How To Give And Receive Comfort

A Sermon By Jim Hammond from 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

A mountaineering rock climber’s very life sometimes depends on the availability of a handhold. He reaches precariously over a precipice to set a safety pin. A good handhold gives him comfort. For the lead climber on a new climb, each handhold is sought out carefully. Nobody is there to show this pioneering lead climber what handholds are available. He tentatively reaches first one way, then another seeking the best holds. Climbers who follow the lead climber can be directed and guided to the best handles. They usually find handholds because they are following the lead climber’s safety rope.

Today, we are going to learn how to hang on during hard times. It takes handles to hang on during hard times. It is much easier for the person hanging in the lurch, if someone who has gone before him can show him handholds along the way. It is a great comfort to see the safety rope ahead of you marking the course even if you cannot see the lead climber who has you on belay. Today we learn how to give and receive comfort. Giving comfort is not just easing pain, but showing someone how to hang in there when they feel like they are slipping and about to fall.

No suffering need be wasted. One climber who has found a handhold through a difficulty and made it up the difficult climb, can help another climber find his way also.

Focus: Have you experienced difficult times in the past several months? Have you found any handles to help you hang in there? These handholds might be lifesaving handles for your use, then for a friend you can help.

The first thing we learn today is that. . .

I. God Allows Tribulations

I’d like to read a letter that we received this week from one of our mission outreaches. Many of you have met Tom and Melinda Collins. They wrote about a tragedy in their recent prayer letter. Their 7-year-old grandson was killed in a motorcycle accident. The father, their son-in-law survived, but Dakota, the seven-year-old died the next day from massive head injuries.

Tom wrote,

“At his funeral service, Kristen was the first of six speakers who eulogized Dakota. She communicated his delightful personality masterfully. As the last speaker, I assured the congregation that God teaches us in the Bible that the grave is not invested with an eternal darkness. God will not surrender His child to an everlasting sleep. There is a Bright Tomorrow for those who know Christ personally and have a personal relationship with Him
     Several people have asked me: “Why would this tragedy happen to such wonderful people?” I’m not sure the Bible addresses the “why” question clearly. I don’t know why this happened. But I do know from the scriptures that, as a result of the Fall by Adam and Eve, the whole world has been affected. The world is not just, is not fair, and is not safe.
     An example on a macro scale is the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a lonely field in Pennsylvania. But an example on a micro scale is beautiful, wonderful, seven year old Dakota. Accidents happen in an imperfect world.
     Many of you have called and written expressing your deepest sympathy in our loss and we are genuinely grateful to you. Only God knows the depth of the sorrow that Ariel and Kristen and other family members and we feel. God is sustaining all of us through your prayers and we thank you. Please continue to pray, especially for Ariel and Kristen.
     These recent events have served to reaffirm our conviction that in this imperfect world, our only hope is in our Lord Jesus Christ . . .”

People often ask why God allows suffering. Here’s an honest answer that many people can attest to who have experienced the comfort that comes from God. “I don’t know why God is allowing this right now, but I’m sure glad he is right here with me helping me through it.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ⁵For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. ⁶If 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. ⁷And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

The Bible never promises a life without problems. The way some people act and talk you might think such a promise has been made, but it has not.

Just look at the wording in this section alone. God allowed Paul to go through “troubles” (v. 4) and “sufferings” (v. 5) and “distress” (v. 6), “hardships” (v. 8) and “great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure” (v. 9), and “we despaired even of life” (v. 9). The Bible specifically states that we will face trouble.

The comfort God brings to us is not primarily for our own self interest, though you would think our own comfort would always be for our own interest. But note the verse: ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles,

The provision from God is not deliverance “from” trouble, but deliverance “in” trouble. The God of comfort, “comforts us in all our troubles.”

The Christian is not promised a release from trouble, but help in the midst of it. This concept is actually a prominent concept taught throughout the entire Bible, but particularly in this letter. Paul’s opponents in Corinth were questioning his apostleship precisely because Paul was suffering. They seemed to be arguing that an Apostle, one who is truly spiritual would be exempt from such affliction or trial. You can see in this section how Paul refutes the notion that truly spiritual people of faith will be exempt from suffering. You can see the same theme refuting this notion even more prominently in chapters 10-13 of this letter. The truth is God allows tribulation and suffering no matter how spiritual you are, or how faithful you are.

We are glad that Paul was honest because we feel the same feelings of despair. With Paul, we also understand that when we feel this way, we must not rely on ourselves but on God. “I’m sure glad he is right here helping me through it.”

Why did God allow that which is beyond my ability to endure happen? Paul says, “This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God.” (2 Corinthians 1:9)

II. God Promises Comfort

God “comforts us in all our troubles”(v. 4). It is not just in certain kinds of troubles that God brings comfort. Paul should know. He has experienced many kinds of troubles. He experienced God’s comfort through them all.

⁵For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Any suffering we might go through while we are attempting to live for Christ will be more than matched by the comfort God promises. Where sufferings “flow” into our lives, with God comfort “overflows”. The suffering that we go through will never outweigh the comfort we are promised. This truth alone is comforting. When you suffer, remember that the comfort God promises will in the end be worth it all.

A. There is Comfort that comes from Praise

Perhaps Paul begins right where we need to begin, if we need comfort. Notice his sentence.

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

Begin with Praise. When you are struggling, can you decide to Praise God? Pamela Curry, wrote an article entitled "Heart to Heart." In that article she relates the following story.

Every night my 6-year-old, Julie, and I thank God for one thing about the day. One evening Julie was breaking out in chicken pox, I had the flu, and my husband was out of town. As I tucked Julie into bed, she said, "Mommy, I can't think of anything to thank God for today. It was a horrible day." We thought for a while more and she finally said, "I know. We can thank him that the day is over."
So we did. "Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life. No matter how difficult it is, we take comfort knowing you are there to help us make it through horrible days." [i]

Thank your Heavenly Father that he is your father. Thank him for his love. He does love you. He does care. He will bring you comfort. He doesn’t leave you all alone. He is here by your side. Praise him! You will be comforted even as you do.

B. There is Comfort that comes from the Paraclete (The Holy Spirit)

The word for comfort here is paraklesis. This word is from the same root word as the one used to describe the Holy Spirit in John 14:16. The Holy Spirit is the paraclete (see John 14:16), the one who comes along side to help you.

John 14:16 (NIV) ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—

The word “Counselor” is also translatable, “helper”, or “comforter”, and it is referring to the Holy Spirit who comes to the believer. The idea of the word is one who “comes along side of us” and comforts us. Paraklesis can be translated “encourage” or “comfort” or “help” because that’s what happens when someone comes along side of us when we are struggling.

The meaning of the term for “comfort” here is not so much giving us “ease and relaxation.” That would be the wrong idea for “comfort” here. It is not that God makes us feel like we are sitting in our Lazy Boy comfort recliner. It is not that kind of comfort. It’s not that he is rescuing us from every discomfort. The kind of comfort described here is the comfort that comes from being given the tools, and the necessary training, and the essential guidance to endure the problems of life. He is showing us the “handholds.” The one who comes along side of us gives us the confidence that we will make it. It will be okay. It is in this sense that we are comforted, or encouraged. We see the safety rope in front of us. We see that it is doable even as we are hanging precariously by one handhold. We are confident that the lead climber, Jesus, will not let us down.

Sometimes this comfort comes from God’s Spirit alone. He comes along side of us when we are all alone and needing comfort, and suddenly we find that we are never all alone. The God of all comfort is here. He loves us. He cares.

C. There is Comfort that comes from People

But there is another way God comforts. He comforts us through his people.

2 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV) ⁴who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Circle the word “we”. The reason we are comforted is not only for our interest but so that we will be equipped to comfort others.

This verse also shows us the means through which God brings us comfort. It might be easy to think only in abstract terms, as if God’s comfort talked about here comes only through some unexplainable soothing way from within us as the peace of God’s presence sooths your soul. Though God may choose to do this, God often chooses to bring the comfort to us precisely how he describes it in this verse. Look at the word “We” in this verse. “We” are the people who bring God’s comfort. The phrase “So that we can comfort” points to the means God uses to provide encouragement to people. The way he often brings comfort is through his people!

Those comforts in suffering that we found helpful are those handholds that we share with other climbers, other sufferers. This passage teaches us that our suffering, and the comfort we receive through our suffering, becomes the very tools given to the church to encourage others who are also suffering.

Paul knew this first hand. He had been comforted when Titus came to him from Corinth. He tells them about it in 2 Corinthians 7:6 (NIV) “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus”

Timmy in the Thunderstorms

God is the God of all comfort, but God chooses often to use those who have been comforted, to comfort others. Let me tell you about a boy named Timmy and how he needed comfort to illustrate this principle.

Timmy was very afraid of the lightning and the thunder. His mom and dad went into his room during a thunderstorm and said, "Now, Timmy, don't be afraid. God is right here in the room with you."

He said, "Okay, Mommy and Daddy, I won't be afraid."

But then as the mommy and daddy went into their room and started to get ready for bed, the lightning clapped, and the thunder rolled, and Timmy screamed and cried out for “Mommy, Daddy, come here!” Timmy's daddy and mommy went back into the room and said, "Honey, we thought we told you, you don't need to be afraid. God is right here in the room with you."

After another prayer, and after Timmy’s parents left, a big thunderclap rattled the windows again. This time Timmy tried a different tactic. Timmy cried out, "Mommy and Daddy, I know God is right here in the room with me, but I need someone with skin on." [ii]

Timmy has good theology! Timmy knew what God knows about comfort. We need someone with skin on. That is why God sent his son to come in the flesh. That’s why when Jesus left, he left his spirit so that we could be “the body of Christ”, the church. The church is God’s love with skin on. We can offer God’s comfort to someone with an encouraging hug, or just being there. We can be to someone else the comfort of God with skin on!

On another summer evening during another violent thunderstorm fear still terrorized Timmy. Timmy’s mom was trying to tuck him into bed again. The conversation went like it often did during a thunderstorm. When she was about to turn off the light, he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy will you sleep with me tonight?" The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. "I can't dear, I have to sleep in daddy's room." Timmy looked thoughtful, then after a long silence, he said with a quivering voice, "The big sissy."

III. God Expects Caring

2 Corinthians 1:3 (NIV) ³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

If you have any compassion in your heart, guess where it came from? It comes from the Father of all compassion. Compassion is born of God; it comes from God. It reminds me of the song that comes from the Bible:

“Beloved, let us love one another.
For Love is of God
and everyone that loveth is born of God
and knoweth God
He that loveth not (Clap Clap Clap)
Knoweth not God
For God is love. (God is love).
Beloved, let love one another. First John 4:7 and 8”

One of the proofs of being a child of God is that you bear the marks of the Father. You have the signs on you that you are his. When you are the child of the Father of compassion, some compassion is in you. Jesus said, in John 13:35 (NIV) ³⁵By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Have you noticed the phenomenon of the support group? What is the theory behind it? It is hoped that those who have been through a problem (e.g. childlessness, cancer, phobias, addiction, etc.) can be of help to others going through the same problem. No one understands what you are going through like someone who has been there.

Here is a truth. Every one of us is qualified to understand sin and its effects in some way. We know the struggle. The Christian is qualified to understand not just sin, but forgiveness and the comfort of God’s peace and the provision of God’s power. We are like the rock climbers. We know we are safe. We see the rope from our lead climber. Sometimes we are hanging by a handhold and it frightens us or presents some pain. Nevertheless, we are encouraged to have found the comfort of the handle, and we are looking for more handles as we continue the climb. Just as in rock climbing, you don’t climb alone. We help each other along the way. We are called to help fellow climbers.

Our care groups are great places for this to happen. The groups I have been involved in over the years have been very helpful. Sometimes there are people in the group who are “stretcher bearers”, they carry me in a prayer stretcher before God, when my faith is “stuck” or “paralyzed.” These “stretcher bearers” are like the four friends who carried the paralytic to Jesus, and broke through the obstacles in their way and carried the friend and brought him right up to Jesus. We need to be like these “stretcher bearers.”

We have a tendency to want to hide the ugliness of our past. We forget sometimes that when we talk about how we used to be that it encourages people who struggle with the same struggles we have had. Allow the grace of God to be magnified through you. We are all earthen vessels, as the scripture says. 2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” My “earthen vessel” or my “jar of clay” has cracks in it. I guess that makes me a cracked pot. But when God’s grace is in me, his grace and his light seep or shine out the cracks for others to see. If God can use an old crackpot like me He can use you. Will you dare to become a part of the Comfort Connection? Someone’s life may depend on it.

Dear Lord,

As Paul began with praise, we begin with praise this morning. We praise you as the Father of all compassion, the God of all Comfort. We thank you for conquering the only obstacles that keep us apart from you. By faith we see the course before us, it is frightening at times, but we also see that safety rope you left for us. We feel the comforting tug on the harness of your commitment to us. We choose not to look down and focus on fear. We turn to you for comfort as we look up to you. We ask you to show us a handhold, and a foothold, when we feel stuck. We want to stay on the course you set for us, that course that leads to victory. We ask you to add to us not only the practical insight for our next move, but also the confidence that comes from knowing you are here at our side. We are glad that Paul was honest because we feel the same feelings he did. We feel as Paul did sometimes when he went through what he calls “troubles” (v. 4) and “sufferings” (v. 5) and “distress” (v. 6), and “hardships” (v. 8). We can identify with his feeling when he described going through “great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure” (v. 8), when he “despaired even of life” (v. 8), feeling in his heart “the sentence of death” (v. 9).

Just as Paul understood, we also understand that when we feel this way, we must not rely on ourselves but on you, the God who raises the Dead. We thank you for the comfort you bring. We thank you for the comfort that comes from knowing you are right here by our side helping us in every step. Showing us the handholds, even guiding our grip, and our steps. We choose to trust you today, because we know you hold our future, and life is worth the living, just because you live. We offer ourselves to you; if we can be of service to someone else needing comfort, bring that person to mind so that we can be a comfort to him or her.

In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.

[i] Pamela Curry, San Rafael, CA, Today's Christian Woman, "Heart to Heart."

[ii] Thomas Tewell, "The Tenacity of a Bulldog," Preaching Today, Tape No. 141.