Two Kinds of People

You know, there are two kinds of people…
Those who think they can, and those who think they can’t, and they’re both right. (Henry Ford)
Those that listen and those that wait to talk.
Those who come into a room and say, “Well, here I am!” and those who come in and say, “Ah, there you are.”
Those who leave a mark, and those who just leave a stain.
Those who give us pleasure when they arrive, and those who give us pleasure when they leave.
Those who finish sentences and those who…
Those who ask for directions and men.
Those who believe there are two kinds of people in the world and those who don’t. 🙂

A song our choir has sung includes these words: “there are two kinds of folks, takers and givers. There’s gripers and complainers, and big-hearted livers.” Haven’t you seen that in your experience?

A nationally prominent preacher tweeted the question “what do you expect from your church?” He received hundreds of responses. Later he tweeted “what can your church expect from you?” He said he received 10 responses. Maybe there are two kinds of people, those who take from their church and those who offer something.

When it comes to worship, we can think of many things we expect from God. But what can God expect from us? In his book A Lifestyle of Worship , Worship Pastor David Morris said “I’m intrigued by the ambivalent attitudes of believers who consider the praise and worship of God to be as discretionary as other activities in life.” He went on to say “Most Christians enter a worship gathering with an attitude of getting rather than contributing to the service.” We all know that life has its ups and downs; the tide comes in and out. But are we not called to worship God in the good times…and the bad? Job said “Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him.” (Job 13:15) The Psalmist was evidently having a really bad day in Psalm 43. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? But even that didn’t keep him from worshiping God. …I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

If worshiping God were always easy, it wouldn’t be called a “sacrifice of praise.” (Hebrews 13:15) We need to have the same attitude that David had when he said I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God offerings that cost me nothing. (2 Samuel 24:24) Each time we come to worship…on Sunday morning or any time…we should come expecting, even desiring, it to cost us….in energy, thought, passion, and determination. Then, it will be a true sacrifice of praise.

Have you ever arrived somewhere in your car but had little memory of the trip? Your mind is on 100 different things and the “auto pilot” in your mind took over. We need to be sure that doesn’t happen in our worship…where we show up…with our minds on 100 things and we go through the motions because we’ve done it all before.

If there are two kinds of people, those who worship God and those who don’t, let us be counted…intentionally…in the first group.

Glenn Crosthwait
Worship Pastor
Johns Creek Baptist Church