1 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,840 I'm very much looking forward to opening up God's Word out of 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,320 Second Corinthians so you can open your Bible to the New 3 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:15,640 Testament book of Second Corinthians right now, if not 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,280 already. And we're going to commence a 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,680 series through this book in the coming Sunday evenings so you 6 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:27,520 can be reading ahead as we teach expositionally through the book, 7 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,160 but just by way of some announcements to begin with to 8 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,760 remind you that you're invited out on Wednesday to join with us 9 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,200 in prayer. 7:00 teaching of God's Word. 10 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,160 And then the latter half of that hour spent time together 11 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:43,160 praying, bringing requests unto the Lord. 12 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:48,520 And Friday youth, 5:00 for the younger age, 6:00 for the older, 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,840 but there's a little overlap there as they interact one with 14 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,800 another. And then ladies, lastly, the the 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:59,600 Tuesday morning begins. Well, the next one is the 26th 16 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:04,920 of August at 9:30. Let's pray again, Lord, we thank 17 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,720 you for your word. We thank you that we're now able 18 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:13,280 to open your word, your revelation, your truth to us and 19 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:14,680 that you will speak to us tonight. 20 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,480 We desire and we need to hear from you. 21 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,480 We need to know how to live. We need to know what is right, 22 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,320 what is good, what is proper, what is truth. 23 00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:27,920 And we need to be able to have your strength and your power. 24 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,040 You're enabling within us to be able to live that out, to be 25 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:34,440 obedient to your word. And we thank you for the comfort 26 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,960 that you supply. And tonight as we we look at the 27 00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:40,280 comfort that you bring in the midst of suffering and in trials 28 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:45,080 and we see that in Paul's life, we know that we encounter all 29 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,360 sorts of difficulties and circumstances and situations 30 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,240 that come upon us, that we're exhausted in ourselves. 31 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:54,680 We need your help. We need your strength. 32 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,040 We thank you Lord also for your provision in our lives and as we 33 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,200 give back to you in our tithes and offerings, we thank you for 34 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,400 your blessing and and we worship you in that way, giving out of 35 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,240 cheerful hearts and be blessed. Now we we thank you and we 36 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,720 commit this time to you in Jesus name, Amen. 37 00:02:12,920 --> 00:02:15,120 Second Corinthians chapter 1. We're going to have a look at 38 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,240 the 1st 11 verses I'm reading out of the New King James 39 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:23,240 Version and it's starting verse one. 40 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,480 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, 41 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,440 our brother to the Church of God, which is at Corinth with 42 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,120 all the Saints who are in all Akai grace to you, verse 2 and 43 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,640 peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 44 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:44,600 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 45 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:49,400 Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, who comforts us in 46 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,280 all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are 47 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,160 in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are 48 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,800 comforted by God. Verse 5. 49 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,080 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation 50 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:09,320 also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is 51 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,880 for your consolation and salvation, which is effective 52 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,360 for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. 53 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,480 Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and 54 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,040 salvation. And our hope for you is 55 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,760 steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the 56 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,200 suffering, so also you will partake of the consolation. 57 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,360 Verse 8. For we did not want you to be 58 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,240 ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in 59 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:42,040 Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure above strength, 60 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:43,960 so that we despaired even of life. 61 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,920 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we 62 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,200 should not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead, 63 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,840 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us in 64 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,680 whom we trust that He will still deliver us. 65 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,680 You also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may 66 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,920 be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to 67 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:11,520 us through many. I think one of the hardest 68 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:16,000 things for you or I to handle is when we become the target of 69 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,760 malicious gossip, or if people have said things that have 70 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,560 manipulated the truth in such a way that that it's caused even 71 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,520 people to know you, people who are close to you, to turn their 72 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:30,120 back on you. I don't know if you've ever 73 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:32,240 experienced that. I'm sure you probably have, 74 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,960 because you're human. Part of the human experience is 75 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,960 to encounter betrayal, is to encounter things that aren't 76 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:43,400 true being said about us. Well, this is Paul's background 77 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,360 here in writing this book, Second Corinthians, that we're 78 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,560 getting into. You remember as we studied 79 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,640 through the book of First Corinthians that Paul shared his 80 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,680 heart for the people. There were certain questions 81 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:56,880 that they were asking of Paul. There were certain things that 82 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,480 he'd heard about. And so he sought to instruct 83 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,360 them and to correct certain things that were taking place in 84 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,040 there. And he'd sent the letter First 85 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,480 Corinthians to them via a fellow called Titus. 86 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,800 And Paul was to catch up with Titus and to just see how the 87 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:16,560 reception of the letter had gone. 88 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:19,600 And there was just a mix up. He didn't. 89 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:22,480 He wasn't able to meet Titus where he'd planned to. 90 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,200 And so there was this in between not knowing what had happened 91 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:27,720 since the letter had been sent out. 92 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,640 And finally Paul caught up with Titus. 93 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:34,000 And Titus was like Paul, good news and bad news. 94 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,680 Good news is that Paul, they received your letter that some 95 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:42,120 correction has started to take place that they've they've put 96 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,280 into practise the certain things that you were instructing of 97 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:49,040 them to correct and to do. But bad news, Paul, is that 98 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,360 there are people within the church who didn't like what you 99 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,800 said. And because they didn't like 100 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,840 what you said, they've decided to shoot the messenger. 101 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,600 And that's what Paul is now addressing in Second 102 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:03,840 Corinthians. There are people who didn't like 103 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:07,320 the content, some of the subject matter of his first letter in 104 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:10,560 First Corinthians. And so they took to attacking 105 00:06:10,840 --> 00:06:15,200 Paul and particularly Paul's apostleship, the fact that he 106 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,520 was an apostle. They said it can't be because 107 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,680 look at Paul's life and look how much he's suffering. 108 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,200 If he were a true apostle of Jesus Christ, he wouldn't be 109 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,600 going through all of the things that he's going through. 110 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:31,760 And really, this is part and parcel now with what we're going 111 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,120 to look at tonight. Because I love that Paul deals 112 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,800 with this and I love that it's in the Bible tonight for us. 113 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,280 Because one of the things that people grapple with a lot when 114 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:46,080 it comes to Christianity and God is, you know, why do bad things 115 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:51,320 happen to good people? Why does difficulty come across 116 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:56,240 the paths of of Christians? Well, let me just address that, 117 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:00,640 that it's only ever happened once to one person, that bad 118 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:03,400 things have happened to good people, and that was Jesus 119 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,800 Christ and he volunteered for that. 120 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:08,920 And the Bible tells us that there is none righteous. 121 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,880 No, not one. But I understand, and you might 122 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:13,760 think I'm just arguing semantics there. 123 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,760 I understand the heart behind that because what's wrapped up 124 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:22,760 in that is this false notion that to be blessed by God, then 125 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:28,400 things must be going swimmingly, must be going well in life. 126 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,440 That the crowd is cheering and applauding everything that takes 127 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,440 place in in life, that everything is cruisy, that all 128 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,800 the streets are downhill in life and everything is going in your 129 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,600 favour. But you know what flies in the 130 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:46,200 face of that? The Bible and the likes of Paul, 131 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:51,440 who we're reading about, who encountered suffering and trial 132 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,800 and tribulation and great difficulty, so much so that 133 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,360 that's what these false teachers and these accusers in current 134 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:05,000 were using to level against Paul as a claim that he was not an 135 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,160 apostle, not a true follower of Jesus Christ. 136 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:12,520 So these questions, these doubts that we have that others express 137 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,800 really are found for us in our text that we get through. 138 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:21,240 Now, Paul suffered probably more than perhaps any other Christian 139 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,040 that we know of. We'll read later in Second 140 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:28,120 Corinthians of all of the things that he endured in the name of 141 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:30,400 Jesus Christ for being a follower of Jesus. 142 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,880 He'll talk about having been sick, unwell, persecuted, 143 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,039 shipwrecked multiple times. You know, you'd think one time 144 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:42,520 being shipwrecked is is once enough, but he had a number of 145 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:47,200 occasions being beaten, being imprisoned, being whipped, being 146 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:51,120 stoned to the point of death, being falsely accused and 147 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,440 maligned as we're reading about, stabbed in the back, forsaken by 148 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,800 those that were once sort of friends and followers of his. 149 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:03,360 You name it, Paul endured it. Yet all the way through, Paul 150 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,840 that we read was a righteous follower of Jesus Christ, a man 151 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:10,600 of faith who continued to love God deeply and passionately. 152 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,520 And so that is what makes Second Corinthians such an amazing book 153 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,040 for us as we study through it and why we're going through it, 154 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:22,480 because Paul reveals the reality of the Christian life. 155 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:27,240 There will be difficulty, there will be trial, there will be 156 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:32,120 sufferings, especially in the ministry of God and the ministry 157 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,560 of God to others that we're involved in. 158 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,880 So it's a very much a reality check for us. 159 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,040 He gives a defence of his apostleship. 160 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:44,640 He gets very personal in this book, maybe more so than any 161 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:50,480 other of his letters combined, as he really just defends, you 162 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,160 know, these accusations and these challenges that were 163 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:56,920 against his apostleship and him being a minister of Jesus Christ 164 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:58,800 as we make our way through this letter. 165 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:00,120 And he'll keep coming back to it. 166 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,240 But in this book, Paul reveals for us that suffering, though 167 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:09,600 not enjoyable, is actually part of the blessing of God because 168 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:14,600 of what it produces in US. And so Paul is writing for us to 169 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:17,960 see and sense and for certainly the audience in current, to 170 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:24,680 sense the purpose in suffering. Even in this very first chapter, 171 00:10:24,680 --> 00:10:28,080 the 11 verses that we read, look at how many times he refers to 172 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,440 sufferings or the terminology thereof. 173 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:34,960 In verse 4, tribulation trouble. In verse 5 sufferings. 174 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:39,000 In verse 6, afflicted and sufferings again, verse 7, 175 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:42,920 sufferings. Verse 8, trouble pressed out of 176 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:48,160 measure, despaired even of life. So it's pretty intense, the 177 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,000 struggle and all that Paul is encountering and what he's 178 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:54,400 writing about. So as Paul will explain for us 179 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:58,560 in his sufferings, he's going to communicate this message that 180 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:03,040 there can be blessings in our buffetings, that no matter the 181 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:07,000 burden and the pressure that we're feeling, God can transform 182 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:11,440 it and use it for good in our lives and for His glory. 183 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,360 So tonight specifically, we're going to learn of the comfort 184 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:19,240 that comes in suffering. And if you're the note taking 185 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:24,640 type, there are four points that we'll be able to communicate and 186 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,920 understand this. If we're seeking comfort in the 187 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:33,160 midst of suffering, we must number one, remember who God is 188 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,160 verses one to three. He begins with the usual 189 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:41,680 salutation that he would in in all of his epistles commence 190 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:45,040 with Paul and he goes straight to the issue at heart and 191 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,800 apostle of Jesus Christ. So there's no doubt. 192 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:49,200 I don't care what people are saying. 193 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:53,520 I am an apostle of Jesus Christ and not by my own fabrication or 194 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:59,320 making, but he says by the will of God straight up he's he's 195 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:03,640 declaring who he is by the will of God. 196 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:07,600 Timothy is alongside of him. And so Timothy sends his words 197 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,000 here as part of this letter. The audience to the Church of 198 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,720 God in Corinth, we know that to be in Greece. 199 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,520 We looked at all of that through our study in First Corinthians. 200 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:20,920 So I'm hoping that that background is enough to not have 201 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,280 to go over this territory again with all the Saints. 202 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,920 Saints simply means believers. Not that you have to have 203 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,560 performed the miracle, not that you have to be dead and not you 204 00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:35,360 have to be declared as such by the papacy in Rome, but all of 205 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,200 us who are believers are Saints in all a chaos. 206 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,040 So this letter is not only going to Corinth, but surrounding 207 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,080 churches in the territories thereby. 208 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,760 Now typically when they would greet one another in, in in 209 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:52,360 Greek speaking language, they would say the word karis, which 210 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:55,680 is grace. But then he adds what was 211 00:12:55,680 --> 00:12:58,760 typical for Hebrew, though it's in the Greek here, peace, 212 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,000 Shalom. And the response back is Shalom, 213 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,400 Shalom. Like I see that peace and I'll 214 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:05,240 raise your peace. That's why they would repeat it. 215 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,720 Shalom, Shalom. And so that's really the heart 216 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:12,280 behind this word peace here that he gives is is, is I, I pray 217 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:17,520 God's grace to be upon you and the peace of God in you from God 218 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:19,400 our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 219 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:24,040 Now we get to verse 3. He's suffering, but he gets 220 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,200 straight to it. Blessed be the God and Father of 221 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,720 our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all 222 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:33,360 comfort. You see, Paul learned these 223 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,840 three things in his own suffering and he shares it with 224 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:38,760 the audience. And for you and I tonight to 225 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,560 remember in our suffering, if we're seeking comfort in the 226 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:46,280 midst of our suffering, he brings up 3 attributes, 227 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,120 characteristics of God. And so he would say, remember, 228 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:54,440 if you're suffering who God is and when you suffer, haven't you 229 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,760 found that's the time when you learn the most about God, when 230 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:02,680 things are difficult, when you're having to press in to Him 231 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:06,560 and to all of his attributes? And this is the point I want to 232 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:09,320 make here in this first one. In suffering, you will learn 233 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:13,360 about God in ways that you will never learn without suffering. 234 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:17,240 Many times we can be averse to suffering. 235 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:20,080 We don't desire it. We pray for God to get us out of 236 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,080 it. But in suffering, you will learn 237 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:26,240 more about God in ways that you would not if you'd been absent 238 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,320 of suffering it. It'd bring growth into our 239 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:33,160 lives. And you might say, I don't want 240 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:37,560 to grow if it means suffering. Just because you don't want 241 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:39,920 suffering doesn't mean that you'll be exempt from suffering. 242 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:42,960 You will suffer. It's a guarantee. 243 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:46,160 It's going to come trials, difficulties, tribulations, all 244 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:49,120 that we're reading of for Paul and and for those that name the 245 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,640 name of Christ, it comes with the territory. 246 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:59,760 It's just that you'll waste it. And so if you desire to grow, 247 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:04,560 expect suffering and firstly, remember God in that suffering. 248 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:10,120 And he says God is blessed. Verse 3, blessed be God. 249 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:14,360 It means all the praise belongs to God here. 250 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,640 You know, it's easy for us to acknowledge the blessedness of 251 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,080 God, to praise him. Oh God, you're worthy. 252 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:25,920 I I bless you when things are going well, when everything is 253 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:28,680 just cruisy and and very comfortable for us. 254 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:33,160 But it takes a tender, yielded spirit to confess with Job. 255 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:36,760 In the Old Testament book of Job, he said these words the 256 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,080 Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. 257 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:46,600 But my heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name. 258 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:51,440 Blessed be your name. If anyone knew anything about 259 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,800 suffering, it was Job. If you've read his story, you 260 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,080 know all the loss that he endured, all the impact 261 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:01,600 physically, all all the emotional strain and the anxiety 262 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,680 that the pressure. You know, if you or I ever 263 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:08,360 complain of suffering, slap me in the face when it comes to 264 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,360 saying I'm like Job. Job knows what it means to 265 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,760 suffer. But his response was the Lord 266 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,920 gave the Lord has taken away, but my heart will choose to say, 267 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,600 Lord, blessed be your name. And Paul was able to say the 268 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:23,440 same. It begins in verse 3. 269 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:25,320 Blessed be God, he was suffering. 270 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:29,000 It was intense. Later on, as we read, it was so 271 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:33,120 intense to the point of death that he thought we're going to 272 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:34,840 die. This is how intense this 273 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:36,880 suffering is this trial that we're going through. 274 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,640 I, I think this is the end for me. 275 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:44,480 Paul was writing in these words here and yet through it he's 276 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:48,760 able to say, blessed be God, praise be to God. 277 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:51,800 Amazing. And then second, remember God. 278 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,720 And he points out in verse three that God is the father of 279 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,520 mercies. The word father here means 280 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:04,480 originator. It means the source of So the 281 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:08,520 idea that he's declaring to remember about God in the midst 282 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:14,040 of our suffering is that God is the source of everything 283 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:17,960 merciful that comes to us is the Father of mercies. 284 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:22,960 The Bible declares of Satan that he is the father of what all 285 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:26,200 lies. And that means that Satan that 286 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:30,440 any time a lie comes, anything that seeks to deceive, is the 287 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,160 originator, is the source of that. 288 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:39,040 But God, God is the source, the originator of mercy and mercies. 289 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,120 Here is is plural. It shows that God's mercies are 290 00:17:42,120 --> 00:17:45,640 available for all kinds of difficulties, all kinds of 291 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:47,680 trials, all kinds of tribulations. 292 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,920 In Lamentations chapter 3, verse 22, Jeremiah the prophet says it 293 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,560 is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. 294 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,440 In other words, what he is declaring there is that 295 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:06,440 practically there is nothing that we deserve from God but 296 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:10,600 that everything we have comes from Him and is a consequence of 297 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:12,840 His mercies. That's what that means 298 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:14,480 throughout the rest of the Bible. 299 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:18,160 The Bible declares and describes God's mercy as being manifold, 300 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:23,400 as being tender, as being great, as being new every morning. 301 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,920 He is the Father of all mercies. Everything we have from Him is a 302 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:31,880 consequence of this. It's, it's not that we deserve 303 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:35,400 it, but that God is so good that he gives us his mercies. 304 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,080 And that's just, you know, in the physical sense when we think 305 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:42,600 about many practical things, but in the spiritual realm, every 306 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,560 mercy we experience comes from him. 307 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,400 David said Psalm 103, verse 10 to 11. 308 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:53,480 He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us 309 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:57,280 according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above 310 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:01,240 the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear Him. 311 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,920 If God were not merciful, none of us would be alive right here 312 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:12,120 tonight. But suffering is what suffering 313 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:16,000 does. It reorients our thoughts to 314 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,680 remember that no matter what I'm going through, no matter what 315 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:25,960 I'm experiencing, I don't deserve the mercy that God, You, 316 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,800 the Father of, have given to me. You're the Father of mercies. 317 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,000 So remember he is the Father of mercies. 318 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,560 And thirdly, remember in that that he is the God of all 319 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:38,840 comfort. Verse 3. 320 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:46,440 What is comfort here? It's not just sympathy or pity. 321 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:51,200 It's not that God comes along and gives us a there there and 322 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,440 it'll be OK and a pat on the back and you'll be right. 323 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:58,800 Just, you know, hop back on the hop back on the bike and life 324 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:00,200 will just continue to roll along. 325 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:05,160 No comfort here. The word comes from a Greek 326 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:09,000 origin, Paraclete. Now, those of you that know from 327 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,480 our recent study in the Holy Spirit is starting to make a 328 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,600 connection here. It's the same sort of root word 329 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:20,640 that's used to describe the Holy Spirit who is the God of 330 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:25,960 comfort. It means to come alongside and 331 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,960 to help. And to support in time of need, 332 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,560 it means that when you're going through suffering and trial and 333 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,440 difficulty, when someone is there as a comfort, they're a 334 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:45,000 support that you can lean into. They offer strength, help, aid 335 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:49,840 to carry you along in to come alongside in that journey. 336 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:56,840 And the Bible tells us that He is the God of all comfort, all 337 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:00,720 comfort. And in verse 4, God comforts us 338 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:05,320 in all our tribulation. It says, so He's all comfort in 339 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:10,440 all of our tribulation. Jesus said in John 16, verse 33, 340 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:14,440 these things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have 341 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:19,120 peace in the world, you will have tribulation. 342 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:25,800 But he said be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. 343 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,880 How is it that God comforts us? God comforts us through his 344 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,280 word. Have you ever found in reading 345 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:37,680 the Bible in a sermon, perhaps like tonight in the context of 346 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:41,080 church or when you open it up for your devotions or when you 347 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:45,280 hear in a podcast or you just listen to it, that God, his 348 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:48,760 word, it's so alive and so real, is able to comfort you in the 349 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,680 very circumstantial situation right there and then that you're 350 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:54,880 you're going through. God comforts us through his 351 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:55,280 word.