Comfort in Trouble

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

2 Corinthians 1:8–11 CSB

8 We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

Introduction

It is my pleasure to be with you again today as we wrap up our January sermon series called “God at Work.”

Through the month we’ve taken a look at how God:

Protects and sustains us in the work of sanctification.

Philippians 1:6 CSB

6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Provides us with a way of escape in times of trial and temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 CSB

13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.

Comforts us with true comfort by coming alongside to help us during the difficult experiences of life.

2 Corinthians 1:4 CSB

4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

And as we learned last week, the comfort we receive is not an end to itself, it is given to us so that we in turn might share it with others.

There is, as I said last time, there is a certain partnership in suffering…

When one suffers… we all suffer.

When one rejoices… we all rejoice.

We are inseparably connected with each other.

So today we come back to the text we considered last week and look at the section of scripture we didn’t have time to address.

2 Corinthians is Paul’s defense of his apostleship.

It appears that one of the assaults on his virtue was that he was suffering all the time because of sin.

Remember, he was in and out of prison.

Beat by the authorities.

Some were saying that God was chastening him.

And so what we have in this text is Paul’s answer to that assertion.

God is coming to Him, but not to chasten or punish, but to comfort.

God is the one who comes alongside to help because he is suffering for righteousness.

We have already discussed

The promise and purpose comfort.

We’ve looked at the partnership of comfort.

And today, we’ll talk about the power of comfort.

To do this, Paul speaks very personally of something he faced that brought him to the brink of death.

How did he get through?

The Power of Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:8 (CSB)

8 We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself.

Now, we’re not sure what event this was.

The assumption is that the Corinthians were familiar with what happened since no details are provided.

What they didn’t understand is the extent of the suffering Paul endured.

And what they needed to know was what God was doing in it.

This probably happened sometime after he wrote 1 Corinthians.

He tells us it took place in Asia Minor.

He says it was completely overwhelming and beyond our strength.

He felt that whatever his body could survive, this was past that.

On top of that:

His spirit was crushed … we even despaired of life itself…

The will to live was gone.

There was no way out.

Mentally done in; physically overwhelmed, no hope for life at all. This was it.

2 Corinthians 1:9 (CSB)

9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

He really believed that it was over.

And then, as he looks back, he says it was all for a purpose:

so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

Listen, he had been brought to a place where he had no more human resources to cope intellectually, physically, or emotionally.

And in those very painful moments, Paul is learning that God will sometimes allow us to go to the limit to where we understand we’re powerless to fix it.

Where we can’t do anything but trust … in Him.…

And this is where God’s power intervenes.

And that is exactly what God did

2 Corinthians 1:10 (CSB)

10 He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again

God came and rescued him.

God displayed his power.

God is right there - he’s got us all the time.

We are truly leaning on the everlasting arms.

The Continuance of Comfort

Note v. 10 again.

2 Corinthians 1:10 CSB

10 He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again

God delivered Paul in the past…

But what about the present? What about the future?

He is there for you in the present. He’ll be there in the future.

God is always faithful.

Look at what he says in 2 Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:16–18 (CSB)

16 At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.

17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

Peter says the same thing:

2 Peter 2:9 (CSB)

9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

God says, “I’ll be there. I’ll be there to bring comfort, to strengthen you.”

The Participation of Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:11 (CSB)

11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.

There were many who knew about Paul’s situation, but didn’t know the details.

But they had constantly uplifted him in prayer.

He wants them to know the Lord answered that prayer.

God acted in concert with the prayers offered by the saints.

This reminds us of our need to be praying for each other.

James 5:16 CSB

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

God moves through the prayers of his people.

You see it is in prayer that our powerlessness casts itself at the feet of the all powerful God.

This brings everyone together in unity.

And it brings us together in thankfulness.

We need to be praying for each other faithfully.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

We definitely know this happens.

The answer really comes down to something very basic.

We live in a sinful world and we are sinful creatures.

But we also know there is more. Why do these things happen, and why does God allow it to happen to His people?

Many are sitting right here right now who have experienced devastating things.

To Test the Validity of Our Faith

There are all sorts of examples in Scripture that demonstrate this.

Of Hezekiah it is said, “God left him to test him and discover what was in his heart,” 2 Chronicles 32.31.

It wasn’t that God didn’t know who Hezekiah was or what he was like.

Rather God allowed things to happen so Hezekiah could see what he was really like when left to himself.

Job was tested beyond imagination.

He lost his children, everything he owned, his finances, even his health.

His wife tried to get him to curse God.

Job never gave up on God and at the end of it all comes to say,

Job 42:5 (CSB)

5 I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you.

We could speak of Habakkuk, Paul, and others, but time won’t allow.

Why does God do this?

I believe it is for our sake.

Through the trial we grow in confidence. We solidify our hope.

And when we pass the test, we have an objective affirmation of God’s promises are true and I am saved.

To Wean Us from the World

God uses the bad things that happen to us to break off our attachments to the world — because it is in our nature to trust worldly things — worldly resources, our own reason, and whatever else.

You know in Acts 20, Paul was warned about being imprisoned when he got to Jerusalem.

It appeared that he would be put in chains and maybe even lose his life.

Look at this verse:

Acts 20:24 CSB

24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.

You can only answer that way when you are not attached to this world. Trials are designed to help us leave our worldly attachments and perspectives behind.

To Heighten our Heavenly Hope

God wants you to be filled with anticipation of the reward.

Romans 5:3–4 (CSB)

3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance,

4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.

You can learn to live in such a way that whatever happens here doesn’t matter.

Paul is saying here

Trials produce endurance.

Endurance accumulates and your character grows.

Proven character lives in hope.

Listen to Paul:

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 CSB

16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

To Reveal God’s Compassion in our Misery

God wants us to understand who he is. Remember 1.3:

2 Corinthians 1:3 CSB

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

He wants us know his nature and see it displayed to us.

God uses the trials and tribulations we experience to demonstrate his mercy and comfort.

No calamity, no comfort. No loss, no need for loving kindness. No pain, no need for pity.

Psalm 63:3 CSB

3 My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life.

God’s tender mercy is better than anything this life can give.

Compassion on people who suffer, who are in pain, who are in trouble.

God is never more intimately known to us than when he comes in the midst of our pain.

I don’t know about you but the most difficult times of my life have been the times of the deepest closeness with God.

These are the moments when we see His compassion, mercy, pity, and loving kindness in action.

To Develop Their Spiritual Strength for Greater Spiritual Usefulness.

The more a person is tested and refined by trials and trouble, the more useful he becoms.

James 1:2 CSB

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,

Why joy?

Tests increase faith and endurance which leads to maturity.

So, God will use your trials to make you perfect, mature, complete, lacking in nothing so you can be the strongest and most enduring Christian.

Greater usefulness comes through the path of suffering.

As We Close…

Can anything be more wonderful than to realize that God is a tender God of mercy and a God of comfort who is there with us through all afflictions?

God will comfort us to the extremity, whatever it may be.

He will bring alongside us mutual sufferers who can share the same comfort and the same strength no matter how severe the trial might be, even if we despair of life — the God who raises the dead can step in — and he will until he brings us into glory.

And finally, don’t forget he does much of this through the prayers of his people - and when you pray you get involved in the thanks.

Do you trust God?