Sermon Date: May 22, 2022
Title: Pulling Comps
Scripture: Haggai 2
Open with prayer
Big Idea
with the advent of the digital age and social media there is so much information about other people available for us to see that it’s easy to beginning comparing our lives with other people’s lives and what other people are doing and saying.
What we see then begins to affect our thinking and our feelings. Are we happy based off of what we see? Are we angered by what we see? Do we envy people? Do we judge people? Do we feel joyful or discouraged.
How do you find yourself feeling after engaging with social media or the news or reality tv?
in Andrew’s sermon he says that
“comparison is a thief of Joy”.
Comparison doesn’t just steal our joy, comparison replaces it with contempt.
-What was once lovely…is now not good enough.
-What was once just fine…is now not worth my consideration
There wasn’t any social media in Haggai’s day but still as people began to rebuild the Temple they couldn’t help but think about the previous temple and how beautiful it was and whether or not the new one could be as glorious. It seemed impossible to recreate. They wanted to stop building because they thought it could not be as good.
Read
(Ask someone to read and ask the questions)
Haggai 2:1-9
Be strong and work! God is with us and for us. Do not fear. All things are His. He will grant peace. Comparison either puts people down or puts ourselves down. Neither glorifies God. Comparison leads to devaluing people and Kingdom progress.
- Andrew uses the expression “comparison is the thief of joy.” do you agree?
- How do we keep from becoming too self-centered?
- How do we guard our own Joy?
- Do you have some projects or plans that you feel God wants you to do, but you’re having a hard time completing them? Does anyone want to share.
- how do we keep from judging others and comparing our life to theirs?
- How does Jesus’ command to love our neighbor help with the comparison?
Read
(Ask someone to read and ask questions)
Haggai 2:10-23
The law of transmission…When something unclean touches something clean, it makes the clean thing unclean. We are called to keep ourselves holy.
Questions
- What does the scripture about clean and unclean mean to you? Look at this question in two ways. 1. Can we, being cleaned by the Holy Spirit, make something clean? (Only Jesus redemptive death can do that) 2. Can “contact” with unclean or ungodly things make us unclean?
- Discuss suggestions regarding things making us unclean?
- What difference does it make when Haggai tells the high priest and King that God is with him. Has God told us that he is with us ( yes )
Closing Comments
Andrew listed some points to remember:
- Do I believe God is with me?
- Do I understand I have a purpose.
- It’s important to keep the right perspective; It’s God it’s not mine.
- Are we people of despair, where we believe that things are getting worse and there is no hope, OR are we people of hope where we are ready for something good. Let us be faithful Jesus.
Closing thought from Andrew
Comparison crushes our calling in life.
Our journey is ultimately not to build the best company or get the most amount of followers, or graduate top of our class, or own the biggest beach house. We are called to become better. We are all called to becoming more like Christ. We are called to shalom. We should be journeying to be more like Jesus. When we live and love and look more like Jesus in our words, thoughts, and actions, we are transformed and we transform those around us.
Let yourself be stirred by conviction and not plagued by comparison. Comparison will destroy you and crush your calling.
Stop clinging to what was and join in with what could be.
How would our world be different if we all focused on abandoning comparison and leaning in to the process?
Prayer Request and closing Prayer
__________________________________
Thoughts from others.
G.K. Chesterton wrote a great poem called comparison.
If I set the sun beside the moon,
And if I set the land beside the sea,
And if I set the town beside the country,
And if I set the man beside the woman,
I suppose some fool would talk about one being better.