DOWN BUT NOT OUT (PART 3)
2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-11 BRBC 2/17/08
INTRO: STORY OF A MAN NAMED JACK WHO WAS WALKING ALONG A STEEP CLIFF. HE FOUND HIMSELF IN A VERY NARROW PART OF THE PATH AND BEFORE HE REALIZED IT HE WAS SLIDING OVER THE EDGE OF THE CLIFF AND HE FELL. ON THE WAY DOWN HE GRABBED A BRANCH THAT WAS PROTRUDING OUT OF THE SIDE OF THE CLIFF AND TEMPORARILY STOPPED HIS FALL. JACK LOOKED DOWN AND IN HORROR SAW THAT IT WAS MORE THAN A THOUSAND FEET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CLIFF. HE BEGAN YELLING FOR HELP HOPING SOMEONE WOULD BE PASSING BY AND HEAR HIM. “HELP, HELP, IS ANYONE UP THERE?” JACK WAS ABOUT TO GIVE UP WHEN HE HEARD A VOICE.
“JACK, CAN YOU HEAR ME?”
“YES, YES, I’M DOWN HERE!”
“I CAN SEE YOU JACK, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”
“YES, I’M OK FOR NOW, BUT WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE ARE YOU?”
“I AM THE LORD JACK, I AM EVERYWHERE.”
“THE LORD, YOU MEAN GOD?”
“THAT’S ME JACK.”
“O’ GOD PLEASE HELP ME! I PROMISE IF YOU GET ME DOWN FROM HERE I WILL BE A REALLY GOOD PERSON. I WILL GO BACK TO CHURCH AND I WILL SERVE YOU THE REST OF MY LIFE!”
“JACK, GO EASY ON THE PROMISES. NOW LISTEN CAREFULLY, HERE IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO.”
“I’LL DO ANYTHING GOD JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE!”
“OKAY, JACK, SETTLE DOWN. HERE IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO, LET GO OF THE BRANCH!”
SILENCE, THEN JACK SAID “WHAT?”
“I SAID, LET GO OF THE BRANCH JACK, TRUST ME, LET GO.”
THERE WAS A LONG SILENCE. FINALLY JACK YELLED AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS, “HELP, HELP, HELP, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?” MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE MIDST OF A TRAIL OR SUFFERING IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE ALONGSIDE US TO HELP OUT. THE LORD IS ALWAYS WITH US IN SUFFERING BUT HE HAS GONE ANOTHER STEP AND HAS GIVEN US PEOPLE, WHO HAVE TRAVELED THE JOURNEY WE ARE ON, TO COME ALONGSIDE US AND EXHORT AND STRENGTHEN US IN OUR SUFFERING TIMES. IT IS VITAL THIS MORNING THAT WE REMEMBER WHAT GOD DOES THROUGH US IN SUFFERING READ V4 – 7
THREE THINGS GOD DOES THRU US IN SUFFERING…FIRST
I. GOD COMFORTS OTHERS THRU US V4B “COMFORT”
A. WHAT IS COMFORT? = “EXHORT STRENGTHEN”
PARACLETUS - HOLY SPIRIT, GOD WANTS US TO BE LIKE HIM WHEN SOMEONE NEEDS COMFORT. JUST AS HE SUFFERED, YET COMFORTED OTHERS AND STILL DOES, HE WANTS US TO AS WELL.
1. NOT THE WORLDS COMFORT
INTROSPECTIVE, SELF-CENTERED =
SELF PITY
DEPENDENT ON US, DO IT OUT OF
OUR NEED
WE ARE NOT TO COMFORT OTHERS IN THAT WAY!
2. GOD’S COMFORT “EXHORT STRENGTHEN”
HELP THEM GROW STRONG.
IN GODLY FAITH
IN UNDERSTANDING OF SUFFERING
SHARE YOUR SUFFERING
NOT IN YOUR STORY BUT IN GODS
STRENGTH TO GET YOU THRU.
ILL: BAD SITUATION, DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. IF YOU HAVE SIMILAR SITUATION YOU CAN COMFORT, STRENGTHEN AND EXHORT. YOU BECOME LIKE CHRIST; YOU HAVE SUFFERED AND FOUND GRACE. YOUR STORY IS NOT WHAT IS IMPORTANT BUT THAT GOD HELPED YOU MAKE IT THRU IS. WE LOST BABY, MANY COMFORTED – DIDN’T NEED DETAILS OF THEIR LOSS (MORE HURT DONE NOT OUR NEED TO TELL) BUT OF GODS HELP
II. GOD CREATES CHRISTIAN CHARACTER IN US V5
BOTH IN “SUFFERING” AND IN “COMFORT”
IF WE “ABOUND IN THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST…”
THEN OUR “COMFORT ALSO ABOUNDS IN CHRIST”
IF WE BRING GOD INTO OUR SUFFERING THIS FAITH BRINGS GODS COMFORT IN TO OUR SITUATION. THIS BUILDS IN US CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER. WE BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS, WE SUFFER YET WE ARE COMFORTED AND WE CAN OFFER COMFORT TO OTHERS.
DOES GOD JUST ALLOW YOUR SUFFERING FOR NO REASON? ABSOLUTELY NOT! GOD HAS A PLAN… NOTHING YOU SUFFER IS WASTED. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY? THEN…
A. DISCOVER HOW TO SEE, FIND AND LEARN FROM GOD IN
THE MIDST OF OUR SUFFERING. THIS LEARNING BUILDS CHARACTER IN OUR LIVES.
HE CAN AND WILL USE THIS TO HIS GLORY.
“IF ANYONE SUFFERS AS A CHRISTIAN, LET HIM NOT BE ASHAMED, BUT LET HIM GLORIFY GOD IN THIS MATTER.” 1 PET. 4:16
ARE YOU SUFFERING? BRING GOD INTO IT! HE WILL BUILD IN YOU A CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER, WHICH WILL GLORIFY HIS NAME IN YOUR LIFE
III. GOD TEACHES US PATIENT ENDURANCE V6
COMES FROM HAVING BEEN THERE ALREADY.
ILL: MARRIAGE IS GOOD EXAMPLE OF PATIENT ENDURANCE. WE MUST BE PATIENT AND LEARN TO ENDURE BECAUSE WE LOVE. LONGER WE DO THIS EASIER IT GETS. FINALLY OUR MARRIAGE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAUSES US SUFFERING BUT COMFORT. PATIENT ENDURANCE STRENGTHENS LOVE
ENDURANCE CHANGES OUR ATTITUDE. TRUTH IS WE CAN’T CHOOSE OUR SUFFERING BUT WE CAN CHOOSE OUR ATTITUDE.
A. AN ATTITUDE OF PATIENT ENDURING LOVE V6
1. “IF WE ARE AFFLICTED (SUFFERING) IT IS
FOR YOUR COMFORT AND SALVATION…”
IF I SUFFER MAY GOD USE IT TO HELP YOU!
2. “IF WE ARE COMFORTED IT IS FOR YOUR COMFORT AND SALVATION…”
IF I AM COMFORTED (EXHORTED & STRENGTHENED) MAY GOD USE IT TO HELP YOU.
A CORRECT ATTITUDE FOR THE CHRISTIAN IN SUFFERING IS THAT EITHER WAY, SUFFERING OR COMFORT, MY FOCUS IS ON OTHERS.
CHRISTLIKE, PATIENT ENDURANCE STRENGTHENS LOVE. IT HELPS ALL OF US TO ENDURE V7 “OUR HOPE FOR YOU IS STEADFAST, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT AS YOU ARE PARTAKERS OF THE SUFFERINGS, SO ALSO YOU WILL PARTAKE OF THE COMFORT.”
NOW, MAYBE YOU CAN SEE WHY GOD HASN’T DELIVERED YOU, FROM YOUR SUFFERING YET. REMEMBER WHAT GOD DOES THROUGH YOU IN SUFFERING;
- HE IS TRYING TO USE YOU TO COMFORT SOMEONE ELSE.
- HE IS BUILDING CHRISTLIKE CHARACTER IN YOU.
- HE IS TEACHING YOU LOVING PATIENT ENDURANCE
THESE TRUTHS MAKE SUFFERING WORTH GOING THROUGH.
PRAY
GOD HAS GIVEN EACH OF US COMFORTERS IN OUR LIVES. THEY ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD WHO HAVE ENTERED YOUR LIFE. THEY ARE GIVEN TO YOU TO HELP YOU WHEN YOU ARE SUFFERING. BUT…
YOU ARE GIVEN TO THEM FOR THE TIMES WHEN THEY ARE SUFFERING. IT WORKS BOTH WAYS.
DO YOU NEED A COMFORTER THIS MORNING? SOMEONE WHO CAN STRENGTHEN AND EXHORT YOU TO TRUST GOD IN THE MIDST OF YOUR HARD TIMES? GOD HAS PLACED ONE IN Y0UR LIFE ALREADY. WHO IS IT?
PERHAPS TODAY YOU ARE BEING CALLED BY GOD TO BE A COMFORTER. IF SO, THEN I ENCOURAGE YOU TO OBEY THE HOLY SPIRIT. BECOME A CHANNEL OF GODS FRESH FLOWING GRACE AND MERCY INTO THE LIFE OF SOMEONE WHO NEEDS IT. LET THE SPRIT OF CHRIST BE SEEN IN YOUR CHARACTER AND LIFE.
SUFFERING APART FROM GOD IS A TERRIBLE THING.
NO GRACE - NO MERCY - PEACE - COMFORT - DELIVERANCE - USEFULNESS - PURPOSE - JUST FEAR, PAIN AND LONELINESS. YOU DON’T HAVE TO WALK THAT SUFFERING VALLEY ALONE. COME TO JESUS,
HE IS WAITING TO HELP. JESUS SAID "COME ALL YOU WHO ARE WEAK AND HEAVY LADEN AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST” JESUS IS WAITING FOR YOU TO COME TO HIM.
GOSPEL
