I do hope you are well. My prayers are with you as we share together in online worship this Sunday.
We will be looking at 2 Corinthians Chapter 1: Entitled, "The God Of All Comfort."
So lets praise our Lord God and sing: Standing on the promises. There are no accompanying voices, so I ask you all to raise yours as we stand on his beautiful promises.
Please open your bibles are read with me " 2nd Corinthians Ch1:1-7
The God Of All Comfort
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.
Praise to the God of all comfort 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. Amen
May the Lord add His blessing on His word this day
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Let us enter into a time of prayer. To help us we will sing, “Be Still for The Presence Of The Lord.”
May I ask you to take this time to voice your own personal prayer this morning. Pray for all those who are grieving. Pray for our Government and world leaders. Pray for your family, our church family, loved ones and friends. Then we will all share together in the Lord's Prayer
Let us share together in the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
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The Staff Band will now play one of my favourite tunes, Fewster, “when Jesus looked O’er Galilee.”
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I think its only right that we sing “Count your blessing.”
Even during these difficult times, we can still “count our blessings.” Let’s sing
Are we ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy we are called to bear?
I’m sure the answer to those question is, “yes.” At those times we may feel that we are sinking. But even when we feel we are going under, Jesus parts the water.
Staff Songster will sing. Part The Water.
The words, “when I cry for help, Oh hear me Lord, and pour out your hand” resonates, I’m sure, with all of us in these difficult times. But we all know, He comforts
The Message: He Will Comfort
There are times in life when we go through seriously rough patches. When we mourn a loss. When we’re lonely and afraid. And in those times, what we need is someone to comfort us – but even when they do, it seems that nothing anybody does or says can make it better.
I want to look at "comfort" today. Not the sort of comfort you get from sitting in a comfortable chair but comfort in times of distress. When we were children, a lot of times we would fall over and hurt ourselves, Mum or Dad would pick us up, brush off the dirt and hold us close while we cry.
What they are doing is comforting us. And I don’t know about you, but, when we grow up, we still need that comforting. Its about knowing there’s someone who cares, who empathises. Someone who feels our pain with us, someone who's not there to judge, or lecture us. But someone who will just be there. To rest a hand upon us, that says, “I’m here.”
I think we have all felt that sense in our hearts when we see someone we love suffering, and all we want to do is hug them so hard that it will take all their pain away, even if it meant bearing their pain for them. That’s comfort. But sometimes, when we’re hurting, it seems that, no matter how many hugs we get, it just doesn’t suffice. Maybe we’re hurting so deeply, that nothing anyone says or does seems to make any difference.
I’m sure we can all remember a time like that. No matter what friends and loved ones tried to say or do, nothing seems to be able to take the hurt away. Now the question is; what do we do in a place where we’re desperately need to be comforted but it hurts so bad that nobody’s able to comfort us? I’ve spoken on such things before. I’ve also spoken on God’s promises that we can rest and depend upon. Promises that are direct from God to you and me. So this morning, let’s look at this promise of comfort
Now this word ‘comfort’ appears many times through Gods word and more often than not it’s about ‘God’ comforting ‘us.’ In fact, there is a promise that Jesus Himself made during the Sermon on the Mount. He lists all the people to be blessed. Nine different groups of people are mentioned and of the second of those He says: Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Jesus also said, I’m here to bind up the broken hearted. And of course Paul states in 2 Corinthians Ch 1 that God is the God of all comfort.
Now, when we’re in pain and hurting, it’s so hard for anyone to break through. But, what I’ve discovered is this. That is exactly when God breaks through. You see, God, has this amazing way of doing that.
I remember many times when I felt alone. Praying often, through the night. And then, the Holy Spirit of God coming into my heart. It was then that I discovered how blessed I can really be through my hurt. God blessed me in my pain, simply because He came to me and comforted me. The apostle Paul got it too. We know that he had a tough life. He was in and out of prison. He was shipwrecked. He was beaten. And a good number of times he went without food. People rioted and plotted to kill him. He was on death row. I mean, you and I wouldn’t want Paul’s life for anything. Ultimately, he was martyred. But, lets read again what he wrote in 2 Corinthians chapter 1.
Praise be to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with a comfort that we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives so also, through Christ, our comfort overflows. 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 that we suffer and our hope for you is firm because we know just as you share in our sufferings, so you also share in our comfort.
How wonderful is that portion of scripture coming from The great Apostle Paul. In this short passage Paul uses the word comfort 8 times. Can you see, that this promise of God, is something that we learn in our experiences. Paul’s been through a lot and yet he is able to talk amazingly about God’s comfort because God’s comfort is something that we can rely on in those times when we need comforting. Paul discovered it in the dungeons on death row. He discovered it when he was on the run for his life and when he was bobbing around in a stormy ocean when his ship had been wrecked. He discovered the comfort of God in those places.
Let me try and explain what this comfort is like, well at least how I have experienced it. Pain is like a dark storm, a tempest, a storm that rages within us. It’s so deep that there simply aren’t words to describe it. In-fact, at times it consumes us. It closes us off from everyone else. We don’t have the strength to even raise our eyes Heavenwards. All we can do is whisper, “God help me”.
Can you remember the story of when Jesus walked out on the water and the disciples were in their boat and the storm was raging and they were afraid of drowning and Jesus calmed the storm. No-one else could have helped them at that moment. No-one else on this planet could have calmed that storm, Only God Himself. And it was God, who walked into that storm and stilled it. And that’s what it’s like for us. It’s like standing by a warm fire on a very cold night. You feel the comfort the warmth brings. That’s the comfort of God. He brings the warmth of His light to comfort us during our difficult times.
Also, let’s remember what Peter did in the storm. He got out of the boat to walk to Jesus. But, as he walked towards Jesus on the water, he got that sinking feeling because he took his eyes off Jesus and he saw the water and he realised what he was doing and he started to sink. And Jesus grabbed his hand and pulled him up.
When I think I'm going under Lord, part the waters.
Let me tell you. I’ve had plenty of those sinking feelings, as I’m sure you have too. But, I have also met the God of all comfort, in those storms. Let me say this to you, as Jesus comes walking out on the water to you, in your storm, you need to respond to that. Because this is a promise, a promise to comfort those who are afraid. Those who mourn. Those who are in fear. Those who are lonely. Those who are marginalised. Those who are oppressed. And you respond by walking out towards Jesus in faith. And I’ll tell you why, because if you don’t, you just stay in your storm.
When we go through bad stuff, for a time there will be sorrow. And your strength just disappears. But, there comes a time, like Peter, where, you have to step out of the boat into the middle of that ocean and walk out in faith and receive Jesus’ comfort. It’s not until we step out of the boat and put our trust in Him that He can reach out and grab our hand to stop us from sinking.
He will comfort, and it’s a promise to tuck away in your heart until one day when you need it. I want to encourage you, in your storm, step out of the boat and go and live in that promise. This promise is a promise that you and I can depend on. He will comfort and sustain us. The 23rd Psalm says, even in our darkest hour, your rod and staff they comfort me. Take that promise and live it. Amen
Let us respond to his goodness, mercy, love, compassion and comfort, as we sing
The Lord’s My Shepherd.
Please take time to meditate on God's word. Rest in his comfort. His promises. Know that he is with you, no matter what. And may the God of all comfort be with you all. Amen
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
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