2 Corinthians 1:3-11 When you ask why? Finding help and purpose in the midst of life’s problemsIllustration:

Illustration:

When God called Glen Chambers to the mission field with HCJB World Radio, he didn't hesitate! Spanish Bible in hand, he set out on his flight to Quito, Ecuador.

On February 15, 1947 Glenn Chambers boarded a plane bound for Quito, Ecuador to begin his ministry in missionary broadcasting. But he never arrived. In a horrible moment, the plane carrying Chambers spiraled downward and crashed into a mountain peak.

Later it was learned that before leaving the Miami airport, Chambers wanted to write his mother a letter. All he could find for stationery was a page of advertising on which was written the single word “WHY?” Around that word he hastily scribbled a final note.

Several days after Chambers’ mother learned of her son’s death, his letter arrived. She opened the envelope, took out the paper, and unfolded it. Staring her in the face was the questions “WHY?”

A mother grieved. And a haunting thought likely arose. A life given to God – Why was it wasted in early death?

A least some of the answer comes to light in this story that arose years later.

Skip forward years later, a missionary named Ruth was in a remote area of the Colombian Andes where missionaries had never been. As she shared the gospel with a family, the father interrupted. He said, "We know about Jesus!" Shocked, Ruth stammered, "How do you know about Jesus?" Grinning, he said, "We're all believers!" But how? Years before a man of the village had come across a charred suitcase containing a Spanish Bible. From this Bible they read about the gospel and were saved. They showed it to Ruth. In the flyleaf was a name--Glen Chambers. Trouble and suffering is common. Often we look around and ask the question, “Why?” Sometimes we find a clear answer. Often we may not.

Let’s explore that topic this morning from the teachings of Paul. Paul was not immune to struggles. He gives us an honest assessment of his own struggles.

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 1 8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the afflictionwe experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.

How did he answer the question why? Let’s find help and purpose in the midst of our life’s problems.

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2 Corinthians 1:3-11 When you ask why?

Finding help and purpose in the midst of life’s problems

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I. When you ask, “Why”? Reality is Christians face real problems

A. Don’t be taken by surprise 2 Cor 1:8a

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 1 8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the afflictionwe experienced in Asia. …

1. Don’t be ignorant or unaware – problems come

2. All life has problems – Christians not immune

3. Not necessarily a sign of God’s disapproval

a) Appropriate to assess one’s life and walk with God

b) But it is also true that problems have much deeper purposes as well

B. May face even the most difficult situations 2 Cor 1:8b-9

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 1 8 ,,, the affliction we experiencedin Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.

1. Severe situations - Affliction

a) Hardship / Persecution / Direct suffering

2. Under great pressure - burdened

a) Gk. Throw beyond – excessive – beyond limits / hyperbole (except it wasn’t)

3. Beyond ones strength (ability to endure)

a) Gk. Heavy - Weigh down – like ballast in a ship

b) Far beyond our ability to stand up under the weight

c) Other translations

(1) Pressed out of measure (KJV)

(2) Utterly weighted down (NAB)

(3) Utterly unbearably crushed (NRSV)

4. Despaired even of life

a) gk. Had no way out

b) Despair – give up – to be utterly at a loss

5. Felt the sentence of death

a) Official pronouncement

b) In our hearts – deep felt emotion – no hope

C. Encounter every type of issue 2 Cor 4:8-9; 7:5

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 4:8 We are afflicted in every way, … perplexed, 9 persecuted, … struck down, … 7:5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within.

II. Why? God is the God of comfort

A. His fatherly compassion 2 Cor 1:3

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 1 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies (compassions) and God of all comfort,

1. Compassionate father –

a) Emotional sense of pity resulting from the misfortunate state of the object

b) Implies understanding – can feel the impact the problem

c) pl. to show the varied forms comfort takes

2. Father of Jesus Christ – demonstrate this compassion with action

a) Not an accident to use these words

B. His nature as a comforter 2 Cor 1:3

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 1 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies (compassions) and God of all comfort,

1. Comfort appears 10 times 3-7

2. gk. Parakaleo – come alongside – personal involvement

a) Legal advocate

b) Counselor

c) Helper

d) Standing alongside helping with the load

e) Two horses – one untrained pulling together

3. Nature is compassion / care / help / encourager

C. His activity in our lives 2 Cor 1:4

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 1 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, …

a) Concrete actions (from above) from His sense of pity

b) Active – He Comforts

c) All - all types of problems / afflictions

2. Gave His Son for our troubles

(ESV) Romans 5 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(ESV) Romans 8 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

III. Why? Our Problems Have Purpose

Sometimes we don’t understand all of God’s purposes, but some of them are listed here (NOTE: Reordered the outline into verse order)

A. Purpose: to enable us to comfort others * 2 Cor 1:4-7

1. Give the comfort that God gives us to others / act on behalf of God

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 1 4 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.

2. Comforted in all trouble so help someone with any kind of trouble

a) Pl. vs. sing.

b) His help in the various things that occur enable us to identify and help someone regardless of their struggles – crushed and understand

c) Pass it on not just retain it

3. Reflect what we have experienced

a) gk. Parakaleo – come alongside – our personal involvement

b) present – iterative / continuous – every time

4. An overflow of difficulty produces an overflow of comfort

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 1 5 For as we share abundantlyin Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 1 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

a) Multiplied trouble means multiplied comfort

(1) Abound

(2) Greater ability to understand and share and feel with

5. Purpose for others

(ESV 2 Cor 1:6 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. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort

a) Others will also suffer – our sufferings for their sake

B. Purpose: Produces confident stability 2 Cor 1:6

6… which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

a) Gk – remain under – a plant surviving in the toughest of circumstances

b) Endurance - “expectant waiting, intense desire, hope, expectation

c) Share – here koinonia / fellowship of suffering / in it together

C. Purpose: to cause us to depend on Him 2 Cor 1:9

2 Cor 1:9 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

1. Strong contrast – emphasizing purpose

2. Not put confidence in ourselves – in ourselves we felt hopeless

(NIV) 2 Corinthians 12 7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

3. Sentenced to death – but God raises the dead (present attribute)

a) Comfort from the same power that raises the dead

4. Learning anew to rely on our God

a) Have confidence not in ourselves but in God

5. Let Him show Himself to be the God of all comfort

D. Purpose: To cause prayer/praise to God 2 Cor 1:10-11

1. His faithful deliverance

10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thankson our behalf for the blessinggranted us through the prayers of many

a) Past / Present (He delivers us) / Future (expectation)

2. Using people

11as you help us by your prayers.

a) gk. “to work together with” or “cooperate”

3. Resulting in praise to Him

Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

a) Many faces – looking up to God in gratitude

E. Purpose: Yields Eternal glory 2 Cor 4:7-8, 16-17

1. Treasure of the gospel in our frail bodies to keep focus on God

(ESV) 2 Corinthians 4 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

2 Corinthians 4:7-16

2 cor 4 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

2. We can persevere

8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

3. We can persevere and grow

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

4. Current transient problems producing everlasting results for us

17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

a) Comparison light

b) Comparison momentary

c) Comparison worth it all