January 26, 2025

2 CORINTHIANS: ALL IN THE FAMILY

January 26, 2025

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

When we are under a cloud of storms in our lives, from whatever direction they may come, it is so very comforting to have friends tell us they are lifting us up in prayer. Or, perhaps it is those who have been through the same crisis, and understand exactly what we are feeling or experiencing, who lifts our hearts with encouragement. Yet when we feel we can’t make it, we can know with certainty the Lord will show up in a mighty way in our lives. As we will study today, He is the God of all comfort. As one of His children, He loves you so dearly that your pain is something He wants to help you get through. He is there as a friend who will see that you make it. He’ll provide strength and courage. You know this is true as you look back at your life and see the many crises He has brought you through.

Focal Passages: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11, 1 Peter 5:10.

The God of all comfort:                                                                                                                 

  • Read 2 Cor. 1:1-3. Why does Paul give his credentials in verse 1, since he has written to the Corinthians recently? Besides the church at Corinth, who else was/is the letter for?
  • If you are currently in a trial right now, how are you handling it from God’s perspective? Do you know why you are in it? Was it brought on as a consequence, or was it out of your control? Are your actions while in it showing others you are trusting God or are the relationships within the family suffering?
  • Read verse 3. What is the meaning of “blessed”? If we are blessing God what would we do? Blessing Him means we are giving Him praise; why would we give Him praise in the midst of our suffering? Read 1 Thess. 5:18. How is this possible?
  • Is there any situation we can encounter that God cannot get us through?
  • What does it mean to you that God is the God of mercies and ALL comfort? What are some situations that you need comfort in?

You’re not the first and certainly not the last:

  • Read verse 4. What is the difference between being the God of all comfort (vs. 3) and the One who comforts us in all our troubles? Why does He comfort us? Read Psa. 51:12-13. What did David ask for comfort for? When had he written this Psalm? Does anyone remember what the word comfort means in Latin?
  • Read verse 5. What were the sufferings of Christ? Do we suffer today for Christ? What about people in other countries? Yet what does verse 5 say about suffering for Him?
  • Read vv. 6-7. Was Paul speaking of himself and his helpers or was he including us?
  • If we are all walking through life together, why is it so important that we help or encourage others who are in a tough time? If you find yourself wanting to give up because of the trial, what should you do?

God is always faithful:

  • Read Vv. 8-10. What did Paul say he had gone through? Read 2 Cor. 11:24-28. What did Paul list in this passage? Does that make our trials seem much smaller?
  • In verse 9, what is the reason for the trials? Read Deut. 8:2. How is this different than the NT passage? If we trust God to bring us through our trial, will we have passed His test?
  • In verse 10, what is Paul saying about our past, present, and future?

You should be faithful, too—because it matters!

  • Read verse 11. When we pray for each other while we are going through troubles, what message does that send to others? What does it say about the power of prayer?
  • As we pray for strength for God to get us through a very tough time in our lives, how does that strengthen us? What testimony is it to those who are around us?

Take Aways:
Don’t allow your suffering to create discouragement in your life;
Take time in the midst of the valley to notice the mountain tops that create the valleys;                                                                                                                       Take time to notice how God comforts you during your difficult moments so you’ll be able to encourage others in theirs.

Close:

It is not fun to go through difficult times, is it? It seems right now—real time—there are more people going through terrible suffering than has been the case in decades. Almost everyone you talk to who is a Christ-follower is in a battle, as Paul describes in Ephesians 6, with Satanic forces beyond what we’ve seen for a long time. It gives one pause to wonder what’s happening. But one thing is sure, no matter how bad things get, nor how much we have to suffer, we have beside us the God of the universe, holding us close, and making certain we get through it. He will not lose any out of His hand. That is His promise.

We must remember James’ words in Jas. 1, that Satan knows our weaknesses. He knows exactly the buttons to push that will cause you to get discouraged, angry, flirt with someone at the office, use words that should not come out of the mouth of a Christian, and zillions other examples of the part of our life that is not strong. Whatever your weakness is, Satan knows it and uses that bait to trip you up. Be on the alert at all times, clothed with the armor of God, especially while you are in these troublesome times. God may be testing you, as we read in Deut. 8:2, in order to see how much you love Him. He knows anyway, but sometimes we don’t. We want to quit, but instead, we look back at the mountaintops and see how faithful He has been. Every time.

By Sandy Day
January 26, 2025

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