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Amen. All right, we're there in 2 Corinthians chapter number 1 and of course as we've been announcing tonight we're starting a brand new book of the Bible and we're gonna be starting in the book of 2 Corinthians and it's always good to be in church right at the beginning of a new series or at the beginning of a new Bible study and I would encourage you to make it a goal to be with us every week as we study through the book of 2 Corinthians and take notes on the back of your course the week there's a place for you to write down some notes and we believe in studying the Bible around here and we believe that the Bible just has the answers to our lives problems last weekend or last yeah last Sunday we celebrated 11 years of ministry here at Verity Baptist Church and in the last 11 years we have gone through together verse by verse chapter by chapter now not all of you were here when we first started but some of you were here from you've been with us from the very first service in the last 11 years we've studied verse by verse chapter by chapter the following books Genesis Exodus Leviticus Joshua judges Ruth first Samuel second Samuel Nehemiah I did a lot of first and second Kings and a series on the life of Elisha but not not the whole first and second Kings Nehemiah Esther job Isaiah Ezekiel Hosea we're doing the book of Joel now Jonah Matthew John Acts Romans first Corinthians we're starting second Corinthians Ephesians Philippians James and Jude all of those books are books that we've studied verse by verse at our church over the last 11 years so we're serious about studying God's Word together and we are glad that you are with us as we begin this new book second Corinthians chapter number one well look down look down there at verse number one the Bible says and this Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timotheus our brother unto the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints which are in all ike I don't know if you remember if you were with us when we went through the book of 1st Corinthians but of course the book of 2nd Corinthians will be referencing the book of 1st Corinthians a lot as we study the book of 2nd Corinthians because of course it's the second letter to the Corinthian Church or another letter to the screen the Corinthian Church from 1st Corinthians but I want you notice just even by way of introduction how the Apostle Paul begins his opening statements he says Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ and then he says this by the will of God and he says that as a defense of his apostleship that whether anybody else acknowledges him as an apostle he is an apostle of Jesus Christ and it's not by his own will is by the will of God and I just want to point this out to you if you go back to 1st Corinthians chapter 9 just real quickly you remember that in 1st Corinthians chapter 9 Paul in the book of 1st Corinthians the epistle of 1st Corinthians Paul had to defend his apostleship to the church at Corinth because there were those who were in Corinth and if you remember our study in 1st Corinthians the church at Corinth had a lot of problems they were a carnal church they were a church that needed a lot of correcting and a lot of correction the book of we just did the book of Philippians on Sunday mornings not too long ago and the book of 1st Corinthians and Philippians are the you know the exact opposite and in Philippians he's just encouraging them and telling them how great they're doing and encouraging them to continue and the church of Corinth had a lot of sin and issues and and one of the things that they were doing is they were questioning the Apostle Paul's authority and his leadership and his apostleship if you remember 1st Corinthians 9 look at verse 1 he says am I not an apostle am I not free have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord are not ye my work in the Lord if I be not an apostle unto others yea doubtless I am to you for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord notice what he says in verse 3 he says mine answer to them that do examine me is this and then he goes on to give his answer but I just want to point out to you that this church the church at Corinth had already been questioning Paul's legitimacy as an apostle so as he begins 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 1 keep your finger right there in 1st Corinthians because we're going to come back to it but go back to 2nd Corinthians 1 he begins by just putting that out there Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God he said just in case you're wondering I'm an apostle by the will of God then I want you to notice the second thing that he brings up here in his opening statements he says and to Timothy our brother unto the church of God notice which is at Corinth then he says this with all the Saints which are in all ike I and he says I'm addressing the church of Corinth and he tells them I'm with all the Saints which are in ike and again I just want to point this out because this is something he dealt with in the first epistle to the Corinthians if you go back to 1st Corinthians chapter 1 I'll just deal with this quickly by way of introduction and then we'll just get into the meat of the text tonight and in his greeting he speaks about this idea of all the Saints now today people have a misunderstanding of the word saint or what a saint is that's due mainly to the Roman Catholic Church that teaches a false teaching about sainthood and pretty much what they teach is that you know these superstar Christians or these Christians after they die you know if they're really good Christians or whatever they become Saints and it's like these like extra good people that become Saints but that's not what the Bible teaches the Bible does not teach the idea of sainthood in the same way that the Catholic Church teaches it what the Bible teaches is that every believer is a saint that every believer is everyone that is saved notice first Corinthians now in second Corinthians 1 1 he says which are which is at Corinth with all the Saints now he says with all the Saints what's he referring to he's talking about all the believers that are with him which are in all ike he wasn't sitting in ike in a room with a bunch of candles you know with people's pictures on it and he's like I'm here with all the Saints okay he was with a bunch of believers that's what he's referring to first Corinthians 1 look at verse 2 notice what he says to the church at Corinth and first Corinthians 1 2 unto the Church of God which is at Corinth notice to them that are sanctified and by the way that's what it means to be a saint is to be sanctified or set apart in Christ Jesus notice called to be Saints he's telling the church at Corinth hey you're called to be Saints what's interesting is that the Church of Corinth is probably the most carnal Church you know if you don't count the seven churches in Asia that Jesus is referring to the Church of Corinth is probably the most carnal Church that Paul dealt with and he calls them he says hey you have been called to be Saints now was the Church of Corinth special notice they were called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours what does that mean here's what he's saying you he's telling the Church of Corinth you have been called to be Saints he says with all he says or along with everyone else that in every place calls upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord here's what he's saying anyone that calls upon Jesus Christ is a saint they are sanctified in Christ Jesus they're called to be Saints you say well what does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord well you're there in first Corinthians just go back one book to Romans Romans chapter number 10 Romans chapter 10 look at verse 12 what does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord well here's what it means if you call upon the name of the Lord you're saved you're a believer and if you haven't called upon the name of the Lord I hate to break it to you but you're not saved Romans chapter 10 verse 12 where there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him verse 13 for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and then in first Corinthians 1 2 he tells us hey you've called to be you've been called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord so you've got some cross references there you can put in the margin of your Bible you can put next to first Corinthians 1 2 Romans 10 12 and 13 and that proves the biblical teaching of Saints you say who are the Saints well you're looking at one and because I'm saved and I'm looking at a bunch of Saints because you because you're saved so if you want to put somebody's picture on a candle take a picture of our church family and put that on a candle we kind of do something similar we put it on a mug and give it to you every year for family and friend day but don't pray to it okay because it's not you're you're not you're look the Bible says there's one mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus it's blasphemous to pray to someone to mediate between you and God you are a priest you have are a saint you have been called to be able to go to the throne of grace yourself through the Lord Jesus Christ so anyway those are all just kind of introductory statements there go back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse 2 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse 2 the Apostle Paul very quickly and this is what we're going to deal with in the first 11 verses here he very clearly begins to deal with this idea of comfort notice verse 2 he says 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 knows what he says father of mercies and the God of all comfort notice the Bible says here and the Apostle Paul kind of highlights this or begins to talk about this because there's something he's going to talk about in in the first part of this chapter that's what we're going to deal with verses 1 through 11 tonight and he talks about the fact that God is our father of course and from the Lord in the father of the Lord Jesus Christ even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of mercies then he says this he calls them the God of all comfort he is the God of all comfort and by the way if God is the God of all comfort then that means that there's nowhere else to get comfort but God now our world tries to get comfort from all sorts of places they try to get it from drugs they try to get it from alcohol they try to get it from gambling they try to get it from pornography they try to get it from all sorts of different places but the Bible says that the only source of comfort is God God is the God of all comfort and the Apostle Paul is going to begin to develop this idea for us and what we're going to look at tonight for those of you taking notes is two questions the first question is this do Christians suffer or do Christians go through suffering do they go through trouble we're going to look at that tonight there's one truth one answer and then another question is if they go through trouble why why does God allow Christians to suffer why does God allow suffering into their lives and we just got done studying the book of Job and it seems like chapter 1 of 2nd Corinthians just kind of goes hand in hand with that so we'll just continue on with that topic the first question is this do Christians go through trouble why won't you notice what the Apostle Paul says look at verse 4 and we're gonna go through all of verses 1 through 11 tonight and we're gonna skip around a little bit but we're gonna cover everything look at verse 4 he says who comforted us notice these words in all our tribulation the Christians go through trouble that's what the word tribulation means by the way we just talked about it on Sunday night when in regards to end times prophecy but tribulation is not the wrath of God tribulation is going through trouble through trials through persecution he says who comforted us in all our tribulation so the question is do Christians go through trouble do Christians go through tribulation and Paul says well I've gone through tribulation he says God comforted us in all our tribulation look at verse 5 he says for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us did the Apostle Paul suffer and he would say yes in fact he would say the sufferings of Christ abound in us look at verse 6 he says and whether we be afflicted is for your consolation and salvation which is effectual in notice these words the enduring of the same suffering which we also suffer he says look we are afflicted and it is the same suffering which we also suffer look at verse 7 and our hope of you is steadfast knowing that as ye are partakers alone notice it's not just Paul he Paul says hey we suffer the sufferings of Christ abound in us in all our tribulation but then he says this to them in verse 7 the Corinthian Church he says as ye are partakers of the suffering so shall ye be also of the constellation verse 8 for we would not brethren notice what he says have you ignorant of our troubles which came to us in Asia Paul says I don't want you to not know of all the troubles we would not have you to be ignorant of our troubles which came to us in Asia that were he says that we notice what he says were pressed out of measure above strength in so much that we despaired even of life but we had the sentence of death in ourselves so here's a question we have tonight do Christians go through trouble and if you ask the Apostle Paul he would say yeah absolutely now sometimes people struggle with this and they fight with this go to the book of John if you would Matthew Mark Luke John you say yeah but I was listening to the TV preacher and the TV preacher said that once I got saved I would never struggle I would never have trouble it'd be all health and wealth and prosperity my life would just be easy well here's the problem is your TV preacher hasn't been studying the Bible because the Bible teaches clearly that Christians go through troubles Christians go through trials Christians do suffer John 16 look at verse 33 John 16 verse 33 Matthew Mark Luke John you might ask pastor what do you think about this recall Gavin Newsom just got you know got to keep his job well I think two things number one two-thirds of Californians are obviously dimwits and and and number two you know what we're gonna suffer Christian suffers John 16 verse 33 these things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace notice in the world you shall have tribulation that's what Jesus said that's why I think it's funny that these pre-tribbers they're all about like we're never going to go through tribulation we're never going to go through tribulation and Paul says who comforted us and all our tribulation Jesus said in the world you shall have tribulation he says but we have good cheer I have overcome the world will we go through troubles yes will we have trials yes will we suffer on this earth as believers the answer is yes go to Romans chapter 8 you're there in John go past the book of Acts into Romans Romans chapter number 8 Romans chapter number 8 notice what the Apostle Paul says here Romans 8 verse 18 he says for I reckon now this is this is a positive verse but I want you to notice he has to acknowledge something negative he says for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time now the purpose of the verse is not to draw the attention to the sufferings of the present time the purpose of the verse is to tell us that those sufferings of this present time they are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us he's saying look it's it's it's fine it's not it's it's not it's gonna is when you get to heaven it's gonna be okay you're not even going to remember you're not going to care but the point is this that I want to bring out from this first is that there is suffering in this present time believers will suffer and look this is why I always think it's it's it's it's this interesting idea because we sit here and we say well I don't believe in the prosperity gospel I don't and you say who believes in the prosperity gospel Joel Osteen TD Jakes you know cleffel dollar pretty much every TV preacher out there all teach and preach that God's just gonna make you you know he's got to think right you just got to give us a million dollars and God's gonna make you rich and make you wealthy make you healthy look here's the thing the Bible says that there will be sufferings in this present time that we will go through trials we will go through tribulation go to 2nd Timothy chapter 3 and find all the t-books they're all clustered together 1st 2nd Thessalonians 1st 2nd Timothy Titus 2nd Timothy chapter 3 you you know the verse but let's look at it together 2nd Timothy chapter 3 you just need to understand this God God has ordained for us as believers to go through trials and look you need to understand this because sometimes Christians you know they they start they get saved they get baptized they start walking with God they start walking you know they start coming to church like this start reading the Bible start actually walking and doing and applying things in their life and then they start having problems then they start having issues then they have start having struggles and they think to themselves like you know what am I doing wrong and the answer is you're not doing anything wrong this is the Christian life the Christian life is a life of struggles I've said it to you over and over again look you're either in a storm you're coming out of a storm or you're going into the storm but a Christian life is just a life of storm you better be founded upon the rock for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared in fact I would submit to you this if you're suffering in this world you're doing something right 2nd Timothy 3 verse 12 yay and all that will live godly you see that word all there is a promise from God this is not the kind of promise you like to claim it's not what you were thinking about when you were singing standing on the promises but he says yay and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution so you know what I think about these Christians who everybody loves the Billy Grahams the Joel Osteen's or everybody just loves them everybody thinks they're great you know here's the thing obviously those guys aren't even safe but even if they were saved they're not living godly in Christ Jesus because the Bible promises yay all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution you're gonna suffer persecution if you're living right and you say well I've never suffered persecution I've never had anybody attacked me for my faith I've never had anybody get mad at me you've never had any issues with your you know people come to our church and like I'm having all these issues with my family I don't understand you I started coming to church I started living right I started doing right you know now it seems like they don't like me they liked me when I was a drug addict they liked me when I was a drunkard they liked me when my life was falling apart but now that I'm trying to live right and do right yay and you know things aren't going well well here's the thing yay and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution you don't suffer persecution when you're living like the world because the world likes you when you're living like that when your life's a mess like their lives a mess but you start shining the light of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible says men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil so yay and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution so the question is this do Christians suffer do Christians go through trouble do they have issues in their life well Paul says hey he comforted us in all our tribulations he says for as the sufferings of Christ abound in abound in us he says and whether we be afflicted he says enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer he says as ye are partakers of the sufferings he says I would not brethren have you ignorant of the troubles which came to us in Asia that we were pressed out of measure above strength in so much we despaired even of life but we had the sentence of death in ourselves hey Paul would say a resounding yes don't be surprised look don't be surprised when you go through persecution when you go through struggles when you go through trials when you go through troubles go back to 2nd Corinthians if you're not there keep your place in John if you would we're gonna come back to the book of John in fact I would say this if your life is just smooth sailing all the time that you ought to be surprised at that someone said the only way to never have the devil confront you is to be moving in the same direction he's moving maybe maybe the maybe you never come head to head with the devil because you're you're running alongside him maybe it's time to start living godly in Christ Jesus do Christians go through troubles the answer is yes so the next natural question is this why why does God allow trouble in our lives I mean why doesn't God just protect us right if God is Almighty is all-powerful he's in control of everything he can control everything why doesn't God just keep us from getting sick why doesn't God just keep us from losing loved ones why doesn't God just keep us from having issues and having problems and why doesn't God just keep us all rich and why does God allow things why does God allow bad politicians to be elected and why does God allow things like these vaccine mandates to be pushed on us why does God allow the coronavirus and all these things why does God allow these things well the Apostle Paul is actually writing to the church at Corinth to answer these questions so you actually give them four reasons in this passage as to why God allows trouble in our lives let me give them to you as quickly as we can tonight four reasons why God allows trouble in our lives number one God allows trouble in our lives so that God can comfort us you realize that you would never experience the comfort of God and some of you maybe have never experienced the comfort of God but you would never experience the comfort of God in your life if you never went through troubles I mean look notice what he says first Corinthians 1 verse 3 blessed be God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of mercies and the God of all comfort God is not only a God who is willing to comfort he is the God of all comfort he specializes in comfort notice verse 4 you say why would God allow us to go through trials here's reason number one who comforted us in all our tribulations why does God allow trials in in your life here's why to give him an opportunity to come for you to allow you the opportunity to experience the comfort of God who comforted us Paul says in all our tribulations by the way Paul the Bible we won't take the time to look at it but he gives all these lists of all the things that happened in his life he was shipwrecked and he was beaten and he was stoned and he was in prison and he was he had people turn on him he had all these things terrible things happen in his life he was deserted and he was left forsaken and but Paul tells us here hey God is the God of all comfort who comforted us and are all our tribulations that we may be able to come for them which are in any trouble notice by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God as the suffering of Christ abound in us notice so our consolation also abounded by Christ you say God allows trouble yes but though the sufferings abound so does our consolation about go back to John John chapter 14 you say why would God allow trouble in our life look this is a common question people ask ask it a little different here's what people are in the work for workforce you know why at work people throw this question at you people you know you don't like them like family friend angles I don't I'm not into God not into organized religion and you'll say why and they'll say something like this why do bad things happen to good people and what they're asking do we go through trouble and I wouldn't necessarily recommend that you answer this way but you know people say why do bad things happen to good people and the question I think I was pops in my head is what good people the Bible says there's none that do with good the Bible says for all have something come short of the glory of God so we will ask this question they say well why do bad things happen to good people and but what they're really asking is why does God allow trouble why does God allow trials why does God allow trouble in in the lives of people and specifically sometimes Christians will ask well why does God allow trials and troubles and persecution and a heartache and difficult times in the life of a believer in the answer one of the answers is this so that you can experience the comfort of God John chapter 14 look at verse 26 and here's the question I have for you and don't answer this out loud but you got I got to ask it have you ever experienced the comfort of God you say I don't know what that means well I'll do my best explain to you but if you don't know what it means you probably haven't experienced it and I'm not getting charismatic on you and Pentecostal I'm just telling you God is the comforter John 14 verse 26 notice but the comforter now how is it that God comforts us notice but the comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you notice these words peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth Pete I giveth give I unto you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid Jesus before he he says I'm gonna leave but he says when I leave God is going to send the comforter we're gonna talk more about the comforter next week he says but the comforter which is the Holy Ghost hey he's gonna come and the God of all comfort is going to use the third person of the Godhead the Holy Spirit of God who is the comforter to comfort you and you say well how exactly and by the way let me just say this keep your finger right there we're gonna come right back to it actually go ahead and go to go back to 2nd Corinthians look at verse 21 and 22 and and we're only gonna deal with verses 1 through 11 tonight we're gonna deal with verses 12 through the end of chapter next week but but just look at verses 21 and 22 the Apostle Paul specifically brings up the Holy Spirit later on in the chapter the chapter that he started off talking about comfort why because the Holy Ghost is the comforter the comforter which is the Holy Ghost 2nd Corinthians 1 look at verse 21 now he which establishes us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God who have also sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts you say how does God comfort how does God bring comfort it is done through the Holy Spirit of God and again that's why he's the God of all comfort because comfort comes from the Holy Spirit and you can only get comfort from God now you say well how exactly practically how does that happen or go back to John 14 you say how does God bring comfort into our lives through the Holy Spirit through the Holy Ghost well he said it he gave it to you he told us right there look at it again John 14 26 but the comforter which is the Holy Ghost first you got to be saved if you don't if you're not saved you don't have the Holy Ghost but the comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name notice what does the comforter do now next week we're going to talk a little bit more about the Holy Spirit and the things he does but just look at this in the context of the comforter and peace notice what he says he shall teach you all things what is that referring to is referring to the fact that is the Holy Spirit of God that teaches you the Word of God the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God did you hear me the Bible says but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned you know the Bible says that unsaved people can't understand the Bible that's what the Bible says it says the natural man the the man that's not regenerated that doesn't have the Holy Ghost that man is spiritually discerned they're cut off they can't understand the Word of God that's why we don't go around handing out a bunch of Bibles to people you say why because an unsafe person can't understand the Bible and if you don't believe me ask an unsafe person about the Bible you know that unsafe people start religious you've heard me say this before unsafe people start religious and they do the exact opposite of what the Bible tells them to do Jesus said his disciples asked him teach us to pray he said okay well here's the thing I don't want you to pray a bunch of repetitious prayers like the heathen do so I'm gonna give you an example so you know how to pray not repetitiously okay guys got it I don't want you to repeat this I just I'm gonna give this here as an example our father which are in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is heaven and then a bunch of unsafe people say hey I got an idea let's repeat that over and over again and you think yourself like what in the world he just told you not to do it repetitiously when you say why is that here's why it is because unsafe people cannot understand the Bible period they can't understand the Bible Jehovah's Witnesses tell you the 144,000 are the only ones that are gonna go to heaven you read the passage about the 144,000 they're coming from heaven to earth during the wrath of God and they're like oh no 144,000 are there it's almost like the devil's mocking just the exact opposite the Bible just over and over and over and over and over and over and over again all throughout the Bible all throughout the Bible God says none of works you don't earn it you don't have to do good things you can't lose it once you have it you could never lose it and every religion in the world says you got to earn it you got to do good works you just you know you got to live the right life God says you don't have to earn it it's not of works it's by grace I've done all that needs to be done I mean how could he clearly not by works of righteousness which we have done not by works lest any man should boast no one is saved by their work and then all these unsafe people are like do you know for sure that today you aren't in heaven oh yeah well I'm trying to live a good life so how do you get there here's how you get there they don't understand the Bible because they don't have the Holy Spirit because unsafe people cannot understand the Bible you say how can you say that so authoritative because that's what the Bible says but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness but you know who can understand the Bible believers because they have the Holy Spirit of God they can understand the Word of God notice but the comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance you say how does God come for you here's how God comforts you during times of trial and tribulation the Holy Ghost brings things to your remembrance so you you have health problems and and you're feeling bad and the Holy Ghost says hey the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us you lose your job because the coronavirus and the Holy Ghost reminds you but seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you but my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches and glory you start going you lose somebody and the Holy Ghost reminds you hey precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints we we don't sorrow as those which have no hope you know how is it exactly that God comforts you when we start going through troubles it is the Holy Ghost which brings all things into remembrance and we remember oh yeah normally I'd be really upset about that but I just remember what the Bible said about her and then and then what happens as a result verse 27 peace peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth peace give I unto you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid go to Philippians chapter 4 you're there in John you've got Acts Romans first 2nd Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Philippians chapter 4 Philippians chapter 4 look at verse 6 Philippians 4 6 be careful for nothing what does that mean careful means to be to be caring about to be anxious to be worried I'm really worried about this recall Gavin Newsom just got you know kept his job really worried about this recall I'm gonna move to the mother state why so you Joe Biden can be a president be careful for nothing we need Joe Biden says to get out of office why so Kamala Harris could be your president well maybe we should pray that they both die why so Nancy Pelosi could be here do you understand what I'm saying to you some of you need to stop worrying and by the way that's the way the Constitution works if the president dies the vice president becomes president the vice president dies then the Speaker of the House becomes president some of these are putting so much trust in people and start putting your trust in God be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving will let your requests be made known unto God now look I'm all for praying you say were you praying for the election last night I was praying for the election but God chose to give us trouble verse 7 and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus how could somebody have their baby die and go through it with peace I'll tell you how the Holy Ghost tell you what the Holy Ghost reminding them you didn't lose a child they just went to a better place you'll be reunited someday and the peace of God which passeth all not understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus here's all I'm telling you here's all I'm telling you if you've never experienced that type of comfort if you've never experienced that type of comfort God gives you an opportunity every time he allows troubles and trials and persecutions and heartaches and difficulties into your life he gives you an opportunity see we don't think of trials as an opportunity I lost my job great great you have a great opportunity in front of you I just got a bad health report you've got an opportunity before you I just got some bad news about my kids you have an opportunity in front of you I'm not I'm not trying to belittle it I'm not trying to dismiss it I'm just telling you that this is an opportunity for you to experience something that you otherwise could never experience the God of all comfort to give you the peace of God which passes all understanding David said the Bible says you don't have to turn there you go you be in second Corinthians we're not there first Samuel 30 verse 10 and David was great use of stress for the people's sake of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved every man for his sons and for his daughters but David he encouraged himself in the Lord his God God of all comfort you say why why does God allow trouble in our lives number one so that God can comfort us number two why does God allow trials and troubles in our lives I said number one so that God can comfort us number two so that God can build our faith no notice what Paul says in verse 9 but we had the sentence of death in ourselves again I want you notice the context first Corinthians 1 2nd Corinthians 1 verse 8 but we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia and by the way I'm not I'm not saying that oh you're you're a Christian and if you don't ever get you know disoriented a little bit by trouble then you're you're a bad person or whatever obviously we're human beings notice what the Apostle Paul says he says he says I would not have you brethren he says for we would not brethren have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia that we were notice what he says pressed out of measure he says I felt like I took a beating and there was nothing else for them to beat out of me I was just pressed out there's nothing else for me to give I was pressed out of measure he says above strength I had no more strength nothing else to give he says in so much that we despaired even of life he said I didn't want to live anymore he said but we had the sentence of death in ourselves is that I wish I would die I wish and by the way all throughout the Bible you find men of God Elijah men of God Moses men of God Jonah asking for God to take their lives sometimes we have the sentence of death in ourselves but notice notice what Paul says in verse 9 he says what you say Paul why did that happen why did God allow that here's what he says but we had the sense of death in ourselves notice that we should not trust in ourselves don't know why God allows trouble in your life I believe that God allows trouble in your life and in my life because we're a little too confident in ourselves sometimes and God just kind of has to flip things around a little bit and bring us to the end of ourselves and show us and we're mind us that we're no one that we should not trust in ourselves but in God which raised at the dead here's what he's saying if God can raise you from the dead physically he can take care of all the other stuff you're worried about who delivered us from so great a death and that deliver us notice in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us you say why does God allow trouble in our lives he does it so that he can comfort us and he does it so that he can build our trust so that he can build that's what the word faith means the word faith and belief has to do with trust in whom you also trusted the Bible says and we say why does God allow trouble so that we would not trust in ourselves so we would have no confidence in ourselves go to Psalm real quickly Psalm 20 open your Bible just right in the center more than likely you found the book of Psalm Psalm 20 keep your finger right there because we're gonna leave it and we're gonna come back to it Psalm 20 look at verse 1 the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble Psalm 20 verse 1 what's the context the day of trouble the Lord hear thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Jacob defend thee send thee help from the sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Zion here we have the psalmist praying and asking God to be delivered from trouble but notice what trouble does trouble allows them to trust in the Lord verse 7 Psalm trust in chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God and by the way it's the Holy Ghost's job to remind you you've been trusting you see some things God has to take away the chariots to keep you from trusting in those chariots he has to take away the horses to keep you from trusting in those horses sometimes God needs to take away some things so that we will remember the name of the Lord our God so why does God allow trouble so that God can comfort us why does God allow trouble so that God can build our faith and our trust and our dependence in him maybe a third one why does God allow trouble go back to 2nd Corinthians keep your finger right there in Psalms 2nd Corinthians 1 look at verse 11 he says he also helping together by prayer for us here here Paul says it wasn't just God by the way it was God the God of all comfort but he said you you took a part in in the comfort as well he says ye also helping together by prayer for us that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons things may be given to many on our behalf you say what does that mean what's that talking about here's what it's talking about God allows trouble in our lives sometimes to unite us with other believers notice what he says ye also helping together by prayer for us he said you prayed for us he says that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons things may be given by many on our behalf he said this trial this trouble brought us together go to Romans 15 Romans chapter 15 we got to hurry up right now time Romans chapter 15 go backwards you got second Corinthians first Corinthians Romans Romans 15 I mean for some of you isn't that your story how do you start coming to church well my life was falling apart so God used trouble in your life to draw you closer not only to himself but to other believers to a community of believers that would pray for you you understand when we get it we know we meet together on a Wednesday night we got this prayer sheet we're not just going through some religious exercise you know we actually believe in prayer around here no God actually answers prayers now God's answer to prayer is not always the answer we want we have to understand that but if God answers prayer then God can help us through those answers Romans 15 verse 30 now I beseech your brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake for the love of the Spirit Romans 15 30 that ye notice strive together remember we saw that in Philippians striving together for the faith of the gospel well here we have a different strive together that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me Jesus said that the house of God should be called the house of prayer that's why we take the time to pray we take the time to write the prayer request and print out a prayer sheet and and we take the time to actually go through and pray for our church family together why because we are to strive together in prayer why because we're supposed to be helping together by prayer for us the try see the trials in your life that you write on that prayer sheet are supposed to unite us as believers in prayer 1st Corinthians 12 you're there in Romans go back to 1st Corinthians chapter 12 look at verse 26 Romans next book over 1st Corinthians 12 verse 26 and whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it 1st Corinthians 12 26 look this is what a church community this is what a community of believers called the local New Testament Church this is how it's supposed to be and whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honored all the members rejoice with it I mean our church has always been good about these things and we do it for everyone that's a member here my wife and I have recently experienced it ourselves with my wife of course having a miscarriage and all the the people you know bringing meals and and and and writing cards and and and and and and sending encouraging text messages you say why do you do that they don't do that for you at work they don't do that for you at the bowling league bowling league doesn't get a bunch of meals together and bring them to you when you're not doing well because they're a bunch of unbelievers they're selfish but in church we're supposed to when one member suffers all the members suffer with it when one member is honored all the members rejoice with it and many of you have experienced it you've had people be there for you pray for you encourage you along the way you don't have to turn here let me just read this for you Ecclesiastes 4 9 2 are better than 1 because they have a good reward for their labor for if they fall the one will lift up his fellow but woe to him that is alone when he followed say why don't you even go to church because woe to him that is alone when he followed that's why for he hath not another to help him up again if to lie together then they have heat but how can one be warm alone and if one prevail against him to show with tandem and a threefold cord is not quickly broken I like how he said he says two are better than one and then he ends you know it's better than two three you know it's better than three 170 like we have here tonight we're supposed to rejoice together suffer together pray for each other troubles you know that troubles in our lives bring us together you say why does God allow troubles in our life so that God can come for you so that God can build your confidence so that it will unite you with other believers let me give you the last one we'll finish up go back to 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse 3 blessed be God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of all mercies and the God of all comfort why does God allow come trials in our life so that he can comfort us so that we can build our faith and our trust in him so that it will unite us with other believers but here's honestly the main reason why God brings trials in our life I would say this is the main context of this passage who comforted us and all our tribulations don't miss it that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble say why does God allow trials in our lives so that you can come for others why does God allow trials in our lives so that God can come for you so that other believers can comfort you and then you can turn around and comfort others look at look at verse 5 for as the sufferings of Christ abound in us or consolation also abounded by Christ and whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation he says look I've been afflicted Paul says but when I was afflicted he said there's a benefit there because it is for your consolation and salvation which is effectual and the enduring of the same suffering which we also suffer or whether we be comforted notice whether we be comforted whether God comforts us it is for your consolation and salvation and our hope of you is steadfast knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings so shall ye be also of the consolation let me tell you something when God allows trials and troubles in your life it's easy for us to sit there and and collapse under the burden that we're caring to throw ourselves a pity party isn't that fun as fun as parties you've been to the pity parties we throw for ourselves but Paul says there's a reason why God gave you that burden he said in fact you ought to make that burden a bridge to help others because whatever you've gone through whatever you've lost whatever you've struggled with whatever you've dealt with in life that you say it's a it's a trial it's a tribulation it's a persecution it's a heartache it's a struggle that God allowed into your life I can promise you this that God brought it into your life so that he can draw closer to you so that he can comfort you so that other believers can come for you so that he can build your face so that then you can turn around and comfort others so if you're asking yourself why is God putting me allowing me to go through this here's a question here's the answer that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble God allows trouble in our lives so that we can be comforted and then we can turn around and comfort others so yes God has a purpose in the trial yes God has a plan in the trouble he wants you to experience the comfort that can only come from God he wants to build your trust he wants other believers to come alongside you and help you and pray with you and rejoice with you and then he wants you to turn around and do that for others that's by our heads and I want a prayer Heavenly Father thank you Lord for your word think of this book of 2nd Corinthians the Apostle Paul begins just right off the bat highly practical highly applicable dealing with questions that many people ask why does God allow trials and troubles into our lives Lord help us to be clear of the fact that God does allow trials and God does allow troubles and God does allow heartache sometimes but he doesn't so that he can comfort us so that he can build our faith so he can unite us to other believers that we might be comforted through them and so that we will one day eventually turn around and comfort others thank you for teaching us this help us to remember this Lord I pray that the Holy Ghost would help us remember these truths we've learned tonight at the exact time that we need him when we need to be comforted by him in the matchless name of Christ we pray amen