doer. But there's much more about doers, the doers, this third type of person, that I'd like for us to consider. Doers are those who have been called of God the Father. They have learned who and what God is. They have allowed this precious knowledge, they have been allowed this precious knowledge, not because they're anything special of themselves, not because of anything they have done, not because of anything they are, but simply because of who God is. They've been called because of who God is. God the Father has opened their minds to understand the wonders of God, and especially the wonders of Jesus Christ's gospel, of the kingdom of God. It's God's plan of salvation. Though doers don't quite comprehend that plan of salvation perfectly, it's as if they see it through a dark glass, a dim mirror, but they see enough of it to know that this is what life is really about. Doers have become convicted of God's truth and have willingly committed themselves to serve God and His church, the people who are called and who are members of the Body of Christ. Doers are not perfect. They battle against temptations, and still they sin, but they live by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their sins. They practice repentance, and they seek the Father's forgiveness. They also forgive others. Doers also practice reconciliation. Again, they're not perfect, but that's what they're striving to be. Doers sometimes have aspects of the do-nots. Doers sometimes have some aspects of the have-tos, and they recognize it, and they ask for God's help in resisting it, resisting those traits and those aspects. They know that's not the way they should be. But nonetheless, they continue on with God. They are fulfilling the reason for God's calling. They are going on to perfection with the help of God. So they aim to please God because He is God. They aim to please God because He is love. He is truth. He is light. He is humanity's only hope for salvation, only hope for eternal life. Doers choose to revere God and to resist the self, not because they have to, but because they want. They want to please God. They want to be found worthy of receiving God's precious gift of salvation. And so they love God. They keep His commandments. Let's look at John 14, verse 21. John 14, verse 21, please.

Foundational things doers do.

Doers love God, and they keep His commandments even as Jesus Christ taught. And we see this in John 14, 21. Jesus said, He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. And then skipping down to verse 23, Jesus adds this, breaking into that verse a little bit. If anyone loves me, what will he do? If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. That happens through the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit. He who does not love me does not keep my words, and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. Everything goes back to the Father. In keeping God's commandments and living life God's way, doers come to know God even more deeply. You want to know what God is like? Keep his commandments. The more you keep his commandments, the more you're going to understand and grasp about God. That's the point that's made in 1 John 2. Let's look there. 1 John 2, verses 3 through 6. 1 John 2, verses 3 through 6.

The Apostle John again writing in this letter now, John writes, Now by this we know that we know him, and we know God, if we keep his commandments. He who says I know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar. It's pretty harsh. And the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, truly, truly, the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in him. He who says he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he, as Jesus walked. And so we talk about following Christ. We talk about being like Christ, walking in his ways.

To abide in God, doers then constantly and prayerfully study God's word. They strive to know God by living and doing what God instructs. In fact, they're called doers because that's what they're trying to do. They're trying to do what God says. And we know that, don't we? In James 1, verses 21 through 25. Let's look there. We can't talk about doers without going to James, in the book of James, chapter 1. And we're going to read verses 21 through 25.

In James 1, 21, here we read. James says, Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness. Want to know what he's talking about? Go back and read Romans 1. You get a lot of it. You understand what that is. Lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness. And receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Those who claim to follow Christ must be doing more than just hearing or knowing about the Scripture.

To know God into abiding God requires much more than reading the Bible every day.

Though, you better be doing that. We had better be doing that. To know God and abiding God requires much more than memorizing Scriptures. Though we really should. It requires much more than knowing the Ten Commandments, than understanding God's plan of salvation, than being able to explain the reason for our faith. Though all these things we really should know and should do.

To be a doer, we must be striving to practice, to put into action in our lives in every way we can, and do what God says we're to be doing. In verse 23, 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, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. This one will be blessed in what he does.

Now in this sermon, we have been using God's word as a mirror. We've been using God's word as a mirror. Any time I speak, I try to make sure, I am sure, I'm using God's word as a mirror of sorts. I make sure what I say and what I'm thinking is according to Scripture.

We all must be doing this. We all must be using God's word as a mirror to see, in this case, in this sermon, we've been using God's word as a mirror to help us see what kind of person we are.

And I don't know about you. When I look in the mirror, depending on what time of day it is, well, no, never mind. I don't always like what I see in the mirror. Looking at myself.

Perhaps today, we haven't liked what we saw or what we're seeing in the mirror of God's word. That's a good thing, don't you think? We see something we don't like, because there's something about us we don't like. That's good. God's showing us something, perhaps.

We may not always like what we see in the mirror, but God's word is essential for us to see how we must repent of our ways, of our ways of thinking and of doing.

With the guidance of God's Holy Scripture and His Holy Spirit, doers strive continually to reject and defy the poles of their carnal, human nature. They labor to put on the mind of Jesus Christ, as Paul exhorts us to do. You probably know that reference, Philippians 2.5. You can jot that down for later. Doers recognize that God is God, and any hope of a good life now and eternally requires one's willing submission and obedience to God's law. It requires living in faith. We believe God, therefore we keep His commandments. We live the way as Jesus taught. He's from the Father. The attitudes and approaches, the attitudes and approaches that rebelliousness of the do-nots and the excuses of the have-to's must be put aside for doers to learn to delight in worshipping and honoring God.

Doers come to see and accept their responsibility, their greater responsibility, their greater requirement placed upon them of being living examples of God's way of life. Let's look at Psalm 71 just briefly. It's a beautiful psalm. A few verses here that fit in with what we're talking about here. Psalm 71 verses 6 through 8.

Doers recognize God's intervention in their lives. They accept their God-given duty to be a light so that others might know of God and His way of life because of their example. Psalm 71 verses 6 through 8. I'm slowly getting there.

The psalmist here is writing, By you, God, I have been upheld from birth. The psalmist recognizes God has been involved in his life since birth. We would recognize that, too. You are He who took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually before you. I have become as a wander to many. We might say I have become as an example to many. But you are my strong refuge. He recognizes the source of what He is. He is from God. You are my strong refuge, and let my mouth be filled with your praise and with your glory all the day.

The psalmist recognized, as we should and know, that we are to be a light. We are to be an example. Doers know this. Doers are people who surrender themselves totally into the hands of God. We see this in Philippians 1.21.

Paul, in many ways, sets us this wondrous example. We might segue into what the psalmist says here, Philippians 1.21. Paul, in many ways, sets a wondrous example of service to God and to God's church.

In Paul's powerful statement here, it's just one sentence. Paul's powerful statement here of his conviction, I believe, offers all doers a goal worth living for. Paul's statement here can be our goal. Paul says, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

For to me to live is Christ. That's all that life is about. That's all my life is about, Paul says. And to die, to give up this physical existence, is gain. The New Living Translation reads this way, For to me living means living for Christ. That's pretty good. Living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.

Why is dying even better?

Well, Paul is talking about his faith. He's letting us know that his faith was unshaken, and his faith was unshakable.

We've read many times about Paul's circumstances. We've read many times about his terrible sufferings. Yet Paul still kept willingly giving of himself in service to Christ. It's a pretty remarkable example.

It's a goal he sets for us. He followed Christ, just like we are striving to do, and are doing. All things Paul did, and all that he was, in other words, his motives, Paul's goals and purpose in life, his joys and his sorrows, his very reason for living, Paul says, was to serve Jesus Christ. It's a pretty remarkable statement. And then in dying, why the dying part? In dying, he states, dying would be no loss, but gain.

Why gain? Why something good? Why something beneficial? I think we understand. Paul knew, firmly knew and believed, he knew that his dying would be in service to Jesus Christ, because that's what his living was about. His dying would come because he was serving Christ and serving the saints as a faithful witness. Even in his death, Paul seemed to know and believed, and was convicted of, that his death would be a witness to the glory of Jesus Christ and to the Father.

So in dying, Paul's next waking moment would be in the resurrection, and be in the resurrection of the first fruits of Christ at Christ's return. He'd be there meeting Christ in the sky with a glorious and mortal body. Isn't that a wonderful attitude? Isn't that a wonderful approach?

I want to make that my goal, to try to live better by what Paul says here. It might be something we might all think about as a goal, a focus point.

So like Paul, doers, because Paul is a doer, by the way. Like Paul, doers willingly surrender and commit themselves, in their very lives, to God. They believe and obey God. Their goal is to serve God and his people. And they do so by using their gifts, and as God allows them opportunity.

So, are you, am I, this third kind of people? Do we fit in any way, at any time, into this category of people called the doers?

And so there we have it. Three kinds of people.

And again, when it comes to our attitude and our approach towards God, what kind of person are we? The do-nots, the have-tos, or the doers?

Well, I believe it's clear what kind of person we need to be. We need to be doers.

We need to be doers, and I believe we are, as best as we can, and we're going to get better at it. Yet, although we need to be doers, I suspect we likely see each kind of person in ourselves as well, including those undesirable traits and aspects of the do-nots and the have-tos. Well, that's because we are still in the process of becoming like Jesus Christ. We're still in the process of becoming like our Father. We are a work of perfection. We are a work of perfection still in progress. We're not done yet. The important thing we must do is continually use the mirror of God's Word and His Holy Spirit to help us always be repentant of sin. Through faith in the sacrifice of Christ and obedience to God, we can and we do please God.

What kind of person are you is a very interesting question, and that's for sure.

But more important is our response to this question, and this is where I end.

What kind of person are you becoming?