The Comfort Of The Bible

HoHum:

Have children come up and do Children’s Minute. Objects: A First Aid Kit

A first aid kit is a very important thing to have around. We should all have a first aid kit in our home, in our work place, and in our car. We have several of them around the church so that they will be handy if someone gets hurt. What are some of the things you might expect to find in a first aid kit? Take out some things and talk about them.

The Bible is a lot like a first aid kit. It has the answer to all of the hurts that we have in our life. If we get into a scrape, the Bible has the answer. If someone makes a cutting remark and it really hurts us, the Bible has the answer. If we have a burning question and just don’t know what to do, the Bible has the answer. It is important to have God’s first aid kit and to know how to use it. The Bible says, “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” Knowing how to use God’s first aid kit will save your life! http://www.sermons4kids.com/FirstAid.htm

WBTU:

To comfort is to lessen the sadness or sorrow of someone and to strengthen by inspiring with hope and restoring a cheerful outlook. Basically Psalm 119:50 is saying that comfort comes from the Bible. Visiting a young man in jail and asked him what he was doing with his time. Said that he was spending much time reading and studying the Bible. He said, “The Bible brings me comfort.”

Thesis: The comfort from the Bible is...

For instances:

A divine Comfort

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalms 94:19. Where do we learn and know about God’s consolation, God’s promises? In the Bible. The comfort that this world brings vanishes in a moment. Some try going to friends, family or counselors to get comfort from their afflictions. While this is helpful, these comforters are nothing compared to the comfort that comes from the Lord. Humanity has never understood the true nature of misery, which is sin; and so they never understand the true nature of comfort, which is Christ. When Benjamin Parsons lay dying, his preacher came to visit him. The preacher asked, “How are you today?” Mr. Parsons answered – “My head is resting sweetly on three pillows – infinite power, infinite love, infinite wisdom!”

God’s comfort is better than any others and we find that comfort in the Bible. God’s comfort is more powerful because the Bible is more powerful than anything the world has to offer.

A strong comfort

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.” Hebrews 6:17, 18, NIV.

Other comforts are weak and are not affliction proof, nor death proof, nor judgment proof. The comforts of the Word of God endure forever, and the covenant of God through Christ will not fail us, whether we are living or dying.

A needed comfort

In the Bible we see that God’s presence will be with us in our sufferings. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me...” Psalms 23:4, NIV. “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalms 91:15, NIV. From the NT- “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles...” 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4, NIV. “God, who comforts the downcast...” 2 Corinthians 7:6, NIV. The world deserts those who are in poverty, disgrace, and suffering. God dwells with those who are in poverty, disgrace and suffering. We call God our heavenly Father. In the family if one child is sick, what does a parent do? Pay no attention to the sick child. No, that child is given special attention. Our Father is good and as a good father he pays special attention to those who are suffering.

An eternal comfort

Southern comfort is the name of a liquor that promises to bring comfort. However, what happens when this liquor runs out, the comfort ends.

When this life is over, our suffering will be gone. As God’s children, we will be with the Lord. ““Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:24, NIV. Our comfort is eternal. “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17, 18, NIV.