“Comfort Abounds!”                                             II Corinthians 1:1-11

 

1 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

COMFORT ABOUNDS FROM OUR “COMMANDER IN CHIEF.”

God WANTS ME to be HIS CHILD!

“…by the will of God”

                            Ephesians 1:5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus

                                                           Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

COMFORT ABIDES IN OUR “BAND OF BROTHERS.” (AND SISTERS!)

I am NOT MEANT to be A LONE RANGER!

God… who comforts us… so that we can comfort those in any trouble… If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

COMFORT ABATES OUR FEARS.

                    Our CERTAIN hope undergirds our UNCERTAIN hopes.

…that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead… On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us…”

  • (Phil. 1:21) TO LIVE IS CHRIST, TO DIE IS GAIN!
    • “to die” IN CHRIST
    • AM I IN CHRIST?
    • ARE MY UNCERTAIN HOPES UNDERGIRDED BY MY CERTAIN HOPE?
    • AM I MAKING MY LIFE “WORTH IT?”