God is at work securing our hope. He has not only worked for our salvation through the incarnation of His Son and his subsequent death on the cross…He is at work now… strengthening, encouraging, and building you up for life’s journey. Life is never certain and takes twists and turns would could never imagine. Today, some have come here on top of the mountain, while others are deep in a valley wondering how they’ll get through. Today, we’ll learn how God works by coming alongside to help.
I. 1.3: How Paul Sees God.
A. He is the father of
, i.e., the source of mercy, pity, and compassion.
- Micah 7.18: Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love.
B. He is the God of all
.
“Comfort” is a word rooted in courage, bravery, and strength.
“One who comes alongside to help.”
C. God comes to us in the middle of our struggles and supplies us with strength.
II. 1.4a: The Promise of Comfort.
A. 1.4: He comforts us in
our affliction…
- He will always give out the appropriate encouragement, comfort, and strength…
B. A Look at Romans 8:
8.39: no created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus….
8.31: If God is for us, who is against us? Answer: No one. How do we know?
8.32: He did not even spare
but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? 8.37: No, in all these things we are more than
through him who loved us. C. 1.4: He comforts us in all our
,…
“pressure.”
God strengthens and encourages us as we go through.
III. 1.4b-5: The Purpose of Comfort.
A. So that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from
.
God’s comfort turns us into comforters.
1.5 - our comfort for others should literally “
.”
IV. 1.6-7 - The Partnership of Suffering.
A. 1.6: If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient
of the same sufferings that we suffer.
When one suffers we all suffer. We move with empathy for others.
Our first protocol when helping someone through the valley is compassion, care, and love. We’re in a partnership. We’re here to help.
B. This works both ways. Learn to make yourself vulnerable so God can use others to comfort you so that down the line, you can use the comfort you received to comfort someone else.
C. 2 Corinthians 1.7: Our hope for you is
because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort. God will get us through.
**V. As We Close…
A. God will comfort you in every situation.
B. You’re not alone. You’re not in isolation.
C. Allow God to use your difficulties as opportunities for others to grow in their faith and relationships with God and others by demonstrating the comfort God provides.