I invite you now to turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. In your pew Bible that's on page 964. And as you turn there, I just want to give just a little overview of verses 3 through 11. There's one main idea. We've split it into two parts here. Paul teaches us that afflictions are not a sign of curse, but are used to bring about greater blessings in the lives of the saints. That's the big message of 2 Corinthians 1, verses 3 through 11. And last week in verses, the first few verses, three through seven, Paul taught us that the Christian experiences trials and afflictions so that we might know that comfort can only come from God himself as the God of comfort, and that one reason we experience those trials is so that we might be able to help encourage others in the midst of their trials. So now we're gonna get to the second part of this section, verses eight through 11, is what we'll focus on this evening. And Paul's going to add to his doctrine of affliction and comfort by explaining that Paul and all Christians do experience intense and severe afflictions, but they do so that they might learn to rely on God instead of themselves. So 2 Corinthians chapter one, verses three through 11. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. And if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. Verse eight. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. Praise God for His most encouraging word. Let's pray. Our God and our Father, as we come before you once more to hear the comforting messages that Christ has for us as our prophet through the reading and preaching of the Word, we do ask that you would help us to hear these things, to stay alert as it's getting later on in the day so that we might be comforted with that same comfort that the Apostle Paul was comforted with. In Christ's name, amen. For some reason, and we know the reason, and we'll get to it here, but for some reason, speaking a bit tongue-in-cheek, it's so difficult for us to trust Almighty God. Instead, we'd much rather rely on our own strength. It's so difficult for us, even as some of us are entering decade upon decade of life, that we're not powerful. We can't do it on our own, that we need to learn and trust God. And how do we learn that lesson? Well, we learn that lesson through suffering. And it's a difficult lesson for us to learn because the world tells us that if you rely on someone else for something, if you look for help, you're just weak. You're just not self-sufficient. It's also hard for us because as sinners and Americans, we are very proud. We feel like we're strong, we're self-sufficient. And at some point in our lives, and praise God, many of us are past this, but we feel like young spiritual marines that are just invincible and ready for battle. But the truth is, on our own, apart from God's grace, we are helpless. And until we learn how helpless we really are, until we figure that out, we're going to keep relying on ourselves. As we have that indwelling sin, we're still prideful creatures, and for some reason that doesn't make sense, we refuse to surrender and place our troubles in God's mighty, willing, and able hands. So tonight, Paul teaches us clearly that the path to learning how to rely on God in all of our pain and suffering is through the path of pain and suffering. And he also tells us that in promise us it's going to be worth it. The pain and suffering that we experience that teaches us to rely on God will help us to grow in our dependence upon him. And in the midst of suffering, our hope and our confidence will grow and we'll be further comforted and understand that God really is with us and he has a purpose for us in the midst of our pain. We're going to unpack this message from these few verses here under three points. Despair unto death, deliverance through resurrection, and dependence on the prayers of the saints. So Paul begins this section by describing absolutely crushing despair that he and his companions in Asia experienced. In verses eight and nine we read, for we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. And so the first question we have for Paul upon hearing this is, what happened in Asia? What was so difficult and so awful? Well, Paul doesn't explain exactly what happened to him in Asia because the Corinthians there already knew what happened to him. Commentators give a lot of nice opinions and guesses. Some believe that Paul's referring to the riots that occurred in Ephesus. Some think that they're referring to the persecution of Paul by Jewish authorities. and some think that they're referring to Paul's shipwreck experience. All these things were happening in Asia. I suppose it could also be all of these things. We don't really know for sure. But the focus isn't on what happened to Paul in Asia. The focus here is the resulting feeling of despair and helplessness that took residence in Paul's heart as a result of these trials. Paul says that he was under such great pressure, under such a crushing weight, that he had no strength to continue and even despaired of life itself. That means he didn't even want to live anymore. He just wanted it to end. He wanted his pain and suffering to end in death. Now the picture Paul paints here with the vocabulary that he's using would be the kind of language where you picture a ship that's overloaded and it's so overloaded that it's sinking into the water. It's carrying too much weight or a beast of burden, a donkey or a camel that's just being crushed under the weight of its load and it's about to just collapse. This is how Paul felt. He wanted to die. He had no hope. He only had fear and dread. He felt that he was under a sentence of death. He felt like a man condemned to die. That means he had no hope. In Paul's day, the sentence of death might be by crucifixion. It could be by being shredded by animals in the arena. For us, we would imagine it would be like us sitting on death row, innocent of a crime, there for our faith. and without any appeals left and just awaiting lethal injection or the electric chair. Paul knows his hope, but this is how he feels. He has this feeling of being not just depressed, but in utter despair, feeling completely helpless to change his situation, to get out of this suffering, and he's not sure how much longer he can take it. Paul's not just stretched. He's weighed down beyond the limits of his own power to endure. He's ready to break. He's ready to give up. And it sounds like he was already broken. I ask you, have you ever felt this kind of pain? This kind of sorrow? This kind of hopelessness? where it's almost impossible to get out of bed in the morning, whether it's physical or emotional pain, helplessness, hopelessness, whether it's about your life or about someone that you love dearly, just crushed and weighed down by the trials of life, prayed for death and just wanted it to end. Lord, I'm ready for glory. Brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ, hear this. Many of you have been here. Some of you are here. And if you never have been, you will be. But you are not alone in your suffering and afflictions. There is purpose for you in your suffering. The Apostle Paul knew the Lord Jesus. He saw the resurrected Christ on the road to Damascus. He knew Jesus. Jesus loved him and Paul loved Jesus. And yet, God still allowed Paul to suffer past his breaking point. If you are suffering, experiencing trials, under severe affliction, know this. You're not suffering because God is angry at you. You're not suffering because He's trying to get back at you for some decision that you made. Your suffering doesn't mean that God doesn't love you. It doesn't mean that He can't hear you and that He's not paying attention to your prayers and your cries into your pillow at night. God notices your silent suffering, even as you try to pretend that everything is okay, but on the inside are wasting away and decaying. He knows, and He does not enjoy watching you suffer. But we're going to see here that He has a purpose for your suffering. And suffering in this way might be for a short season, or it might be for a long season, but it has a purpose. And that purpose is to teach us a lesson that we can't learn in any other way. This is the only way we're gonna learn this lesson. He brings us to a point of breaking so that we will see our great need for Jesus. And so that we can finally understand that we can't make it in our own strength. God uses afflictions to teach his children whom he loves with an everlasting fatherly love. That they will only find the comfort they seek in the midst of suffering, in the loving arms of Christ. We go through difficult times so that we can learn to rely on God. This is what Paul says, second half of verse 9, but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God. God shows us our helplessness so that we will finally figure out that there is only hope found in Him. He allows us to experience affliction so that we can experience deliverance and to rejoice in it. There's a purpose in your suffering. But even so, We have a couple questions for the Apostle Paul. My afflictions may be many and painful. How can I know and how can I be sure that God is actually able to deliver me from this suffering? How can I be sure that He has the power to do it? And how can I be sure that He will? What if He has the power but He decides not to deliver me? Well, Paul anticipates our doubts and he answers these questions throughout verses 9 and 10. This is our second point, deliverance by the razor of the dead. So the first question that Paul tackles that I just raised here is how do you know God is even able to rescue me from my afflictions? Well, we find the answer in the last few words of verse nine. Who raises the dead? We can read that almost like another title, like the titles that Paul gave in verse three. God is the God of all comfort, the Father of all mercies. And here we read that God is the Resurrector. He's the raiser of the dead God. That's who he is. We are not able to defeat our enemies, but God is able, and He's proved to us that He's able through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our confidence is in the God of the resurrection. And Paul spent a lot of time preaching on the power of the resurrection to the church in Corinth. Remember 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection chapter. Toward the end of 1 Corinthians 15, Paul speaks of resurrection power. He says, when the perishable puts on the imperishable and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. God Almighty showed His power over sin, over Satan, and over the grave through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And because we are united to Him in both His death and in His resurrection, we know that that same resurrection power will be raised on the last day for us. And it's already been displayed in us that we've been raised in our first resurrection from death unto life. Our God is not just able to save us from our afflictions, He's more than able and He's proved His power by the raising of His Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead. He is able. Now, our second question for Paul might sound something like this. Okay, Paul, He's able. I grant you that. But how do I know that God will rescue me? How do I know He will? Paul answers this question in verse 10. He delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. The answer Paul gives is this, God has already demonstrated his great power to deliver him and his great desire to deliver him by rescuing him from death in the past. And as a result, he has every confidence that God will deliver him in the future. He knows because God has already proved that he's already delivered him. Why would he deliver him just to let him suffer and die? He will deliver him again. And so we praise the Father of all mercies for past rescues as we recount them. And as a result, we get an unshakable confidence that no matter what, He will deliver us again and again and again because that's what God does for those whom He loves. Paul knows God will deliver him because God showed His faithfulness in history to keep all of His promises. which are yes and amen in Christ, and God has showed His faithfulness over and over again in Paul's life. Our God is a God who we can rely upon and trust, knowing that even if deliverance from our earthly troubles don't come to us in this life, God will use them to help us to rely upon Him alone so that we will be prepared to be with Him forever in the life to come. There are purposes in our affliction. And Paul has more than just history to increase his confidence. He also has confidence because he's united to Christ. in verse 5. Paul tells us that we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so we might also share abundantly in Christ's comfort. Paul knows that this life pattern, we talked about this a little bit last week, this life pattern of Christ's life of suffering and then glory, that this is true for every Christian because we're united to Christ. There's a pattern of affliction, death, and resurrection in Christ's life and in the life of the saints throughout the ages. Christ learned obedience through what He suffered. He died, and then he was raised by the power of God. Our afflictions teach us to rely not on ourselves, but upon God, and through these sufferings, again, we often feel like we're on the brink of death, and then this causes us to cry out for salvation, and then God delivers us. In our Old Testament reading, we see this pattern at work in the lives of the saints that were slaves in Egypt. And this pattern's throughout the Old Testament, all over the place. Now that I mention it, as you read your Bibles, you're gonna start seeing it everywhere. But there's a pattern of affliction, death, and resurrection. In Exodus 2, we see a people in affliction under the yoke of slavery, and they're essentially as good as dead in Egypt. They are under affliction and essentially are dead. They have no life. They're slaves. Their affliction causes them to realize that they're powerless to save themselves. So what do they do? Then they cry out to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and God hears them, and He knew their suffering, and He saved them by His mighty hand. Affliction, death, resurrection. Affliction in Egypt brought through the Red Sea, which was death for Pharaoh and his armies, and resurrection and new life as they headed for the land of promise. He brought them through the waters of judgment in order to make them a people unto himself, a people he gave new life in the promised land." So we might wonder, Why can't we learn an easier way? Why does God work like this? Why does it have to be affliction, death, resurrection, glory? Let me ask you a question. Think about this. If everything was good in Egypt, if they continued to live a life of plenty, had everything they need, Do you think that they would have sought out the God of Abraham after being there prosperously for 400 years? They would have forgotten God and His promises. They wouldn't have needed Him. They would have congratulated themselves on rising to power in Egypt. Aren't we special? Aren't we smart? Aren't we hard workers? So we can answer this question. We know that we don't cry out to God and that we don't rely on Him until we see our great need and are in great distress. Now, our afflictions are more than unpleasant. They more than just hurt. They cause us to despair. But it is in that despair that the God of all comfort raises us from our spiritual death and gives us new life and hope in Jesus Christ. It is in our suffering that we finally see our great need for the Father of all mercies and cry out to Him for deliverance. Without affliction, we would see no need for God and we would not seek Him. So there's a purpose in our affliction. And we don't like that purpose. We might hate that purpose, but without it, we would not see God. So not only are afflictions expected because we share in Christ's sufferings, but they're necessary for us to learn to rely on the God who raises the dead. And we must rely on Him so that we will also be raised. This is the kind of hope that we need in the midst of our trials. We certainly don't enjoy our trials, and we just want them to end. But we must not wish that they never were, because without them we would not know Christ, and we would not know the comfort that knowing Him brings. So with Paul, let us learn not to despise our sufferings, but in them learn to rely on God more quickly, then maybe they can be shorter. At least that's my theory. What lesson is it that I need to learn so this can end? I'm not sure it works that way, but we can certainly try. We know that God is not only to save us from death, but He's willing and He's pleased and He will save us. Now Paul has one more thing to say in this section before he starts talking about why he changed his travel plans. And Paul emphasizes the need for prayer partners in the midst of suffering. In verse 11 he says, you must also help us by prayer so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. Now the English Standard Version presents this as a command, you must help us by prayer Command doesn't quite really capture best what Paul's writing here. The New King James probably has it over the ESV on this one where it says, you also helping together in prayer for us. This idea of prayer partnership and helping together. Paul's asking for prayer partners. He's emphasizing the absolute importance of an intercessory prayer. Those experiencing affliction need the prayers of the saints. They need them. Paul asked for prayers because he knows that God works through the means of the prayers of the saints. And the result of answered prayer is that many will give thanks. God's people will hear the testimony that God answered such and such a prayer and poured out His blessings abundantly upon them. And then all will have encouragement and a greater hope, especially then faced with their own trials. They'll know there's hope there. that prayers will be answered. So the application is pretty clear here for us in point three. We're called to pray for each other, especially for those who are afflicted and for suffering. And I know I said something like this last week, but I'm going to say it until we stop doing it, and we're probably never going to stop. If you don't share your burdens with others, If you don't share your suffering, the knowledge of them with other people, if you don't share with others that you're in affliction and in pain, then we can't pray for you. And you need those prayers. So share with one another. When we pray, God answers every single prayer. that is pleasing to Him. This is why we pray so much. This is why we take prayer requests in the PM and we send out, you know, so many flock notes. It's because we believe prayer, God uses prayer. The world thinks that when someone says, oh, I will pray for you or appreciate prayers and good and positive thoughts, I think even a former president would say that. It's just a nice way of them saying, look, I'm really sorry that you're hurting. It's hard for me to watch you hurt because it hurts me. Or in best case, I hurt with you. The Bible doesn't describe prayer as just wishful thinking and good thoughts. Prayer in the Bible has power. God does something with it. This is taught in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. In Psalm 50, God says, call upon me and I shall rescue you. Jesus talks about prayer in many places. One place He talks about the power of prayer is John 16. Verses 23 and 24. He says, In that day you will not question me about anything. Truly, truly I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full. The Bible is full of answered prayers. So know this, your prayers are important. You might be far away from the person who is in need. The Corinthians were far away from Paul. You might feel like you're powerless and you can't do anything to help. I wish I could do more. When we say I wish I could do more, it's because we don't feel like praying is very much. It's not what our Lord Jesus says about prayer here. God uses prayer as a means to comfort and even deliver other saints from their afflictions. So it's a great honor. I know sometimes our prayers are a lot and I know sometimes that they're long, but it's a great honor and a privilege that God gives us and he allows us to come alongside and to participate in the comforting of the saints. The almighty creator of heaven and earth, he certainly doesn't need us or need our prayers, but he allows us to partner with him and participate in the work. So let's make sure that we don't just say when we hear a prayer request from someone or we read it on a flock note, oh, I'll do that, I'll pray for you, pray for them there and then. Or I read that flock note, oh, I'll do it later. Okay, well, unless you're gonna write it down to make sure you do it later and you have a system for that, stop and pray right there and then, because prayer is a privilege and it's a partnership and God uses it. It's a blessing and an encouragement that as we hear these prayers get answered, that's one of the other things that we do during our time here. I don't know if you know this, but I don't think most OPCs do prayer requests like we do. Some of them might take them before the service, right? But they don't have them in the service where you're sharing them and you're also reporting on answered prayer. This is something unique that this church does that's a blessing, and it just further shows us its opportunity to partner with the Lord and to participate in seeing these prayers answered. And as they're answered, we get really encouraged. This is something unique that we do here, and this is why we do it. It's where we're seeking to be partners, as Paul asks us to. And this is a blessing, and this is an encouragement. As all of you know, we've heard so many prayers answered here over the years, and the years and the years, and God will continue to answer those and deliver us again and again and again. And even some of the lost that we pray for, someday, some of them are going to sit in here, and they're going to worship with us. We look forward to that day. And as we finish up tonight, we just want to summarize. This is a difficult teaching, but it's an encouraging teaching. God's word tells us how to view our afflictions and our trials. He doesn't tell us to love them. He doesn't tell us to hope for more, but we are to accept them. we can take great comfort in the midst of pain, knowing that God will use even the evil that we're afflicted by for his glory and for our good. He uses the pain and suffering that we experience in this fallen world to help us see over and over again that we need a deliverer. Without trials, we would never see our need for Christ. We wouldn't seek him, we would just fall away. Without trials, we would not be able to comfort others. And without trials, we wouldn't long for glory because we would be so happy here. So praise God from whom all blessings flow, who takes our depression and our despair and transforms it into comfort and heavenly joy everlasting through the work of Christ. Let's pray. God of all comfort, Father of all mercies, God the raiser of the dead, help us to see our trials and sufferings as you intend us to see them. Help us to see them as, yes, they're a result of this fallen world and we experience them often because of evil, but we also experience them because we experience your fatherly love and even your discipline. We need them so that we will seek you and be able to help others and to prepare us for glory. So Lord, we do ask for whatever affliction is in our mind that we are suffering under, we ask for it to end. But Lord, before it ends, let us seek you and experience comfort. In Christ's name, amen.