2 Corinthians 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, write to the church of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints which are in Achaia. Grace be unto 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 comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who 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 abounds by Christ. Whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we all suffer. Or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also shall you be of the consolation.

We would not, brethren, have you be ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure above strength, insomuch that we despaired of life. We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. He delivered us from so great a death and does deliver us, in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us.

You 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. Father, we come to Your word today, humbly seeking that You would give us understanding.

and application. Lord, that we would see You revealed more fully in this passage of Scripture as we open a new book. God, reveal Yourself to us in such a way that we would carry what we see here out into this world, that people would see Your light shining in and through us, and that they would glorify You because of what they have come to see in us. It's a tall order You've given to us, Lord, as ambassadors of Christ, as ministers of reconciliation, given a call and a commission to go into all the world. Lord, without Your strength, without Your ability, we are nothing. We need You, Lord, so meet us here, we pray. We ask in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, Amen. You can be seated.

Well, you know the story if you've been here a while. We've been going through the book of Acts, kind of. We started the book of Acts at the end of 2008, and we haven't made it very far. We're in chapter 20. The reason is we've been going through each of the epistles, the letters of the New Testament chronologically as we would meet them in the book of Acts.

It's important to recognize that the book of Acts is a history book. It records for us the first 35 to 40 years of the church in those 28 chapters. It begins with the ascension of Jesus. As He had told His disciples, the end of the Gospel of Matthew closes with this commission to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Then, in the first chapter of Acts, He leaves. But before He leaves, He says, "Wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, for you are going to receive the Spirit not many days from now, and you shall be empowered to be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth." The book of Acts records that event in Acts chapter 2, when the day of Pentecost had fully come.

They were all 120 believers gathered together in one place when there was a sound as of a rushing mighty wind, and the Spirit of God came upon them. Jesus had told them in John chapter 16, "It is good for you that I leave." I'm convinced that his disciples, when they heard him say that, thought, "You're crazy. It's not good for us that you go." But Jesus said, "It's expedient, it is good, it is necessary that I go, for if I don't go, then I cannot send the Spirit. But if I go, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth, will come upon you, and he will bear witness of me. He will comfort you, he'll guide you in all truth, he'll teach you all things, and he'll bring to remembrance the things that I've spoken unto you. He will empower you to be witnesses."

And there, in Acts chapter 2, that's exactly what happened. Peter, remember Peter, the one who denied the Lord the night that Jesus was betrayed, denied him three times. Yet Peter stands before a gathered multitude of well over 3,000 people and preaches powerfully the word of God. It was so impactful that it wasn't even the end of his message; in the middle of his message, they asked, "What must we do?" They were cut to the heart by the word of God. The church was birthed and planted right there on the day of Pentecost. God began to move by his Spirit through these transformed individuals to carry the gospel into Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts. That's what the book of Acts is all about.

Now, this move of God's word, the gospel, was not without hindrance or obstacles. Very quickly, the religious leading class of Jerusalem rose up against the disciples and the church, buffeting them with persecution and trouble. Jesus had told his disciples this would happen. In the very same teaching, when he said the Spirit of truth was going to come, he mentioned just a few verses later in John chapter 16, verse 33, "In the world, you shall have much tribulation."

Now, how many of you love to claim that promise of Jesus? They experienced tribulation in Acts chapter 4 and Acts chapter 5, with the leading class coming against them. It continued in Acts chapter 8, and it got even greater because of the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts chapter 7, involving one Saul of Tarsus.

Now, the persecution begins to come with full force against the church. It says in Acts chapter 8, verse 1, that Saul was breathing murderous threats against the church, and a persecution started. God used that persecution because it came upon the church in Jerusalem, scattering them out into Judea, then to Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts.

If we had been in a prayer meeting at that time, when Saul of Tarsus was breathing murderous threats against the church, I think—although I could be wrong, and we'll find out when we get to heaven—we would have heard prayers like, "God, destroy Saul of Tarsus! Kill him!" This is reminiscent of David's prayers in the Psalms, such as "Break his teeth in his mouth," which is one of my favorite prayers. God did answer prayers that were prayed for Saul of Tarsus, but not in the way that the church expected. I love the way that God works.

In Acts chapter 9, it says that Saul, with letters from the chief priests in Jerusalem, left Jerusalem, going north to Syria, to Damascus, to find anyone who followed the way—Christians. His plan was to bring them back bound to Jerusalem to be tried, and perhaps even to meet the same fate as Stephen. As he was approaching the city, he saw a vision. God appeared to him, and he was knocked down. He heard a voice from heaven saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" he asked. The voice replied, "I am Jesus, whom you persecute." I think Paul's heart skipped a few beats. Saul then asked, "What should I do?" The response was to go into Damascus, where he would be told what he needed to do. For three days, he was blind. The bright light that he saw left him unable to see, and he was praying, processing everything he thought he knew about God. Jesus had said in John chapter 16, in the opening verses, that there would come a time when people would kill you, believing they are doing a service to God. That was Saul of Tarsus.

Many others from that point on were affected. Here he is, thinking that he was doing what God would have called him to do. Now, he is stunned and shocked. God has said, "Go to your room. I'll deal with you in a few days." You're laughing because you remember that as a kid.

Then God speaks to another believer in Damascus, Ananias. He says, "Ananias, I want you to go to the street called Straight." Great name. "There’s one Saul of Tarsus there, and you’re to pray for him." Ananias responds, "Lord, I know this Saul. I've heard of him, and he's a bad dude." Saul of Tarsus was the modern equivalent of a terrorist upon the church at that time.

God says to Ananias, "He prays. Go pray for him." So Ananias goes, lays hands on Saul of Tarsus, and prays for him. Scales fall from Saul's eyes. God tells Ananias, "I want you to tell him the many things he must suffer for my namesake. He is going to be my servant to carry the gospel to Gentiles."

Now, Saul was a Pharisee. One of the things we know for certain about Pharisees is that they detested Gentiles; they were racists. Saul hated Gentiles. He hated the church. Yet God speaks to him, saying, "You are a chosen vessel to carry my word, the good news to Gentiles. I want you, Ananias, to show him the many things he must suffer for my name."

For the next 13 or 14 years, there is not a lot written about Saul. During that time, he is meeting with God and getting to know Jesus. The gospel is being revealed to him, as he tells us in the book of Galatians: "I didn't receive it from men; it came to me by revelation of Jesus Christ."

For 14 years, he is not really doing a lot. In fact, many people in the church were concerned, thinking, "This can't be that this Saul is a Christian now." They were worried that he was just playing a trick, trying to find his way in. He was very sly, that Pharisee. It wasn't until that time had passed that a man by the name of Barnabas went and sought him out. This is the same Barnabas who sold a portion of land at the end of Acts chapter four.

In Acts chapter five, we learn about Barnabas, who gave all to the church. He is well-respected within the community, and his name means "son of encouragement." Barnabas sought out Paul because the gospel was moving among the Gentiles, and God moved on Barnabas in a significant way. They teamed up, and God did a great work through them in Antioch of Syria.

God spoke to Saul, Barnabas, and the other three leaders of that church in Acts chapter 13. He said, "Separate unto me Saul and Barnabas for the work that I've called them to." Imagine for a moment having the background of Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted Christians. He was hoping to live a nice life in Antioch and be a blessing to the church, but God had other plans. He called Saul and Barnabas to be sent out on their first missionary journey.

They traveled to the island of Cyprus, and from there, they went north into modern-day Turkey, which was then called Galatia. God moved through them to plant churches. A significant change occurred during their time on the island of Cyprus. Saul was no longer called Saul, which means "one who is desired." Instead, he began to be called Paul, which means "little." I wonder if there was a change in the way he saw himself as he went out to preach the gospel.

Before his conversion on the Damascus Road, Saul had it all. He was on the fast track to success in Judaism. Yet, he counted it all as loss when he professed Jesus Christ as Lord. He lost everything in Judaism, but he didn't see it as a significant loss. In Philippians chapter three, he states, "I count that all as trash that I may gain Christ," because Christ is so much greater than any of that.

Saul willingly laid hold of suffering, as God said, "I will show him how many things he must suffer for my namesake." He let go of success and embraced suffering, changing his name to Paul. We know him as Paul, the apostle.

The author of much of the New Testament, Paul wrote thirteen letters attributed to him. Most of the Book of Acts focuses on the journeys of Paul, the apostle, and his missionary work. Paul and Barnabas traveled to Galatia, where churches were planted in Lystra, Derby, and Iconium. God was doing a significant work in Galatia during that first missionary journey. Afterward, they returned to their home church in Antioch of Syria.

A major change had taken place in Paul; he had caught the missions bug. How many of you have been on a mission trip before, whether short-term or long-term? If you've gone, you know there's a certain sickness you catch. You come back and just can't stay put. Paul felt the same way. During that time, the gospel was spreading to Gentiles, while most of the church had been composed of Jews up to that point. This created a cultural conflict, so much so that Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, had to go down to Jerusalem. They attended a council of church leaders in Jerusalem to discuss the issue of Gentiles being saved. God was stretching them outside of their culture, which is challenging, as anyone who has traveled to a different country can attest.

Around that time, specifically in Acts chapter 15, the first letter of the New Testament was authored. The Book of James, written by the apostle James, was produced while he was in Jerusalem. During this same period, word reached Paul that in the region of Galatia, where they had just seen churches planted among Gentiles, some Jews had come in and seduced the Gentile believing church into thinking they needed to keep the law to be truly saved. Paul was so burdened by this that he sat down and wrote his first letter, the Book of Galatians, sending it to them to call them back to the simplicity that is in Christ. He expressed his heartbreak, asking how quickly they had turned away from the truth.

His letter was very effective; it challenged the church and caused it to grow in Galatia. Paul remained in Antioch of Syria, his home church, but he wanted to return to the field and minister to those churches in Galatia after he had...

Sent that letter to them. I have to see, are they okay? Have they received what I wrote to them? They didn't have Twitter or text messages, so he didn't know what was going on there. He didn't see the tweet from Timothy that everything was good in Galatia.

Now, Paul and Silas continue on what is Paul's second missionary journey, which is about Acts chapter 16. They travel through the region of Galatia, encouraging the churches in Lystra, Derby, and Iconium. During this journey, they pick up a young man named Timothy. Paul says, "You need to come along with me on this journey." He wants to go to Asia. Paul's desire is to travel from the northern area in Galatia down into Ephesus and other places in Asia Minor. He is determined to go there.

As I read through the book of Acts, it seems that Paul is a pretty stubborn guy. Can anybody identify with that? He had a plan and wanted to execute it, yet things kept standing in his way. Although he didn't fully recognize it at that time, he was being moved by the Lord into a strategic position. He finds himself in Acts chapter 16 in the city of Troas, which is right on the coast of the Aegean Sea, the westernmost area of Asia Minor, because God wouldn't let him go into Asia.

It seems that Paul is wondering, "What's next? What am I going to do next?" He has a dream while he is there with Timothy, Silas, and Luke. We know this because Luke, the author of the book of Acts, says, "We traveled to Troas." In his dream, Paul sees a Macedonian man. Macedonia is located across the Aegean Sea from Troas to the west. In this dream, the Macedonian man says, "Come help us." This is what we call the Macedonian call.

So, Paul, along with Silas, Timothy, and Luke, travels to Macedonia. They go to the key city of Macedonia, a city called Philippi. It was Paul's usual practice, as a former Jewish rabbi and Pharisee, to go into the Jewish synagogue when he arrived in a new city. There, he would be given an opportunity to preach and teach on the Sabbath day, using the Old Testament to preach Jesus as the Messiah. However, when he arrived in Philippi, there was no synagogue, indicating that there were not many Jews, or possibly no Jews, in the city.

That city had a requirement: if there were ten adult Jewish males, they needed to come together to establish a meeting place for Jewish worship. Saul, also known as Paul, knowing where to go, went to the river outside the city of Philippi because it had become the tradition of Jews. If there was no synagogue, they would go to the nearest river to meet on the Sabbath day. This practice dates back to the seventh century B.C. when they were taken as captives to Babylon. Without a synagogue or a temple, they would meet by the river.

When Paul arrived, he did not find any Jews, but he encountered a group of Gentiles who knew about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and were interested in the God of the Jews. They were God-fearers. He preached the gospel to them, and as a result, a church was established there. However, the work and ministry of Paul and Silas in the city of Philippi caused an uproar. This seemed to happen everywhere Paul went. The ministry that God was doing through him affected the bottom line of some merchants in Philippi, and they did not like it. Consequently, they took Paul and Silas to the magistrates of the city, charged them with something, and they were beaten openly with rods and cast into prison.

The next day, when the magistrates recognized that Paul was a Roman citizen, they realized they would get in trouble for their actions. They decided to sweep the matter under the rug and expelled him from the city. After planting a church in Philippi, Paul traveled down to Thessalonica, just south of Philippi in Macedonia. He preached the gospel in the synagogue there, and another church was planted. However, he was only there for three Sabbath days before he was kicked out of the city. Still, a church was established.

From Thessalonica, he went to Berea, as noted in Acts chapter 17, verse 11. The Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica because they heard Paul's ministry and searched the Scriptures daily to see if what he spoke was true. A church was planted in Berea as well. Unfortunately, some contentious Jews from Thessalonica came to Berea, influenced some of the leaders there, and Paul had to leave in the middle of the night to escape. Nevertheless, a church was planted.

Now alone, Paul left Timothy and Silas in Berea and had left Luke in Philippi. He then traveled down to the city of Athens. As he walked around Athens, he could not contain himself upon seeing the worship of all the false gods. The place was a giant pantheon, and he sought an audience among the philosophers.

of Athens, and he was granted it there at Mars Hill. He contended with them at the end of Acts 17, where he received something of a cold reception from the intelligentsia, which is often the case. After that, he left that place and went to the next key city in Greece, Corinth.

While he was in Corinth, he wrote the two letters to the Thessalonians, First and Second Thessalonians, to encourage the church he had only been with for a short time. We have studied through First and Second Thessalonians as we have gone through our journey with Paul in the book of Acts. Now he was in Corinth around 54 or 55 AD. Remember, this is a history book. Paul was reunited with Silas and Timothy in Corinth, and they began to minister in the city and establish a church there as well.

Corinth was a strategic city. I believe God brought Paul there for a purpose. It wasn't just that it was the next city on the map. God planted Paul in Corinth because He wanted a church there. Corinth was one of the world trade centers of the day. All merchants traveling from the eastern part of the Roman Empire and the far east in Asia coming into Rome would pass through Corinth. All the merchant ships would arrive at the east or west coast of Corinth. They would offload their goods onto carts and transport everything across the land because there was a thin, narrow piece of land in the Isthmus, just about four miles wide. They would carry all that cargo across land to the west coast of Corinth and continue on their journey. This route was cheaper and safer than going all the way around the Peloponnesian Peninsula.

God recognized the need for a church there. Not only was it strategic for east-west commerce in Rome, but if you were traveling north and south through Greece, you would always go through Corinth. It was the logical place. Because it was a trade center, there was a significant amount of wealth, and many practices from all over the world had come to Corinth, including Eastern practices and Greco-Roman pagan idolatry. The city was filled with various influences.

Idolatry was a significant issue in the city of Corinth. Two key prominent fixtures were the temple to Apollo and the temple to Aphrodite Diana. Most of the worship of these two false gods was conducted in very carnal and sensual ways. They had priestesses who were prostitutes, and that was how they took care of the temple.

Corinth was not only a noun; it was a verb in the Greek language of the day. To "Corinthianize" meant to live an immoral, carnal lifestyle. Someone might say, "Oh, that's so Corinthian of you." What happened in Corinth stayed in Corinth.

God planted a church through Paul in that city. Paul was there for 18 months, endeavoring to establish the church, which was the longest he had spent in any city up to that point. In most other places, he was there for under six months, but in Corinth, he remained for 18 months because God was doing a work there. After that time, he and his group left a church that was planted in the city and returned to their home church in Antioch of Syria.

While Paul was at home, word came to him from Corinth that some troubling issues had crept into the church. There was immorality, carnality, and divisions that had arisen. This often happens; immorality and carnality can be found in the church because the church is filled with sinners—us. There is no such thing as a perfect church. If you think you have found the perfect church, you have ruined it. We are a church filled with imperfect people.

As you look at First Corinthians and Second Corinthians, and consider Paul's ministry to the church at Corinth during his first visit and subsequent visits, one thing is for sure: Paul loved the church of Corinth.

Paul was passionate about the church of Corinth. There are several things that we can deduce from reading through First and Second Corinthians in the Book of Acts. We know that Paul was there for 18 months, as the Book of Acts tells us. He wrote First and Second Corinthians, these two letters to the church there. However, we can also tell by studying Acts and First and Second Corinthians that these were not the only letters he wrote to them. In fact, First Corinthians in your Bible is actually Second Corinthians, and Second Corinthians is actually Fourth Corinthians.

If you're totally confused, let me try to clarify what happened. Paul was home in Antioch, Syria, when someone brought him word about the carnality and immorality that had sneaked into the church. Paul wrote his first letter, which we do not have, to address these issues directly. We know this for certain because in First Corinthians 5:9, Paul says, "I wrote unto you in a letter not to keep company with immoral people." He specifically mentions not to keep company with fornicators, meaning that to continually be involved in intimate relationships with immoral people is what he was addressing. Since we do not have that letter, he wrote the letter we now know as First Corinthians to the church at Corinth.

After this, Paul embarked on what has been called his third missionary journey. During his second journey, he had wanted to go to Asia but was unable to. He had also wanted to go to Ephesus, but the door was not open. On his way home to Antioch after his second missionary journey, he stopped in Ephesus, where there was an open door. Thus, on his third journey, he returned to Ephesus, that key city of Asia, and spent three years there, as we see in Acts chapter 19 and the beginning of Acts chapter 20.

Paul was in Ephesus planting a church that would become a strong and dynamic congregation, affecting the whole area of Asia Minor. People would go from Ephesus to plant churches in Thyatira, Laodicea, Pergamon, and Sardis, all throughout Asia. These churches were established as a result of what was happening in Ephesus. While Paul was in Ephesus, word came to him again from Corinth. They had received his letter and had some questions—lots of questions, in fact. So, they wrote him a letter.

was brought to him by a few people from the household of Chloe in the city of Corinth. They said, "Paul, you don't understand. Things are a mess. I mean, you wrote that letter, but it's just not good. We have this whole list of questions here, and there's all kinds of division. People are saying, 'I'm of Paul,' 'I'm of Apollos,' and 'I'm of Cephas.' It's just falling apart."

Paul reads through their letter and their questions, and he writes what we have as First Corinthians. Beginning at First Corinthians chapter seven through fourteen, he answers their questions. In First Corinthians seven, verse one, he says, "Now concerning the things whereof you wrote to me." He begins to address topics such as marriage and divorce, spiritual gifts, and meat sacrificed to idols. He answers all these questions methodically.

Then he says, "I'm sending Timothy to you. When he gets there, receive him." Paul is still in Ephesus when he sends his letter, First Corinthians, to the Corinthians. He also sends Timothy to minister to the churches in Macedonia and then down into Corinth. He waits to see what will happen with Corinth, as he has written some heavy things there and called them on the carpet for a few issues.

While Timothy is there or traveling through Macedonia, Paul can't contain himself. During that time, while he was ministering in Ephesus, we can deduce from the Book of Acts and Second Corinthians that Paul visited Corinth again for a second time. He refers to this visit in Second Corinthians chapter two as a sorrowful visit. In Second Corinthians two, verse one, he states, "But I determined this with myself that I would not come again to you in heaviness." It was indeed a sorrowful visit.

In Second Corinthians thirteen, he says to them, as he prepares to come to them a third time, "This is the third time that I am coming to you." While he was in Ephesus, as recorded in Acts chapter nineteen, Paul went to Corinth to visit them. However, what he found was not necessarily a good thing, and he was devastated by it.

He returns to Ephesus and writes them a third letter, which we do not have. He references that letter in Second Corinthians chapter two, verse four, saying, "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart, I wrote unto you with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you..."

Might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. So he says, "I've written this letter, and I know it's a harsh letter. I cried a lot while sending it to you, and I just don't even know how you received it." You can see Paul's passion for this church. This church that he labored so much for has gone astray. Not only has it gone astray, but it has completely rejected his leadership. He is fearful and tearful that they are going to fall away.

As he wraps up his ministry in Ephesus, after three years there, he makes a decision. He decides to visit the churches in Philippi and Macedonia. He had heard that the church in Jerusalem was having very difficult times; a famine was in the land. So he says, "I'm going to go to Macedonia, and I'm going to receive an offering for the church at Jerusalem." He visits Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, and he receives an offering from the Macedonians. Even though they were going through difficulty, they willingly gave to the church at Jerusalem.

Paul is gearing up to go to Corinth one more time, where he will also receive an offering to take to Jerusalem. While he is in Philippi around 55 or 56 AD, he writes Second Corinthians, which is actually his fourth letter before he visits them for the third time, and from what we can tell, his last time. This is that letter. It is not as theologically focused as First Corinthians. This letter, more than any of Paul's letters, reveals the soul of Saul. It reveals his heart for this church whom he loved.

As I have been reading through Second Corinthians and looking at this passage, it beautifully reveals the love that Paul had for an imperfect church. It is so beautiful that he was their pastor. I am so thankful for that encouragement because we are an imperfect church. When we see the love that Paul had for the Corinthians, it is not just Paul's love; it is God's love. He told the church in Corinth in First Corinthians...

It is the love of Christ that compels me. You see, when you see Paul's soul exposed as he seeks to minister to the church at Corinth, what you're really seeing is God's love for an imperfect church. I am so grateful that we have this picture in the Bible because God loved the imperfect church at Corinth in the first century, and He loves the imperfect church in Escondido in the 21st century. He loves His church.

How do we know that? Well, turning your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, you're in Second Corinthians, so turn to the right just a couple of books to Ephesians chapter five. This is a passage that many of you have read before, a verse that some of you may have even memorized. It reveals that the church is called in the Bible the bride of Christ.

Ephesians 5:25 begins with the words, "Husbands, love your wives." It's a command, church. Ladies, aren't you happy that God commands your husbands to love you? Husbands, love your wives as Christ also loved the church. So, husbands, love your wives. Christ is the husband who loves the church, which is His bride. We are called the bride of Christ.

Now, guys, I want to speak to the husbands, the men. How many of you, if you're honest, will say, "I've always been a little weirded out by being called the bride of Jesus"? Come on, just be honest. I'll be honest; the bride of Jesus is a bit strange. There are a whole bunch of books written by women for women that just fall all over this whole thing. They say, "Oh, He loves us. He's our husband." You know, they just love it. Meanwhile, guys are just like, "Yeah, it's good. Bride of Christ." We have a very hard time visualizing ourselves in this role, don't we? Am I alone in this? We struggle with this concept. So, I want to step back from just...

I want to speak to the husbands. Husbands, think of it like this: you love your wife. I hope that you love your bride, as the Bible tells you to. God has wired us in such a way that one of the primary ways we show love is by giving things of value that reveal our devotion. We work hard to earn money so that we can buy something that, to us, is cool, little, and sparkly. We value it because we worked hard for it, and we give it sacrificially to reveal our devotion. The value we place in that little thing reflects how we value our spouse, our wife.

This is one of the reasons that guys often default to being workaholics. Many times, they show their love by what they do and what they give. It has value. How many guys are tracking with me here? We reveal our love through gifts that express value and show our devotion.

Now, look at this: Ephesians 5:25 says, "Husbands, love your wives as Christ also loved the church." What does it say? He gave. He gave a gift because a gift expresses value and reveals devotion. So, he gave, and we husbands love our wives, and we give in such a way to reveal how much we love them. He gave himself.

Now, if we're honest, every one of us will recognize that we've never given to that point. He gave himself for the church. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. John 3:16 is a verse that has come to the limelight again in this football season. This last year, God demonstrated his love toward us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). He gives the greatest gift that could ever possibly be given to express his love.

That reveals how much He values us and shows His devotion. Now, did He do this for a perfect church? Did He do this for a spotless group of people? Read on in verse 26: that He might sanctify and cleanse it, or her, His bride, His church. He gave this great gift so that He could sanctify and cleanse, implying that they are dirty and imperfect, like Corinth. He might cleanse it how? With the washing of the water by the word, that He might present it to Himself, His bride, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

There is coming a day when we are going to stand before Him. The first face-to-face meeting with Him—we haven't had that yet. There is that day coming, and He gave a great, valuable gift so that He could bring us in, but also so that He could cleanse us and make us ready for that day. When we stand before Him, we will be without spot or blemish. He beautifies us, imperfect as we are. He beautifies us. He loves His imperfect church. I am so blessed by this, and I hope you are too, because it blows my mind. I recognize that we are an imperfect church, and God still loves us.

So, Paul writes this letter to express that. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother—Timothy was with him. Remember, he had sent Timothy to them, and now he is with Paul in Philippi. Paul expresses his authority in writing this letter: "I am an apostle." He does this in just about every one of his letters.

To the church of God, which is at Corinth, and to all the saints that are in Achaia, even though they are imperfect, they are still called saints in the gathering of God. Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul begins almost every one of his letters in this way: "Grace be unto you and peace" from whom? From God, always in this order, with the origin being God. And then in verse three, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, the Father of mercies. Now, there are an infinite number of attributes that we could examine about God. We could spend days, months, years even contemplating the greatness of God and never scratch the surface of how awesome He is and all the different attributes that make up His character. He is holy, He is just, He is good, and He is loving. The Bible reveals a lot, but there is so much more that we don't know.

Yet, one of the things that I believe God exalts above all His other attributes is His mercy, the Father of mercies. His mercy is so essential for an imperfect church. Going all the way back to the Old Testament, there in the book of Exodus, God brought His people out of Egypt. Within the first year, this group that saw Him bring ten plagues upon Egypt and destroy the Egyptian army, this church, this gathering that saw Him part the Red Sea and cross over, you would think that if I saw that with my own eyes, I would never rebel against God.

However, within the first year, they were dancing naked around a golden calf and saying, "This is the God that brought us out of Egypt." God is just; the Bible reveals that. So, what should God do to them? He should destroy them. In Exodus chapter 32, God says to Moses, "I'm going to destroy them." I believe this was a test for Moses, and Moses intercedes on behalf of them.

How do we know that God exalts His mercy above His justice? Because in the very next couple of chapters, God says, "I'm not going to destroy them. I'm going to give them My grace, My mercy." Moses then says, "Lord, I want to see You. You're an amazing God. Show me Your glory." God replies, "Well, you can't see My glory and live. So here's what I'll do. I'll place you in this rock over here, on the side of this corner of this rock. I'm going to pass by, and when I leave, you can see My afterglow."

You see, it's like this: anyone who maybe goes a little heavy on the perfume and comes into the room, you know they are there. When they leave, you know they've been there because the scent kind of lingers. Well, God is so glorious that when He came into the presence of Moses there on that mountaintop, He left, and His glory stayed there. A portion of it remained.

Moses was able to behold something so awesome that it changed his physical appearance. When he went back down to the children of Israel, they were afraid of him because his face shined. He had what could be described as a God sunburn, and they asked him to put on a mask because it was kind of freaky.

However, greater than what he saw is what he heard. In Exodus 34, verse six, God reveals Himself to Moses and defines His name. He tells Moses who He is: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful." The very first thing He chooses to use to describe His nature is His mercy. He could have chosen any one of an infinite number of attributes, but are you not grateful today that He did not say, "The Lord, the Lord God, holy," although He is? He did not say, "The Lord, the Lord God, just," although He is that as well. Instead, He says, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful."

Then He speaks of His grace and His forgiveness. He does mention His justice, but He exalts His mercy. He is the Father of mercies. Whenever you see any amount of mercy in this world, it came from Him. He is the God of all comforts. Anything in this world that brings comfort comes from Him.

Paul begins to expand upon this in the next five verses, using the word "comfort" ten times. You might wonder if he is trying to say something. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. Would you circle the word "all"? Don't miss that—"all" our tribulation. This is the very same word that Jesus used in John 16 when He said, "In the world, you shall have tribulation." God comforts us in all our tribulation.

There are some in the world today, some Christians, who say that if you are a real Christian, you don't experience trouble or difficulty. Well, that goes against what Jesus said and who God is as the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. You see, God doesn't take us out of the tribulation. He doesn't remove us from difficulty. Instead, He comforts us in the midst of those trials that we go through. He reveals Himself as the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort in those situations. So, He doesn't necessarily take us out of those things. The same kind of troubles and tribulations that...

All people in the world face challenges. We Christians face those challenges, but we know something they don't know. We know the God of all comforts and the Father of mercies. When the doctor says it's cancer, when the boss says, "I can't keep you any longer," when the bank sends the letter stating that the house is in foreclosure, that situation is common to all.

In those situations, Christian, we turn to the God of all comforts, the Father of mercies. He comforts us so that we may become able to comfort those who are in any trouble. Would you circle the word "any" in your neighbor's Bible? Just lean over and circle it. Why is that important? A coworker may lose a child, and you have never lost a child. You seek to comfort them with the comfort wherewith you yourself have been comforted. Then they might say, "You can't understand what I'm going through. You haven't gone through this."

In that situation, I would not say, "I totally understand." Instead, I would acknowledge their pain and say, "Listen, I may not know personally the situation you're going through, but I know the God of all comforts. I know how He has comforted me in my trials, and I want you to know His comfort." We are called to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

We comfort others by being comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation, or comfort, also abounds by Christ. Jesus said, "In the world, you are going to have much tribulation. Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." You see, the sufferings of Christ will abound in us, but with the suffering of Christ comes the comfort of Christ that also abounds.

God allows us to experience suffering, and even though it might be really hard for some of our theological understanding, God also orchestrates opportunities for us to suffer. Some people say that can't be God; my God would never do that. Well, that's...

What the Bible says reveals God as the Father of mercies and the God of all comforts. Paul stated in Philippians chapter three, verse ten, "I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection." Many times, we say, "Yeah, I want to know God and the power of His resurrection." However, he also mentions "and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."

The sufferings of Christ abound in us, and so also does His comfort by Christ. Whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. Paul explains that sufferings and afflictions are endured for the sake of others' comfort. This concept can seem strange: I am going to suffer, I am going to go through affliction, and you are going to be comforted by that. It raises the question: does that not compute?

Paul continues, "Whether we be afflicted, it is for your comfort 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 comfort and salvation." He emphasizes that he is going through suffering while bringing forth the gospel of God. God showed him how many things he must suffer for His name. Paul carries the gospel of God for your salvation, and in the midst of his suffering, you are comforted because you see that God also comforts him in his suffering.

God will comfort you when you go through suffering because you will go through suffering. You see, Paul's gospel was not "come to Jesus and you'll never suffer." Instead, it was "you come to Jesus, and you will suffer." As many as desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, he says to Timothy. He acknowledges that you are going to go through it, but in the midst of it, you will know the God of all comforts.

In verse seven, Paul expresses, "Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you also be of the comfort." Paul reassures that you will go through tribulation and trouble, and you will experience sufferings. However, he knows that in those situations, you will find God's comfort.

Now, you may wonder why he is discussing this. Remember the backstory: he had been nearly killed in Galatia, beaten in Philippi, kicked out of Thessalonica, and almost ripped apart in Ephesus. Everywhere Paul has gone, he has faced significant challenges.

Has experienced shame for the name of Christ, suffering for the name of Christ. But at the same time, he has experienced great comfort and welcomed it, embracing it by saying, "I want to know Him in His sufferings." You might say that just doesn't make sense. But look at verse eight: "For we would not, brethren, have you be ignorant of our trouble, tribulation, which came unto us in Asia, in Ephesus." We want you to know that we really went through it for you.

Now, is he saying this because he wants their sympathy? Does he want them to have a little pity party? "Oh, Paul, we're so sad that this happened." No, he is saying this so that he can reveal the God of all comforts. He says, "We were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life." Have you ever been in such suffering, such a trial, where you despaired even of life? You just say, "I just want out of this. Just take me home." Paul went through that. He was hard-pressed.

There is a way in which sometimes we in the evangelical church can exalt Paul so high that he seems almost like a god. We think he went through it and was a super saint, that he never experienced anything like that. Even though he was shipwrecked, even though he was beaten, even though he was powerful, there were times when he said, "I just want to go home. I can't handle this. It's heavy."

Now look at verse nine, because this is where our theological brains trip, and we just go, "Oh," like it breaks a breaker in our heads. "But we have the sentence of death in ourselves." What is he saying? God placed this on us. Why would God place me in such a situation? If He has the power, He can take me out of this. Why did He put me here?

Look at this: "That we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raises the dead." He put me in this situation that really sucks because He wants me to know Him. Don't waste your trial. Don't waste it. Find God in it. That we would not trust in ourselves.

Ourselves, but in God, He raises the dead. Now notice this verse 10. Look at the tenses here: who delivered us from so great a death. When did God deliver us Christians from so great a death? He saved us. He delivered us from so great a death and does deliver us right now, in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us. Our God delivered us, has saved us, and continues to deliver us in the midst of these situations we're in. He has promised to yet deliver us.

Our God is the Father of mercies, the God of all comforts. Get to know Him. You say, "Well, I'd love to get to know Him." Okay, He's going to bring you a trial. Count it all joy, James says, when you fall into various trials. Why? You meet God there.

But notice this one last thing that Paul says in verse 11 as we close. You Corinthians are also helping together by what? Prayer for us. Corinth, I'm going through great trouble. It's God-ordained trouble. It's tribulation that is so burdensome that I want to go home and be with God. But God has placed me here, and here's what I'm learning: He is the Father of mercies, the God of all comforts.

In chapter 12, we're going to see Paul say, "I have this infirmity that three times I asked God to take from me, and He hasn't taken it away." Instead, He said, "My grace is sufficient for you, and My power is made great in your weakness." Therefore, Paul says, "I will boast of my infirmities." Why? Because he found God there.

So he says to the Corinthians, "I'm going through this. Pray for me. Pray for us that the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons may be given thanks by many on our behalf." What is he talking about? Well, remember, Paul is going through Macedonia, and he's experiencing chaos. He is taking an offering for the church in Jerusalem from people who are already going through tribulation. Yet they are sacrificially giving because it's a comfort to them and to God.

Paul says, "We're receiving these blessings for them. Many thanks. Pray for us that we're not derailed in this mission, because we have a mission. Even though it's hard, even though there's trouble, we have a mission, and we have to get it done." So pray. God is going to comfort us; He is going to deliver us; He shall yet deliver us. Church,

We will go through trouble. Don't let anybody lie to you from a pulpit saying that if you're a Christian, you'll never experience difficulty. You will. Jesus said it. Paul also encouraged Timothy with that fact: you shall suffer difficulty.

But in the midst of it, we meet Jesus, who is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. That's what we're going to see in this book. I think it's important for us here in 21st century America because, for a long time, everything was going great. Then, a little bit of philipsis—trouble, which means to be tossed in a boat—came. A little bit of wind and waves came, and you have all these people in America saying that God wants us to get to know Him.

Don't waste the trial. Let's stand and pray.

Father, your word is truth, and it is convicting and encouraging at the same time. Help us, Father, to receive your word today as we see you revealed in this passage. May we go from this place seeking the Father of mercies, the God of all comforts. We want to know you and the power of your resurrection and the fellowship of your sufferings. We want to know you; work this into our lives. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.