The God of All Comfort — 2 Corinthians 1

0:00 We're going to continue this morning our study in second Corinthians. We're going to have a word of prayer and then we're going launch right into it. Father, we do thank you for this time to be together. Thank you for the gift of your word As we're we're reminded and challenged in our song service, we we belong to you. We have a great privilege to honor you.

0:23 Help us to want to do that. We pray father that during these few minutes of of being in your word that you'll help us to to receive it, to understand it, to to apply it to our lives. Father, we want to pray too for Andrew Brunson, for his family, particularly for him as he's been held captive in a Turkish prison. We pray that you'll just encourage him in his soul today. We pray too if it be your will that he would be released soon.

0:53 Be restored to his family. And we ask these things in our Lord Jesus name. Amen. First of all, I want to do a review of last week to help set the table because perspective is very important. And Bruce Henning introduced the book of second Corinthians last week, and he started out by talking a little bit about Paul.

1:17 Paul the apostle was first mentioned in the book of Acts chapter seven as being involved at the martyrdom of Stephen as being in support of it. Paul was his birth name was Saul and he was studying to be a Pharisee. In fact, he achieved that goal which is no small task and Bruce made the point that Paul, who formerly was Saul, was a very diligent and knowledgeable student of the Scriptures. He knew about God, but he didn't know God. And then he had that amazing conversion experience on the road to Damascus.

1:59 And it was a conversion not from Judaism to Christianity. He didn't stop being a Jew but it was a conversion to a saving relationship with the lord Jesus. I want to read a couple verses in Galatians chapter chapter one, Paul's own testimony that that developed that thought and make it so clear. I always dislike putting words in people's mouth. I just rather read what they said.

2:30 Galatians chapter one thirteen to seven. For you heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of god beyond measure and tried to destroy it and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries and my own nation being more exceedingly zealous for the tradition of my fathers. But it but when it pleased god who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through his grace to reveal his son in me That I might preach him among the Gentiles. And one that happened, he did not immediately confer with flesh and blood. And it goes on from there.

3:05 So he was was a lead leading the charge so to speak in the pursuit of Judaism but he came to realize he needed Christ. It's not religion that saves, it's Christ. And then, as far as his relationship with the Corinthian church, we read about that in Acts chapter 18 and Paul as was his practice being being an expert really in the in the law would go into the synagogues in a given town and reason with them to try to explain to them that Christ was the Messiah. So, did that in Corinth and they basically threw him out but right next door was a believer and so, it was through that fellow, I believe his name was Justice, that the church had its infancy there in the city of Corinth and others were added other workers came with him and and souls were saved. But like the world today, Corinth was a very challenging place to live out your faith in the in the Corinthian Christians were baby Christians and babies start out very dependent just as they do in biological life and so, they needed a lot of instruction.

4:24 Paul stayed there for a year and a half and then he had to go and then the church struggled a bit and and Bruce outlined as best he could because none of us really know just how many letters Paul wrote to the Corinthian church but but there was some tension there and some struggle and and it's a lot of stress and anxiety that Paul was feeling for the Christians there and that's what second Corinthians is about. This according to Bruce and I tend to agree with him was actually the fourth letter perhaps that Paul had written to the church there in Corinth and somewhat to Paul's relief, they received it relatively well. There was still work to be done. There's always more work to be done but he was grateful for that and in these verses that we consider this morning, we'll just be looking at verses three through 11. It's...

5:26 The more I pondered this and looked at it, it it strikes me as as given a little bit of a background. Paul was so grateful that he had gotten this far with the Corinthian church. He had not just gotten out of control so to speak. And that was one of the he had stuck with them and that's what Bruce challenged us last week to never give up. To to don't write people off because they're difficult, but to stay with them.

5:53 He stayed with them. That, I think, is the basis for Paul's Thanksgiving. He actually works into this introduction here to the book a way to complement the Corinthian church to build them up, to maybe give them more benefit than they than they, in fact, merited but to but to draw them in and build a relationship with them where they were. So, with that general introduction, let's get into into the passage for today and I'll read it through just so you know have it for yourself. Second Corinthians one verses three to 11.

7:19 Verse eight, for we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burned beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sense of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, who has delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us, and whom we will trust that he will still deliver us. You also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf, for the gift granted to us through many. So, as I consider this portion, it somewhat fell into three sections for me. The first section was the of comfort, the basis for comfort, the help, the grace that god gives us when we need it.

8:18 Yeah, I came upon a quote in the Bible knowledge commentary and it's it's it's good. I'll just read it. One of the many paradoxes of the Christian life is that the grace of God is most keenly experienced, not in the best, but in what seems to be the worst of times. Let me read that again. One of the many paradoxes of the Christian life is that the grace of god is most keenly experienced not in the best but in what seems but in what seemed to be the worst of times.

8:49 We're going to talk about the basis for that and how it all works out because Paul went through some really tough times in nurturing the Corinthian church. And then secondly, in addition to the comfort that we have and need, is the reality of life. Life can be very messy. Paul went through so much. We could look at his list in chapter 11 of second Corinthians, just all the things he faced being shipwrecked, spending a night in the deep.

9:21 I take that as he was clinging to a piece of of wood to keep him afloat in the sea. So the human experience that we all need help with, and that as we go through them and learn from them, we can share that with others and help them in their walk as well and then, lastly, it's in the last verse, the the role of prayer. How we can share our burdens and and cast them upon the lord and and minister to each other in prayer. Now, three points are not going to be split up equally because I'll probably be spending most of the time on point number one. So, don't worry.

10:00 We'll still be done by twelve because if it's 11:15, I'm just finishing up point one. It's not like I have fifteen minutes per point. So, that's what I'm going to develop most. The the basis for divine comfort which Drew was sort of setting the foundation for me. So, thank you.

10:16 I always appreciate how the spirit works in the song service to provide a platform for the message without speaking to the song leader who I didn't even know who is leading today. But there's a lot of meat behind the reality of divine comfort. It doesn't just happen and it's not just imaginary. It's not something that we make up in our mind and and then tell ourselves is going to carry us through the tough times. But I want to start by looking at that phrase blessed be.

11:25 We're going to explore those titles a little bit as we look at some parallel passages. I love, there's three that stick out in my mind primarily in the New Testament when we think of blessed be the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ. It's there's one here and the next one we're going to look at is in first Peter one. First Peter one, you might want to turn there. We'll be we'll be parked there for a couple of minutes.

11:50 In first Peter one and I'll give a little personal testimony during a difficult time of my life in the past, not in the present, but I still enjoy it in the present too. These were verses that were a great source of comfort for me. First Peter one verse three, blessed be the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ. Where did we hear that before? Yes.

12:17 Second Corinthians. Blessed be the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ. Who according to his abundant mercy, that we saw that also in Corinthians, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Now the abundant mercy here is is... And this I got from Kenneth Weiss in his New Testament studies, is not according to the measure of his abundant mercy, but impelled by his abundant mercy.

12:51 And I think the next sentence helps explain that. It was the compelling constraint in the merciful heart of God that made inevitable the atonement for sinners. So what he's trying to say is it's not just the fact that there's an abundance of mercy with God, but it's the heart behind it. It's God's heart that creates that sea of mercy that is there for us. It's him who gives it.

13:15 So, it was Peter is is giving praise to to god. Blessed be the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ. According to his abundant mercy, has begun us again to a living hope. It's literally a new life. It's it's a living hope.

13:34 The it's not a very encouraging thought but we've been begotten again to living hope. We were begotten the first time physically, that's a gift too in a sense. But that first, the physical life that we have when we're born in this world, it's a little bit deceptive because actually we're born dead. We're we're alive physically, but we're dead spiritually. And the begotten again to a new life is the spiritual life that that we have through the work of Christ.

14:12 Through Adam we're like I said, we're alive physically but we're dead we're alive physically but but we're dead spiritually. We consider those verses in Ephesians two this morning, earlier and physical death proves it. That we're dead spiritually because when sin entered the world, death entered the world as well. God, god did not create physical death. That was the result of sin.

14:43 But god does eradicate physical death and the consequences of of it well and and spiritual death. If you place your faith in the lord Jesus. I'm going read a couple of verses. Maybe I'll regret taking the time later but in second Timothy chapter one, I love the graphic description that Paul uses in this in this text. Second Timothy one eight through 12.

16:13 I'm here, I can't resist highlighting some of these other things to an inheritance incorruptible. This is what you get as part of your living living hope package. You get an inheritance. You get a reservation in heaven, you get a guarantee until you get there, you get it, you're protected, who are protected by the power of God, that word there for protection is guard, literal guard, Guarded, it's it's it's totally safe and the final result, you have a final result or destiny. You'll be with the lord in heaven.

16:53 Now, while these things are not obvious to the physical observation of somebody and if, you know, if if you would go, if we'd all go down to Mitch's ice cream, we might all be happy. But you couldn't look at the consumers there and depict out, okay, that's a Christian and she's a Christian. No, you couldn't. These are all spiritual truths that are are in internal that, of course, should work themselves out. But this living hope is only from the lord.

17:29 It's appointed on demand once to die and after that the judgment. If you don't have the living hope before you die, you are in trouble to say the least. Okay. We need to move over to Ephesians chapter one. Maybe some of you have already there.

17:44 This is another passage that uses a phrase, blessed be the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Now, these spiritual blessings or the spirit, the word spiritual here in regard to the blessings does not refer to immaterial blessings as opposed to material ones but rather to the work of god who is the divine and spiritual source of all blessings. So, they're spiritual because they come from god And they are immaterial in a sense, but that's not the point being made here. So look at some of these spiritual blessings. When we were dead in our sins, God chose us to have a relationship with him and that's where Adam and Eve started out in the garden.

18:37 They had a relationship with with god but they made a bad choice. They chose to to sin. But this is a magnificence of god's mercy for us. He established a plan where we could be adopted back into his family and it uses that word here in Ephesians chapter one. Having been predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ.

19:06 Again, Jesus Christ is the mechanism. He's the person by which we are restored to, restored to god. Also, besides adoption is is forgiveness. The forgiveness of sins. How many of you appreciate forgiveness of sins?

19:23 We all hopefully appreciate the forgiveness of sins. The guilt is gone. But notice the price of that forgiveness. The blood of Christ. In him, we have redemption through his blood which results in our sins being forgiven.

20:09 There's no one else who has that credential or provision. And the God of all comfort. It's the... As we've considered these verses, we realize it's the best basis for having comfort. And the benefit packages is second to none.

20:31 So, that's the foundation we need. That's the foundation for the comfort that we can have. Now, for the Corinthian church, the context of this of these words is that he was trying to I think I think not beat them up too bad verbally. He was trying to encourage them by by bringing them into a relationship that they probably didn't deserve to be in because of their own doing but as as people who are as Christians, they deserve the grace that he could share with them. Okay, moving on to verse four, talking about comfort more specifically, and this is also very interesting.

21:16 The word behind the word comfort here is paraclete, and some of you will recognize that word as a title for the Holy Spirit, John chapter 14 and it means one who comes alongside to help. And of course, that is who god is. Now, comfort here, when we think of comfort, we might think of softness and ease but that's not but that's not the point that's being made here but rather the the strength and the courage that god gives when facing difficulty. It's not that our life will be easy and soft but that the comfort that god gives us will enable us to keep going forward when things get tough. Tribulation.

22:05 The word tribulation has to do with pressure or anguish or trouble both from circumstances or from people. Sometimes, difficulties of life are very challenging and sometimes the people we go through life with or we meet in our jobs or wherever are very challenging. In in Paul's situation, it was the Corinthian Christians that were making life difficult for him. They were bringing him much stress and and trouble. But notice some of these little words, the big words are important in scripture but also the little words, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, all in any.

22:57 The comfort of God is sufficient for whatever we're going to encounter, and I have to remember that. When I was helping the Morris's with the sale of their house here, I would remind them often, It's all going to be okay. It's all going to work out. I've started to recite those words to myself recently as I've been inundated with with my own stupidity and work demands and everything else in life. It's all gonna be alright.

23:25 There's never been a point in my life where it hasn't worked out and been alright. So, I'm starting to preach to myself. It's all going to be alright. All no matter what we find ourselves in. There's a purpose here too though.

23:42 That we can share with others what we learn. That we may be able to comfort those others who are going through the troubles of their own. With the comfort that with that came from God. So the things that we experience and survive, we can share with others. We can help them when they're when they're struggling with with doubt and uncertainty or just facing things in life for the first time that we have been through.

24:11 So, whatever lessons we learn in the school of hard knocks can be shared with others for their benefit. Or in Paul's case, what he experienced in dealing with the Corinthian Christians was worth it and he praises god for it. He's praises god for it. He says, blessed be the god and father of the lord Jesus Christ. He would do it again.

25:22 Information that is given. I had never known that he had been born in Loudonville, Ohio, a local a local boy, and that he was in college and he got drafted into the army. To go to Korea and he went to Korea. Served his time well. He was a Christian.

25:42 He actively shared his faith. And he fulfilled his duty and he said, okay, mister Roller, private Roller, you can go home. He says, I don't want to go home. I want to stay and tell the people and keep my Bible studies going, keep witnessing to the fellow soldiers and so they let him stay for another tour. And during that tour, he got wounded and he recovered from his injuries and they sent him home.

26:11 They wouldn't wouldn't let him stay after that. However, Bill, and I didn't get the full story, went back to Korea. I'm not sure initially how or why, but I think he spent ten years there after the war, then he married Doreen, and I think they spent ten more years there together. It literally changed his life. I don't think he considered getting drafted out of college as a good thing at the time but that changed his life, redirected his whole life, and I'm sure he is has no regrets.

26:45 So, the reward had he rewards he got from that were appropriate, I think, to the to the service. By the way, this has nothing to do with my message but he also received a Purple Heart. I guess I I'd never seen a purple heart and it was there on display and I was able to just hold it in my hand and admire it and think of the ramifications of that for for Bill. Phil, we didn't know that. I didn't know that about Bill.

27:12 But service for Christ will never go uncompensated. Maybe you have to wait till the next life but not. It'll not go on unrewarded. Verse six, So there's a mutual benefit. Paul is talking a little dialogue here with Corinthians.

27:35 Now, if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. So the experiences that Paul went through are perhaps unique to him, but in a general sense, there's going to be things that the rest of us go through that are unique to ourselves, but they still have the same benefit of being receiving the comfort of god. So, when we go through a tough time, even though someone else going through a tough time that's different, we can still encourage them in their situation. So the mutual benefit of the body of Christ, both in trials and in triumph. We can celebrate together, we cry together.

28:22 I think most of you know about my brother-in-law, Bob. In October 2015, was diagnosed with leukemia, which is essentially a death sentence for his variety, but amazingly enough, he had a stem cell transplant and was doing exceedingly well. It was something extremely difficult, though. However, what struck me was my sister and he said that that year of battling cancer was the best year of their life, the best year of their married life, the best year of their spiritual walk, and it's because of the comfort of god to them. Now, unfortunately, after a year, the cancer came back and and the doctor said, well, you need to go through all this again and they said, no, thanks.

29:09 And Bob is now with the lord but and I and my sister is still being ministered to by the lord and by by the body of Christ to give her the comfort that she needs and she is giving a lot of comfort to others too from her experience. So, the things we go through, we can share with others and Paul is graciously sharing this story, I think, with the Corinthians church. They were still young in the faith. I'm sure as the decades went by, a lot of this made more sense to them as they faced their own struggles, but he is just being charitable to them at this time. Verse seven is also a tremendous verse and I labeled it a prediction or a promise.

29:55 And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you are partakers of the suffering, so also you will partake of the consolation. So, The tough times that we face are going to make us as we face them with the lord's help are going to make us stronger Christians are going to deepen our faith and bear fruit. So, whatever the hardship or cause we have in the name of Christ will always yield fruit for him if we have the right right attitude. Now, verses eight to eight to 10, Paul is just wants them to know just how great a struggle he was went through. Let me read them.

31:17 They, Paul was a burden beyond measure, above strength. He doubted physical survival and the the language here means he considered himself as good as dead. He did not see any way out that he was going to survive. And what exactly this was, we're not sure whether it was the the riot in Ephesus where Paul and some of his coworkers were in trouble with the religious people before telling them that you had to believe in the lord Jesus Christ and and a mob was started and they were brought before the there was apparently in that day, there was a a a judgment seat in the public square where you could bring bring bring your case and the pro council there said, hey, this is not a matter of legal this is not a legal matter. It's a it's a matter for you guys to settle and he said, break it up basically and it broke up but was was it that or was it an ex something else that Paul was struggling with, an illness?

32:28 Or something else? We're not sure but he considered himself as good as dead. But he had I'm not sure how long Paul was a believer at this point, but I'm I'm thinking thinking it was fifteen plus years. So, we had a number of data points. A walk with the lord up to this point where even though he thought he was gonna perish physically that he was gonna die, he knew his faith in God was still still intact because he knew he could even raise him from the dead if he needed to.

33:08 But in the last three minutes, I wanna spend them on verse 11. And it's the the thought of prayer Paul is giving them credit for having prayed for him and I'm sure there were some Christians there in Corinth that were praying for him, but with all the struggles that he was going through with them, I'm sure many of them are not praying for him. And while Paul's statement might have been somewhat presumptive, giving them the benefit of doubt, let's not miss the benefit of praying for one another. And the Lord brought to mind that verse in Romans 12 about being devoted to one another in prayer. And I just had to chuckle when I saw the other two phrases to that verse, Romans twelve twelve.

34:07 And we we we we know or we believe that Paul wrote Romans from Corinth, but let me read to you Romans twelve twelve. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. So, Paul was indeed a person who believed in prayer. And the combination there in that verse is just interesting. Never giving up hope, patient in tribulation.

34:42 Their troubles are going to come. We're going to have to face them and the more we face them head on, probably the better. And then praying through them. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. So, as Bruce encouraged us last week to never give up on somebody I would like to remind you to do the same.

35:07 Never give up but also to to keep praying. To keep praying. I know unfortunately that this prayer meeting is somewhat of a sticky issue here but I'd like to encourage you, you all. I know many of you do come out. You don't have to come out every week.

35:28 I know that's not always possible but when you get a chance, if you find yourself available on a Wednesday evening, stop by. We have, excuse me, kind of freshened it up a bit, I think and I think you might be might find it really helpful. I know it's one of the times of the week that really ministered to me and is important to me. So, let us let's pray. Father, we are thankful for your word.

37:00 Help us to be praying Christians for for each other as we as we go through life, our own lives. That we each have to live but may we share each other's burdens through prayer. Father, we pray again for his brother in Turkey, Andrew, that you would just minister to him, that if it be your will, that you'd be released him soon. And father, we do thank you for this day, a day we call Mother's Day that we can honor and cherish our moms. We pray that they will do so and that they will be encouraged and built up.

37:36 We are so grateful for them and we pray these things now in our lord Jesus name. Amen.