“DOWN BUT NOT OUT” (PART 1)
2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-11 BRBC 2/3/08
INTRO: SUFFERING IS ONE OF THE MYSTERY’S OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE? WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERING TO TAKE ITS TERRIBLE TOLL ON HIS PEOPLE? WHEN WE THINK OF SUFFERING WE MOST OFTEN THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL SUFFERING. BUT THERE ARE MANY FORMS OF SUFFERING. MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL SUFFERING, STRESS, TENSION, WORRY, PRESSURES AND SITUATIONS BEYOND OUR CONTROL. THERE IS EVEN SPIRITUAL SUFFERING. SUFFERING AFFECTS ALL OF US AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. RICH AND POOR, SAVED AND LOST, IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. ONE OF THE GREATEST PREACHERS OF THE 18TH CENTURY JOHN HENRY JOWETT SAID "YOU SEEM TO IMAGINE THAT I HAVE NO UPS AND DOWNS, BUT JUST A LEVEL LOFTY STRETCH OF SPIRITUAL ATTAINMENT WITH UNBROKEN JOY AND BLISS. BY NO MEANS IS THAT TRUE! I AM OFTEN PERFECTLY WRETCHED AND EVERYTHING APPEARS MOST MURKY." CHARLES SPURGEON SAID IN A SERMON IN LONDON "I AM THE SUBJECT OF DEPRESSIONS OF SPIRIT SO FEARFUL THAT I HOPE NONE OF YOU EVER GET TO SUCH EXTREMES OF WRETCHEDNESS AS I GO TO." SUFFERING IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS. IN 2 COR. 11 THE APOSTLE PAUL DOCUMENTS FOR US HIS SUFFERING READ (V 22-28).
YET IN THIS LETTER TO CORINTH ONE OF THE MAIN THEMES
PAUL WRITES ABOUT IS COMFORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT. HOW COULD PAUL EXPERIENCE SUFFERING THE WAY THAT HE HAD AND STILL SIT DOWN AND WRITE A LETTER OF ENCOURAGEMENT LIKE 2 COR? IT WOULD SERVE US WELL TO LEARN PAUL’S SECRET TO VICTORY OVER TRIALS AND SUFFERING? HE HAD LEARNED IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING THAT THERE IS POWER TO BE FOUND IN A PRAISE OFFERED TO GOD. HE TEACHES US IN V3 THAT PRAISE WILL OVERCOME SUFFERING.
PRAISE CHANGES OUR SITUATION.
4 REASONS TO PRAISE THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING. FIRST…
I. PRAISE GOD BECAUSE HE IS GOD. V3A "BLESS BE THE GOD.."
A. EPH 1:4 "HE HAS CHOSEN US" PAST HAS ALWAYS BEEN
B. 1 PETER 1:3 "A LIVING HOPE" FUTURE WILL ALWAYS BE
C. 2 COR 1:4 "WHO COMFORTS US.." PRESENT IS NOW
GOD IS PRESENT IN YOUR SUFFERING, HE KNEW IT WAS COMING, HE IS WITH YOU, AND HE HAS ALREADY MADE A WAY FOR YOU TO MAKE IT THRU. PRAISE HIM
II. PRAISE GOD BECAUSE HE IS OUR FATHER, THROUGH
CHRIST V3B
A. WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, HE LOVES US JOHN 16:27
ROMANS 8:15-18
WHATEVER GOD DID FOR JESUS IN HIS SUFFERING HE WILL DO FOR US AND WHEN WE SUFFER WE ARE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE IN CHRIST GLORY AS WELL. PRAISE HIM
III. PRAISE GOD BECAUSE HE IS THE FATHER OF MERCY
V3C
A. SATAN, FATHER OF ALL LIES – YOUR HEAVENLY
FATHER HAS LEFT YOU - HURT YOU -
CAUSED THIS SUFFERING. ALL LIES!
B. "FATHER OF" MEANS "ORIGINATOR"
MERCY – DOES NOT GIVE US WHAT WE DESERVE
ETERNAL DEATH AND PUNISHMENT
GRACE – GIVES US WHAT WE DO NOT DESERVE
ETERNAL LIFE – PRESENCE IN MIDST OF
SUFFERING
GRACE AND MERCY ORIGINATE FROM GOD AND THEY ARE GIVEN TO HIS PEOPLE IN TIMES OF SUFFERING. PRAISE HIM
IV.PRAISE HIM BECAUSE HE IS GOD OF ALL COMFORT V3D
A. COMFORT-SAME ROOT AS COMFORTER
PARACLET
B. GOD GIVES COMFORT NOT - PITY OR POOR KID
BUT POWER, STRENGTH & COURAGE
2 COR. 12:7-10
2 TIM 1:7 “FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER AND OF LOVE AND OF A SOUND MIND.”
THE COMFORT OF GOD GIVES US STRENGTH AND
FAITH TO OVERCOME SUFFERING. PRAISE HIM
PRAISE CARRIES WITH IN IT AN AWESOME AND WONDERFUL EXPRESSION OF FAITH. IT STATES THAT NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON IN MY LIFE I WILL PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS STRENGTH, WISDOM AND HIS HEART ARE WITH ME.
WHERE THE PEOPLE OF GOD ARE SUFFERING THERE SHOULD BE PRAISE, IT REVEALS OUR TRUST AND FAITH IN THE ONE WHO CONTROLS ALL THINGS.
IF YOU ARE SUFFERING TODAY LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART TO GODS WORD, IT IS FOR YOU …
"I WILL LIFT UP MINE EYES UNTO THE HILLS FROM WHENCE COMETH MY HELP. MY HELP COMETH FROM THE LORD WHICH MADE THE HEAVEN AND EARTH" PSALM 121:1-2
“WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, TO THOSE WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE” ROMANS 8:28
“PRAISE THE LORD! FOR IT IS GOOD TO SING PRAISES TO OUR GOD; FOR IT IS PLEASANT, AND PRAISE IS BEAUTIFUL … HE GATHERS TOGETHER THE OUTCASTS OF ISRAEL. HE HEALS THE BROKENHEARTED AND BINDS UP THEIR WOUNDS …. GREAT IS OUR LORD, AND MIGHTY IN POWER; HIS UNDERSTANDING IS INFINITE”. PSALMS 147:1-5
“I WILL LOVE YOU, O LORD, MY STRENGTH. THE LORD IS MY ROCK AND MY FORTRESS AND MY DELIVERER; MY GOD, MY STRENGTH, IN WHOM I WILL TRUST; MY SHIELD AND THE HORN OF MY SALVATION, MY STRONGHOLD. I WILL CALL UPON THE LORD, WHO IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED; SO SHALL I BE SAVED FROM MY ENEMIES.” PSALMS 18:1-3
“BELOVED, DO NOT THINK IT STRANGE CONCERNING THE FIERY TRIAL WHICH IS TO TRY YOU, AS THOUGH SOME STRANGE THING HAPPENED TO YOU; BUT REJOICE TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU PARTAKE OF CHRIST’S SUFFERINGS, THAT WHEN HIS GLORY IS REVEALED, YOU MAY ALSO BE GLAD WITH EXCEEDING JOY.”
1 PETER 4:12-13
THERE IS NO SUFFERING YOU WILL EVER ENDURE THAT CAN STAND UP TO PRAISE OFFERED TO GOD! THE LORD IS OUR GOD, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, THE ORIGINATOR OF MERCY AND GRACE IN OUR LIVES AND HE IS OUR COMFORTER. WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO PRAISE HIM!
PRAY:
INVITATION:
HARD TO PRAISE WHEN WE ARE HURTING. INSTEAD OF PRAISE WE PLEAD.
HELP US TO PRAISE YOU LORD.
WHO IS SUFFERING TODAY? ARE YOU WILLING TO BEGIN TO PRAISE GOD FOR IT?
GREATEST SUFFERING IN THE WORLD IS FACING TROUBLES OF THIS LIFE ALONE. YOU DON’T HAVE TO. GOSPEL
