INTRODUCTION
• As we conclude our Hot Topics series, we will examine the issue of suffering, specifically, how to deal with it.
• Suffering (and evil) is a part of our life in this world, and none of us are exempt from it.
• Evil and suffering can go hand in hand at times; at other times, suffering can happen without evil precipitating it.
• The question of suffering and evil has existed since the creation of man.
• In Genesis 6:5-7, we see that God wanted to destroy all of the earth because of the evil humankind was exhibiting.
• In the story of Noah and the flood, we see an ancient glimpse of God’s strategy toward evil.
• The story begins with humanity increasingly rebelling against God’s intended goodness.
Genesis 6:5–7 (NET 2nd ed.)
5 But the LORD saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time.
6 The LORD regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended.
7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.”
• God decides to solve the problem of evil through destruction; because of our sinfulness, God will blot out life from the earth.
• But as we know, the plan only succeeds temporarily.
• The rains wash everything away—save for one family of each species (including Noah’s family)—but once the land is livable again, humanity returns to their wicked ways.
• Yet this time, God’s response shows a 180-degree change.
• Because humanity succumbs to evil, God promises never to destroy creation again.
Genesis 8:21–22 (NET 2nd ed.)
21 And the LORD smelled the soothing aroma and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, even though the inclination of their minds is evil from childhood on. I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.
22 “While the earth continues to exist, planting time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”
• Instead, in the following pages, God calls Abram and Sarai, births the nation of Israel, promises the Messiah, and ultimately sends Jesus.
• To destroy evil, God would need to destroy us.
• Instead, God—whom we see clearly feels the grief and compassion as any parent would—will work toward full redemption, taking the cost upon Himself.
• At the beginning of the flood story, human wickedness convinces God to destroy all life.
• At the end of the flood story, human wickedness convinces God never to destroy all of life.
• I want us to spend our time today looking at what we can do when suffering strikes.
• We will suffer, and evil will flourish in this world because God gave us free will.
• Free will is required for one to be able to love.
• Today we will spend our time in 2 Corinthians 1:3-8 as seek answers as to what to do when we face suffering and evil.
2 Corinthians 1:3 (NET 2nd ed.)
3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
• Where do you go when you are facing some pain in life?
• Where do you turn when a spouse has left or damaged you somehow?
• What do you turn to hide the pain of the scars from childhood?
• When you are hurting, how do you cope?
• How do you cover it?
• We all have some mechanism for dealing with pain.
• Maybe we do not allow anyone to get close to us, thinking we are protecting ourselves from being hurt.
• Maybe we became the school bully to hide the pain inflicted upon us by a parental figure?
• Some turn to drugs and alcohol and other addictions as they try to drown out the pain.
• Some chose separation and isolation.
• We all ways to cover the pain in some manner.
• So, what do you do when the pain is screaming out at you, and it is so bad you must do something?
• Might I suggest there is a better way to deal with the pain of life other than insolation, shame, drugs, and other addictions?
• Here comes the Sunday School answer!
• Could you wait for it; you will be amazed.
SERMON
I. God offers comfort during times of suffering.
• Now we need to understand who wrote the book of 2 Corinthians; the apostle Paul had endured more pain and hardship in life as a RESULT of his relationship with Jesus than ever before.
• It is essential to understand this because we know Paul is not simply offering up a bunch of theories that are not practical in the real world.
• Why can we and should we turn to God when we are in pain?
• Our passage tells us we can go to God because He is the FATHER of mercies and The God of ALL COMFORT!
• God is the source of mercy; He is the author of mercy.
• The word MERCIES would be equivalent to the word compassion.
• Mercy denotes the tender feeling of pity for those in distress.
• In the Old Testament, the attributes of mercy and compassion are ascribed to God.
• When we are hurting, we do not have to think that God does not care, that He is glad to see us suffering, or that He wants us to be in pain; He is the FATHER of Mercies.
• Remember when you were a kid and you were injured?
• Most of us ran to mom or dad.
• Why? We knew we could find comfort.
• You can turn to God when in pain because HE is the God of ALL COMFORT.
• Did you catch the word ALL?
• The word comfort is a word built on two root words, which mean to call alongside of; and the second word, which denotes to give courage, hope, or confidence.
• In Isaiah 51:3, we see that God is the source of comfort.
• When you turn to someone for comfort, you are looking to them to come alongside you and tell you that you will get through this, that the pain will not last forever, and that the future is bright.
• Sometimes parents begin by telling you all you did wrong.
• There is a time to teach, but initially, we need to offer comfort, THEN teach.
• God will bring comfort to you amid your pain; THEN, if there is a lesson to be learned, it will be revealed to you.
• Jeff, that is all well and good, but you do not understand; my pain is too great for even God to help me with, you might say.
2 Corinthians 1:4 (NET 2nd ed.)
4 who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
II. There is no suffering too great for God to handle.
• Let’s focus on the first part of verse four.
• He comforts us in all our affliction.
• We try to cover our pain in various ways; we tend to isolate ourselves because we do not think anyone else knows what we are going through.
• We think that people will look down on us in some way if we open up to them.
• We think our pain is so great that God cannot even help us.
• We turn to isolation, addictive behavior, and self-abuse, among other things.
• Think about it, if you do not think someone will help you will not go to them with your pain.
• In 2010, I had major shoulder surgery, and the doctor gave me Percocet for the pain.
• I took them for a day or two and felt no relief, so I quit taking them.
• For one, I was afraid of addiction; two, that stuff let’s say, will back up your pipes; and third, I felt the pills did nothing for me.
• Many folks treat God the way I treated Percocet; my pain was too great for it, so why take it?
• Remember who wrote 2 Corinthians. PAUL!
• Paul knew what it meant to suffer pain but also where to turn for comfort.
• For Paul, this passage was not just theology; it was LIFE!
• It was not just some theory but practical life teaching that works in the real world!
• By the way, the word COMFORT is a PRESENT TENSE verb that tells us that comfort is something that God does continually; it does not stop for one minute!
• Paul uses the word AFFLICTION, which he has a great deal of experience with.
• AFFLICTION denotes the pressing or pressure; the word was used to describe the pressing and pressure used to crush grapes to extract juice from them.
• We are told that God brings comfort in ALL afflictions or all the pressures and pains of life.
• There are no exceptions, no pressure that is too great for God to handle!
• Let’s look at verses 4-8.
2 Corinthians 1:4–8 (NET 2nd ed.)
4 who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you.
6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer.
7 And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living.
III. Our suffering can be used to bless others.
• Our pain can have a purpose; it is not for nothing!
• I will be cautious how I word this so that no one takes it wrong.
• We must understand that the pain we deal with and the comfort God offers us must be shared with others.
• Look at the last part of verse 4 and the rest of the passage through verse 7; so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction through the comfort we receive from God.
• When we are in pain and go to God for comfort, there is a silver lining; we are to take the comfort we receive from God and share it with others who are hurting.
• I AM NOT SAYING THAT GOD CAUSED YOUR PAIN SO THAT HE CAN COMFORT YOU, AND YOU CAN SHARE THAT COMFORT.
• We need to understand something about God’s comfort, it does not consistently deliver us from the cause of the pain and pressure, but God’s comfort rescues us from the anxiety that the suffering and pain cause.
• God’s comfort brings us hope.
• God is there for us when the pains of life plague us.
Romans 8:28 (NET 2nd ed.)
28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,
• We have discussed this before; Paul says ALL THINGS, not some.
• Maybe part of the good that your pain and God’s comfort from that pain brings is you being able to be a blessing to others.
• Verse six speaks of patient endurance.
But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer.
• Experiencing and grasping comfort will help produce patient endurance.
• Comfort helps us see the end game, that this life is not our only life.
• When dealing with pain, God’s comfort can help us grow in patient endurance.
Romans 5:3 (NET 2nd ed.)
3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
• Endurance is not a passive acceptance of troubles, trials, or pain, but rather it is a positive attitude that anticipates that something will happen to turn the pain into a blessing for yourself or others.
CONCLUSION
• The story of Job is one of the oldest in the Bible.
• In the face of extreme suffering and despair, Job looks to God and demands an answer to the question of evil.
• Why has he lost everything if he has sought God’s righteousness and lived a life of faithfulness and compassion?
• God himself appears and answers Job, yet even in dialogue with the Creator, there are no easy answers.
• God spends pages declaring His character: He is eternal, all-powerful, and full of tender compassion for all He has made.
• In response, Job does not have the answer he sought, but the only answer any of us can find to the question: we can trust our Creator and Redeemer.
• “The dramatic power of the book of Job attests to the reality that faith, beyond easy convictions, is a demanding way to live that thrives on openness and requires immense courage. (Walter Brueggemann, An Introduction to the Old Testament: Canon and Christian Imagination [Louisville, KY: WJK Press, 2003], 302–3).
• We will all face suffering in one form or another in this life.
• We need to know how to handle suffering and not allow evil and suffering to turn us away from God.
