Illus: Did you hear about the three men that were dying of terminal diseases? They all began to talk about how they never thought this is how they would leave this world.
A nurse thought she would bring some comfort to these three fellows by asking them, “If you had a choice, how you would like to leave this world?”
* The first man, thought a few seconds and said, “At age eighty-five I prefer to go to sleep one night and not wake up the next day.”
* The second man, age ninety said, “I would rather be killed in an airplane crash. It would only take a few minutes and I would not die alone which would be some comfort.”
* The third man, at age ninety-five, said, “I would rather be shot by a jealous husband.”
We all need comfort from time to time, no matter how old we are. But sometimes the only place you can find sympathy is in the dictionary.
When we comfort our friends there are a number of things we can do. For example:
• WE MIGHT TRY TO SYMPATHIZE WITH THEM
There are some folks who do not know how to sympathize with people. The words that come out of their mouths are not very encouraging.
Illus: A young woman rushed home to announce her wedding engagement to her mother. She said, “Mom, I am engaged to marry a man that’s just like my father!” Her mother looked at her and said, “So what do you want from me, sympathy?'”
Many do not know how to comfort their friends. When they see them in trouble, they try to COMFORT them using sympathy.
• SOME SPEAK HOPEFUL WORDS TO THEM
Some try to comfort their friends by speaking words of cheer, but so often they do more damage than they do good.
Illus: Like the man who went to the hospital to visit a friend having heart surgery. He walked in and he turned to his wife and said, “That’s the same bed John was in last week.”
Talking to the patient, he said, “You have the same doctor he had, and he died in the same bed.”
Some do not seem to realize that there are some things best left unsaid, even if they are true.
• SOME TRY TO COMFORT OTHERS BY SENDING THEM FLOWERS OR CARDS
Again, this does not always work out like it should.
Illus: Did you hear about the new business that was opening and one of the owner's friends wanted to send him and his wife some flowers for the special occasion?
The florist got some orders mixed up, and when the flowers arrived at the new business site, the owner was shocked because the card read, "Rest in Peace."
The owner was very angry, to say the least, and called the florist to complain. "Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, and sorry you were offended," said the florist. "But even worse, somewhere there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a card saying, ‘Congratulations on your new location.’"
Many times our efforts are well received, but at best they fall short, and we leave feeling we have not achieved our goal.
One thing we all will agree on is this; there are times in our life when we need comforting.
Suppose you received the most devastating news that you could get, perhaps a loved one was killed in a car crash. WHO WOULD YOU TURN TO FOR COMFORT AT A TIME LIKE THIS?
Let’s look at the scripture to see where we can turn in times of trouble in our lives. We can certainly turn to-
I. THE COMFORT OF GOD
Look at 2 Cor. 1:3 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT…”
Aren’t you glad that He is a God of Comfort?
Illus: Have you ever seen some of these grandchildren at play? They can bump their head on a table, and they will immediately come running and crying to their parents or grandparents, wanting them to kiss the new knot on their head.
We are all like that. When we start hurting, we immediately run to God the Father for comfort from the knocks and bumps we get in this life.
He doesn’t scold us. He comforts us! Some folks do not know the difference between COMFORTING and SCOLDING. They go around from day to day scolding folks.
Illus: Employed by the human-development center of a corporation in the Midwest, my friend trains employees in proper dress codes and etiquette.
One day, as she was stepping onto the elevator, a man, casually dressed in jeans and a golf shirt, got on with her. Thinking of her responsibilities, she said in a scolding manner, “Dressed a little casually today, aren't we?”
The man replied, “That's one benefit of owning the company!”
HOW DOES THE GOD OF COMFORT, COMFORT US?
Look at 2 Cor. 7:6. “Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are CAST DOWN…”
God is a God of Comfort, and some people have never discovered that.
Illus: Have you ever been so “cast down” that you went into a place of prayer, and in tears, you poured your heart out to God? After you poured your heart out to Him, all of a sudden you felt it was going to be all right.
WHAT HAPPENED? The God of comfort came down and comforted you and spiritually patted you on the head and said, “It’s going to be all right!”
Listen, I do not know how people can live their lives without God!
He “…Comforteth us IN ALL OUR TRIBULATION,”
* This lets us know that there is NO AFFLICTION that God is not concerned with. If it disturbs us, it disturbs Him.
* This lets us know that NO AFFLICTION can come our way that is so great, that it can prevent God from being able to bring comfort in the midst of it!
Temptations, testings and afflictions will certainly come our way, but God will COMFORT US in them, and deliver us from them.
In times of distress we have THE COMFORT OF GOD. Also, in times of distress we have-
II. THE COMFORT OF THE HOLY GHOST
Jesus described the Holy Ghost as, “ANOTHER COMFORTER.”
Look at Acts 9:31, we read, “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and IN THE COMFORT OF THE HOLY GHOST, were multiplied.”
Everywhere we go as Christians, the Holy Spirit lives within us and He is constantly speaking to our hearts, saying, “Don’t worry, God the Father can take care of that situation in your life.”
He give us such assurance, that we can face the trials of life with a smile on our face and the lost world will say, “I do not understand it. If I had to face something like that I would not be able to stand it, but that Christian is facing it with a smile on their face. “
HOW CAN CHRISTIANS DO THIS?
The Holy Spirit from within has given them complete confidence that everything is going to be all right. Every day, the Holy Spirit within us encourages us to have confidence in the Savior that saves us.
Confidence can be expressed in the POSITIVE and in the NEGATIVE!
Illus: In a recent software engineering management course in the U.S., the participants were given an awkward question to answer.
They were asked, "If you had just boarded an airliner and discovered that your team of programmers had been responsible for the flight control software, how many of you would disembark immediately?"
Every hand went up but one.
They asked him, If you discovered your company designed the flight control software, you would not get off the airplane?”
He said, “No, I would sit there.”
They said, “That’s confidence!”
He said, “Maybe so and maybe not!”
They said, “What do you mean?”
He said "With my team's software, the plane is unlikely to even taxi as far as the runway, let alone take off."
The Holy Spirit within the Believer is speaking to our hearts every day, letting us know that EVERYTHING IS ALL RIGHT!
We have the COMFORT OF GOD, and the COMFORT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY! Also, we have-
III. THE COMFORT OF JESUS CHRIST
The Bible tells us that Jesus is on the right hand of the Father making intercession for us as children of God.
Rom. 8: 34 “…Who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Listen, if you are not a Christian, you need to come to know the Lord because you need Him interceding for you each day.
I love to hear folks say, “Preacher, I am praying for you!” What a comfort that is! What a greater comfort to know that the Lord Jesus is on the right hand of the Father, praying for me each day.
Illus: The songwriter had this in mind when he wrote that beautiful hymn, “Till The Storm Passes By”. The words of the song go like this, “In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face. While the storms howl above me, and there’s no hiding place; ‘mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry, keep me safe till the storm passes by.”
He is always there for us in the midst of the storm! We can go to Him in prayer no matter what storm of life we are facing.
Illus: A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication for her daughter.
Returning to her car, she found that she had locked her keys in the car. She was in a hurry to get home to her sick daughter. She didn't know what to do, so she called her home and told the baby sitter what had happened and that she did not know what to do.
The baby sitter told her that her daughter was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door."
The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time or other had locked their keys in their car. Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this."
So she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help. Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful.
The man got out of his car and asked her if he could help. She said, "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?"
He said, "Sure." He walked over to the car, and in less than one minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank you so much! You are a very nice man."
The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour."
The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud, "Oh. Thank you God! You even sent me a Professional."
Illus: Can you imagine how those disciples felt, as they stood on that ship thinking they were going to perish? And they looked across the waves and saw the Lord walking on water. MY WHAT A COMFORT THAT MUST HAVE BEEN TO SEE THE SAVIOR!
Peter was so inspired by His presence that He wanted to get out and walk on water!
How comforting it is when we face the difficulties of life, that He says to us, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE NOR FORSAKE THEE!”
We have THE COMFORT OF GOD, THE COMFORT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, and THE COMFORT OF JESUS CHRIST. We also have.
V. THE COMFORT OF BELIEVERS
Sometimes a friend can say just the right thing to help us in a stressful situation.
One of the great things about the Christian life is that, as a church, we are not an organization, we are not a club, and we are not a political gathering. We are BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST. And what hurts you also hurts me. We can all be thankful that there are some people who do care how we feel.
A. PAUL SPOKE OF CHRISTIANS WHO HAD COMFORTED HIM
Look at Col. 4:10,11. “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;) And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. THESE ONLY ARE MY FELLOW WORKERS UNTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, WHICH HAVE BEEN A COMFORT UNTO ME.”
Listen, we all have enough people who are always putting us down, but thank the Lord for those who are our friends. They see when we are down and they pick us back up.
Praise the Lord for compassionate Christians who care enough to try to comfort the afflicted.
B. PAUL SPOKE OF THE NEED FOR US TO COMFORT ONE ANOTHER
Paul knew that comfort was such an important thing, that if he could not go, he would send someone who could.
Look at 1 Thess. 3:2. “And SENT TIMOTHEUS, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and TO COMFORT YOU CONCERNING YOUR FAITH.”
Christians have THE COMFORT OF GOD, THE COMFORT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE COMFORT OF JESUS CHRIST and THE COMFORT OF BELIEVERS.
Conclusion:
We live in a world where we are surrounded by people, but many people feel that they are all alone. Why? Because the fact is, they know that no one really cares for them.
We need to point people to the God of all comfort. When they trust Christ as Saviour, then they will experience that comfort we enjoy.
I. WE HAVE THE COMFORT OF GOD
II. WE HAVE THE COMFORT OF THE HOLY GHOST
III. WE HAVE THE COMFORT OF JESUS CHRIST
IV. WE HAVE THE COMFORT OF BELIEVERS
