The kind of People Nobody Can Help
None of us are hopeless – Unless we choose not to change.
Pastor George Lehman
“Making a wrong decision is understandable. Refusing to search continually for learning is not”
Phil Cosby
This sermon is more about dealing with the problems than the symptoms.
If you saw a huge hole in the road and you knew bikers where heading towards it and it could injure those approaching, would you ignore it or go out of your way to put up the danger warning sign
In this world, you’ll meet all kinds of people with many different problems, but not everyone can be helped, or wants to be helped.
In 19.8 years of ministry, my greatest desires to help everyone,to see people fulfilling their God given purpose and growing into God’s plan for their life.
But, I have learned the hard way that I cannot help every person who attends our church or those who come to me for assistance.
The following are the kinds of people that are so entrenched in certain habit patterns that I cannot help them to advance to the next level unless they make the necessary faith shift in their attitude and behavior.
Those who do not take responsibility for themselves.
The first step toward self-improvement is to remove all excuses for being uncommitted or not doing your best.
“He that is good for making EXCUSES is seldom good for anything else”
1 Corinthians 9:27 NIV – No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached t others; I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (So many Christians live a disqualified life)
Those that continually blame other people for their failures will never go to the next level.
People can complain about their spouses, their children, their church, their jobs, their past, where they grew up etc., (If you want a reason not to serve God, you will properly find one.)
I have learned that within every challenge is this incredible seed of a God ordained opportunity for success, which requires faith to overcome problems.
2Peter 1:3-4 NIV – 3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
1 John 4:17 – As He is so are we in this world.
Those who do not have a heart to seek God.
We all know Jeremiah 29:11 but verse 13 says: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Isaiah 55:6 NIV – Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. (If you feel God is not near – guess who moved!!! God is not playing hide and seek with us. We hide when we stop to seek.)
The Bible teaches us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” Proverbs 9:10.
Those who do not respect God enough to seek Him in prayer and study His word, so they can make wise decisions in life –
They are violating Scripture and cannot be helped either by me or any other leader or brother/sister.
God said to Joshua: I’ll be with you, but you have to do your part.
Joshua 1:8-9 NIV – “8Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Those who do not obey what God requires for you to have success have decided to try to and have a relationship with God on their own terms.
Those who insist on having a negative outlook on life.
There are some people who refuse to exercise faith in God or think positively, as the Word of God commands us to: (They would rather have their pity party.)
Philippians 4:8 (Message Bible) – Summing it all up friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious- the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
This is because some have a natural inclination to expect the worst in life, so they are never disappointed by anyone or anything! (They set themselves up for failure)
This is a weird way some folks attempt to shield their emotions from the pain of disappointment; it is a very common practice with many people.
Jesus often told people that they would receive according to how they believed (for example Proverbs 23:7 teaches that “as a person thinks in their heart, so they will be.”(Stop being self-defeating!)
I cannot empower a person who refuses to think God’s thoughts about themselves and about life.
Those who refuse to have a vision for their future.
Proverbs 29:18 KJV – Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
There are so many very able, talented, anointed and gifted people, that I have met who live their lives without any strategic plan or vision,to fulfil the very thing God has blessed them with to make a difference in His Kingdom
Those who are successful have a compelling vision that drives them daily and that feeds their souls even more than the desire to satisfy their own needs!
Inside of every believer is a God-given kingdom vision for their future.
If a person refuses to tap into that as their guiding light—and value that vision as their barometer for success—then my continual pep talks, sermons and motivation will not do the trick either!
Those whose primary agenda is individualistic and not kingdom-oriented.
There are many Christians whose only agenda in life is to advance their own agenda.
They don’t want to work with a team or flow in the context of a local church.
They want others to pour their life into them, but they are rarely ever willing to pour back into the church and serve in the Kingdom of God.
I have learned that those who only want to use the church or God to advance their own agenda (even if it is ministry related) have greatly limited their own lives.
Thus, I back away from these people until they change.
This is because we are all called to seek first God’s kingdom, in which we need to die to ourselves our own agenda’s, comforts and conveniences, and sacrifice and invest our time for the good of the Body of Christ.
This, in turn, will do more to release our greatest destiny—even more than if we only concentrate on our own agendas!
Those who lack transparency, humility and integrity.
The Bible teaches us to walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7).
It also teaches us to confess our faults to one another and pray for one another that we may be healed (James 5:16).
Those that do not admit their faults and confess their sins cannot have the kind of relationship with God that He intended for you to have,
Also,you cannot have a relationship with a mentor or a fellow Christian who want to help you with your personal growth.
It is important for any leader and any member to live a transparent life with integrity with one another
Those who want to progress in their spiritual formation have to learn to practice the spiritual discipline of confession of sin (Proverbs 28:13(LB) – A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.).
I do not believe there is anyone who willingly does not want to change and become better in their walk with God.
What did you hear now that needs to change in your life?
Lamentation 3:40 (Amp) – Let us test and examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord.
Galatians 6:4 (Amp) – But each one must carefully scrutinize his own work [examining his actions, attitudes and behavior], and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another.
