Embracing God's Presence: Overcoming Comparison and Serving Faithfully

"Friends this reminds me of a principle that I think we need to remember from time to time in the Christian World, especially in Christian service. It's the danger of comparison. You know sometimes we compare what we're doing with the Lord against what somebody else is doing with the Lord for the Lord I should say or compare what our church is doing compared to what somebody else's church is doing and I tell you there could be great danger in that." [00:13:52]

"Here's the danger, if by outward appearance I feel that I'm doing more for the Lord than you than what's a Temptation what do I get proud, my nose gets up in the air thank you Lord for using such an exalted servant you know on and on the whole just nonsense goes in your head that's dangerous isn't it but then there's also another danger the danger is I look and compare myself with somebody else's Ministry and in comparison with them it feels like I'm doing nothing with God." [00:14:21]

"Now listen there's a place for us to say Lord you do whatever you're going to do with my brothers and sisters over there I want to serve you the best I can and that was part of the Trap they were falling into in the days of haggai they looked at their work and it felt so inconsequential they felt like what's the point of trying at all this comparison was crippling them and so God needed to speak to them to carry on the work." [00:15:01]

"Do you see God's encouragement to these discouraged people right here in haggai's day the first thing he says and if you noticed he said it three times he said it is a rubber Bell he said it to Joshua and then he said it to the people be strong be strong be strong that was God's word to them be strong but that wasn't the only thing and then he says and work and then the finally thing he encouraged him with is at the end of verse 5 he says do not fear." [00:16:05]

"Listen that's a tremendous motto for each and every one of us in our walk with God be strong work and do not fear, be strong work and do not feel I don't know a single person who doesn't need to hear that kind of encouragement but this is what I want you to see there was a reason for the encouragement if you look at verse 4 and then he kind of repeats the idea in verse 5 God gives a reason here's a reason to be strong a reason to work a reason to not be fear." [00:16:45]

"When you understand that God is with you in the work then you can be strong you can get to work and you can put away fear I am with you it says and then at the end of verse 5 he says according to the word that I Covenant with you when you came out of Egypt it's in fulfillment of my word that I'll be with you, when we remember that God is with us in the work it makes all the difference." [00:17:32]

"Now look um it may not surprise you because I am a pastor I've been in Christian service for many years so it may not surprise you what I'm going to say but I believe it I believe that every follower of Jesus Christ every Christian should have a deliberate way that they serve God, but he should platform free believer should have some deliberate way to serve God now why do I say that I don't say that primarily because there's work that needs to be done." [00:18:10]

"Let me tell you what the real secret is the real secret of why we serve is relationship, we come to know God in ways through our service that we would not know him any other way, we know this especially as men now I'm not saying this has no application to the women but just in my observation it's especially true among men we as men we have a way that we get to know other men women they get to know each other by going out to coffee and talking for four or five hours." [00:19:27]

"Men probably the best way for us to get to know each other is to work together, we just find something we work together on it, and as you're working you're talking as you're working you're learning as you're working you're just getting to know the other man and there's a principle there that applies for our relationship with God there are Avenues of your relationship with God that you will never know in any kind of depth until you start serving him in some way and God will be with you in the work." [00:19:57]

"Jesus Christ is the desire of everyone in this world I'm telling you, that if the world could articulate it if the world could explain it they would say I want Jesus, now I know what I just told you with those words is counterintuitive, because we look at the world today and I'll be honest with you when I see the world today I see that most the world it would be impossible for them to care less about Jesus Christ and they already care." [00:26:12]

"Think of that person who is so troubled so messed up so reaching out so desperate for anything that they'll pump drugs into their body to the point that they're addicted, and they're just Bound in this what are they really looking for they're looking for the peace and security that somebody can find in Jesus Christ their desire is after Jesus they just don't know it looking for the person who when a new smartphone comes out man they gotta get it first." [00:28:14]

"Do you understand what he's saying there do you remember the two temples we're considering the Temple of haggai is right in front of us and we see it look it's nice but it's nothing spectacular it's just very simple very workmen-like but in our memory we see the temple of Solomon and it had gold and fantastic marble and it was ornate and it was beautiful and it was powerful it projected everything you wanted Solomon's Temple glorious haggai's Temple not so much and what does God say." [00:36:52]