When Death Visits the Church

As I prayed and wrestled with this week, I just could not get peace about preaching it yet. The hurricanes had my attention. The earthquake in Mexico had my attention. The flooding in India that Pastor Abraham shared in the latest newsletter caught me. And then, our good friend Paulanne goes home to be with the Lord. And I spent my day yesterday with church family and her family, near tears as the weight of all of these tragedies just seemed to be crushing down on my soul. And the only thing I could think about was how I needed to feel God’s comfort. And how my church family needed to feel God’s comfort. And I pray that the Holy Spirit of God has brought you here today because you need comfort. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 1.

2 Corinthians 1:3–7 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

and PRAY…

PRAY…

If I have been with you for a funeral of one of your loved ones, you have probably heard me quote this passage and Marci probably wrote it in the card we gave you. I just love the idea of God as a comforter.

On the heels of a day where I watched Immanuel Baptist Church gloriously minister to a hurting family even as we, ourselves, were hurting, I was struck by how we were living out this passage of Scripture. But I want you to know that God knows your hurts. God knows your pain. If you didn’t know Paulanne like many of us did, I still want you to know that God knows your hurts. God knows your pain. And whether you know or it or not, He is comforting you right now from whatever has broken your heart. And I know that because of 2 facts about being comforted that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write in the passage I read a moment ago.

The first fact of comfort is that it comes from God

2 Corinthians 1:3 ESV

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

2 cor 1:3

1. Comes from God.

1.2. Paul calls God blessed for his mercy and comfort. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also the Father of mercy. And you remember that mercy is not getting what we deserve. The very fact that we haven’t been instantly struck dead for our sin is an example of God’s mercy. But Paul has something else in mind here. The mercy Paul is talking about here has to do with suffering. It is the fact that the suffering is not as bad as it could be. And why?

1.3. Because God is also the God of all comfort. He comforts us in the midst of our suffering. And His comfort is a kind of mercy. His comfort makes it not quite so unbearable. His comfort allows us to continue on in the face of suffering.

1.4. He comforts us in all of our affliction. There is no thing that we suffer that God is not comforting us through, if we are truly His. You see, this comfort comes through God who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord means boss. So this comfort is clearly for those who are following Jesus.

1.5. And because God is all of these things, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort: He is indeed worthy of our praise. He is worthy to be called a blessed one! He is our God and there is no other. Let’s worship Him as part of our suffering. For He is worthy to be praised. Or as one of the most famous Psalms says: - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

2. The first fact is that comfort comes from God. The second is that comfort is to be shared.

2 Corinthians 1:4–7 ESV

who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

2 4 - 7

2. Is to be shared.

2.2. But God doesn’t just comfort us so we feel better. He comforts us so that we can be His heart and His hands and His voice to comfort others who are afflicted. So when we feel the comfort of God, we should look as to where God would have us share His comfort with someone else. Who do you know who is suffering some affliction right now? It could be anything. Cancer, or job-loss, or missing a loved-one who has passed (many of us are missing Paulanne today), or dealing with the devastating effects of a hurricane leveling a state or an island, or crying out from the horrendous deeds we read about almost every day in the newspaper. In many ways, we all need to be comforted, don’t we? But are there some areas where you already feel comforted? Then who can you comfort? You have experienced comfort in order to share comfort. Not to horde it. Not to enjoy your peace while others are in affliction. But to share. So, today, comfort someone with the comfort you have received from God.

2.3. If we are afflicted, it is so that we can comfort others and help save them from their affliction. If we are comforted, it is so others can experience comfort. And this comfort comes from patient endurance in the same kind of sufferings. If I can just tell you this as clear as I can. Whatever it is that is afflicting you is not for you to suffer alone. Whatever it is that is eating at you, has probably already been experienced by another believer near you. They went through it in order to bring you comfort. And when you get to the other side of this affliction, you will need to look for someone who is suffering so that you can just put your arm around their shoulders and say, “I’ve been there.”

2.4. Have you ever considered that your suffering was simply a way to equip you to help others when they are suffering? Stick it out, whatever it is. Persevere. Hang in there. On the other side, someone will need you. And if I can tell you from my own experience, I didn’t think I was done with my particular affliction when it was very clear to me that I had to minister to others. I was just a little ahead of them on a very similar path.

2.5. And Paul wraps up this comforting text there in verse 7 saying that he has unshakable hope that the Corinthian church will bear up. That they will endure whatever affliction they are currently under. That they will suffer as Paul is suffering, but they will also comfort one another as Paul is comforting them.

2.6. If you hear nothing else from me today, hear this. Whatever your affliction, God has put someone close to you to comfort you. AND. Whatever your affliction, God has put someone close to you for you to comfort. They go hand and hand. So many times when are dealing with bad stuff, we get into a “woe is me” kind of attitude. Paul calls us to a “who can I help” kind of attitude. So, let’s be on the lookout for someone who is hurting. And, to be brutally honest, we are all hurting in one way or another, aren’t we? Would you reach out to someone who needs the comfort that God has given you?

2.7. Sometimes comfort is speaking words of Scripture. Sometimes comfort is speaking words of sorrow. Sometimes comfort is not speaking at all. How were you most comforted? Do you see how God did that? Listen to His call to go and do likewise.

Comfort One Another

I am going to wrap up this sermon. I don’t want to live in a comfortless world. God has comforted you in some way today. I know He has. My hope for you is unshaken, for I know that as you have shared in my sufferings, you will also share in my comfort.

In very practical terms, this is how I want us to apply this comfort today. First, if you are not one of His. If you have not given Him your full faith and allegiance. If you have not committed your life completely to Jesus, then listen to these words from Romans.

- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Do you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead? Would you confess Him as your Lord right now?

Christian, I believe God has laid someone on your heart today who just needs your comfort. I am going to ask you to do something that may make you uncomfortable. If God has put someone on your heart and mind, I want you to go to them. Don’t wait. Don’t worry about what others are thinking. Just go. Don’t delay! God has called you to be His hands and heart to comfort the afflicted. Go! Right now.

We are going to sing all 3 verses of the Invitation Hymn (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus) this morning to make sure you have time to answer God’s call. If no one moves, we’ll close the service after the 3rd verse. I hope the song itself will bring you a small measure of comfort.

Let’s pray….

As we sing, once again, go to that person. Put your arm around their shoulders. Let’s comfort one another with the comfort that can only come from the God of all comfort, the Father of mercies, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of comfort. Let’s stand and go to that person as we sing.