Good evening. Open back with us to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. We've all had those days and weeks where trouble just seems to come wave upon wave to us. Just as you get one thing, think completed, you're hit immediately with the next thing. And it just keeps coming over and over. And then you think that one thing that you thought was done comes back and slaps you again. And finally, as the day comes to close, you're just so exhausted. You're so overcome. You just want to curl up in your chair your bed, you know, that one that fits you just right. Get maybe a warm drink, a book, that favorite blanket, just for a moment. Oh, to just hide, to just find some rest. For the believer, that physical world mirrors our spiritual world. How well do we relate to Psalm 93, verse 3? The floods have lifted up, O Lord. The floods have lifted up their voice. The floods have lifted up their waves. When we're in that flood, where do we flee for comfort? 2 Corinthians 1, verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God and Timothy, our brother, unto the church of God, which is Corinth, with all the saints which are in Achaia, grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were oppressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons, Thanks may be given by many on our behalf. When the floods lift up their waves, our hiding place, our rest, is the God of all comfort, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Verse one says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, Unto the Church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia, grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. The God of all comfort is the Father of mercies. Oh, isn't that a comforting word? Mercies, not the singular mercy, but mercies, the abundance that is found in that word, the father of mercies. Lamentations 3, 22 and 23 says it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness." The God of all comfort is the Father of mercies and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was inspired of the Holy Spirit to start verse 3 with, blessed be God, even Even, as used here, is a word to emphasize who Paul is speaking of. God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God overshadowed Mary to bear a son, Jesus, the Son of God. God, who Ephesians 1.12 says, first trusted in Christ. God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom God is the Father of mercies, and therefore He is the God of all comfort. God, even the Father. Our Lord said, I and my Father are one. Those trials that come upon us so very often, When we seek comfort, we seek a person, our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, whom we declare with Thomas, is my Lord and my God. Blessed be God, verse four, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, By the comfort we're with, we ourselves are comforted of God. It never ceases to amaze me the depth of small words and short phrases that we find in the scriptures. Lord willing, this evening we're going to concentrate on six little words. We ourselves are comforted of God. Who is it that is comforted? We ourselves. What does it mean to be comforted? And how is it that God, of whom it is written, thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity, How is it that that God is able to comfort this sinful man? Just who is it that is comforted of God? We ourselves. Who are we? In verse one, Paul addressed this letter to the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints, which are in all Achaia. Achaia means trouble. We are those who have our dwelling in trouble. Verse 3 says, Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation. We are in trouble. We are in tribulation. Trouble and tribulation comes to us in various forms. We all have our troubles and our tribulations. But for all of us born of Adam, we have one overarching trouble, one overarching tribulation. Go down to verse eight. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. Our trouble far exceeds our ability to survive it. Verse 9, but we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The wages of sin is death. Our one common tribulation is we are guilty sinners against God and under the just condemnation of death. As God revealed this trouble in you, are you aware of your great gulf that sin has put between you and your God? Do you, like me, find within yourself only the sentence of death? There's good news. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation. While I was studying for this message, my thoughts went to Job, And after much talk, he finally said to his friends in Job 16.2, I have heard many such things. Miserable comforters are ye all. When you've had trouble and Someone who means well comes to you, and they're trying to comfort you. They're trying to provide you with some words of encouragement. But they actually make matters worse for you. More often than not, when I've had that experience or when I've been the one trying to comfort, at the end of it, I've realized they did mean well. They just didn't know. They hadn't experienced what I was going through to be able to provide comfort. Can't that be said of Job's friends? How could they comfort one who was enduring such great trials and tribulations? When we read, we ourselves are comforted of God. What does this comforted mean? What does it look like? When we're comforted of God, one of the meanings is to be called near. Remember when you were little and you would cry out in fear and your mother or father would say, come here, I'll take care of And you went to them and they wrapped you up in their arms. That fear that you had, it quickly went away. We were comforted. There were a couple of times while we were working on this building that someone would be carrying something, carrying a load, and their grip would begin to slip. and the load was overbearing them. They couldn't handle it any longer and cry out for help. And someone near would rush over and lend assistance with that burden they were carrying. Our trouble reveals our state before God. Pressed out of measure, above strength, in so much that we despair even of life. And when this is revealed to us, it causes our heart to cry out, not trusting in ourselves, but to cry out to Him who is willing and able to comfort us. Comforted means to call near, and it means to give exhortation, which is strong or urging, admonition, cautionary warning, and encouragement. 21 years ago this month, Stacia and I were at Vanderbilt Hospital, and we handed Audrey over to a team of doctors and nurses for her to undergo open heart surgery. Thankfully, there are few parents that have to endure that trial. But for Stacia and I, we were, especially at that time, thankful we were friends with Eddie and Karen Baker, who a few years before that had handed over Brooke for her to have open heart surgery. We received comfort from them because they were able to say things to us, such as, this is how it happened for us. Here are some things they're not going to tell you while you're in the hospital. Keep these in mind. We're here. We've been there. We can listen to you, and we know your doubts and your fears. They haven't experienced much that same situation we're able to exhort. admonish and encourage us as we enter that trial. We who dwell in trouble today find so much comfort in this word of God that he has given us. The Old Testament, full of its pictures, full of its types, full of me's who undergo such things as I experience. And in the preaching of his word, 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, or comfort, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Again, when we've been in trouble, when we've needed comfort, really needed comfort, and someone who means well tries to provide it, they just can't. Almost every time I've encountered that situation, the person trying to comfort me couldn't do it because they weren't, they'd never experienced what I was experiencing. They lacked experience, having never faced that same or similar situation. Our text says, we ourselves are comforted of God. God is spirit. God is eternal. God is holy. How can God provide comfort to such a one as I am, who is flesh, mortal, full of sin? How can he, being so much higher than me, so much greater than me, so much more than me, possibly comfort this sinner? I believe Paul said it best, without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. God, the almighty, eternal, self-existent God was manifest in the flesh. Hold your place here and turn to Hebrews chapter five. Hebrews chapter 5, our Lord Jesus Christ, verse 7, Hebrews 5, 7, who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared, though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him, called an high priest after the order of Melchizedek." Look up on the page to chapter 4, verse 14. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin." Back to 2 Corinthians 1. Jesus, the Son of God, was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin. How is it possible that God can comfort a sinner such as I? because he has experienced my trouble. Verse eight, for we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. When I look within, When my eyes are taken off of Christ and I start walking by sight instead of by faith, how the weight of my sin presses upon me. Our Lord knows our burden. In the garden before he was taken, he said, my soul is exceeding sorrowful. even unto death. Psalm 103.14 says, He knoweth, and this knoweth indicates by experience, to know by experience. He knoweth our frame. He remembereth that we are dust. The eternal almighty God knows by experience my weaknesses. Verse nine, but we have the sentence of death in ourselves. Our Lord, not for any sin that he committed, but for the sin that he took and bore as the sinner's substitute, knows the experience of having the sentence of death. When the overwhelming flood of our griefs was found upon him on Calvary's cross, he by himself consumed the wrath of God in our place and he laid down his life. Verse eight, excuse me, verse nine. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead, who delivered us from so great a death. He knows our frame. He saw us defiled, polluted, without strength, dead. And he came in our likeness. He obtained a righteousness for us. He put our filth upon himself, he paid the redemption price by shedding his blood and laying down his life. Having purged our sins by himself, he rose again. Oh, what comfort for one in trouble! For one who has the sentence of death in ourselves, God raised our Savior from the dead. and shall raise us to, as he has promised, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you under myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Verse three. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, because he knoweth our frame, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. When we hear of someone we love who has come under a burden, our heart cries out for them. But if their burden is one that we have already carried and survived, we are much more willing to call out to them and share good news. I know where you are. I know what you're going through. I know the road is hard, I know things look bleak right now, but I've been there and it's gonna be okay. That's the message we have, that's the gospel message we have to all those in like trouble. In closing, turn with me to Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians 2 verse 1. And I'm going to leave out the words in italics that were added by the translators. Ephesians 2 verse 1. And you who were dead in trespasses and sins. I am one with you. I am one who apart from Christ Jesus in us is dead in trespasses and sins. Are you in that condition? Has God revealed your guilty condition that the sentence of death is upon you? If this is your tribulation, dead in trespasses and sins, There is good news. Verse four. But God, the God of all comfort, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace, ye are saved, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. Pray the Lord will bless that to us.