VanDerPuy, Abe: Studies In 2 Corinthians 01 ~ Comfort To Spare

I think that just about anybody would be inspired to get up and preach after such beautiful music. Thank you to the choir, and thank you to the choir congregation for singing this great salvation song, It Is Well With My Soul. You know, we assume so often that everybody present is a follower of Jesus Christ. That could be a wrong assumption. And I trust that every one of us here, without exception, is able to say tonight, it is well with my soul. I have trusted Jesus as Savior. It is well with my soul. Rachel Saint tells the marvelous story of an Auca believer who was working out in a new clearing, and he was bitten by a very venomous snake, so venomous that although they rushed to try to get him some serum and help him, it was too late, and he died. And then she heard the Auca death wail, which is terrible. And she wondered why so many of the Christians were doing that. And then she understood that although they used the same notes, they had a different message. And they were saying in the wail, Muipa has trusted Jesus. Muipa has gone to heaven. Muipa has trusted. Muipa has gone to heaven. And whether it's an auca deep in the Amazonian jungle, or some one of us here today, still the one great way of having salvation, the forgiveness of sins and peace with God, is by simple faith in that wonderful savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. Well, just a little bit of capsule information from world evangelism. There's lots of good news today, and I'd like to share some of that tonight. Uh, it's marvelous to see the way God is giving a harvest these days in Latin America. For many years there, the going was plenty hard, and the harvest was not very big, but it's a large harvest now. And it's glorious to see what's happening in some countries, for example, Guatemala, not very much in the news these days, but it's making news from a gospel standpoint. Would you believe it that more than thirty percent of Guatemala's population are evangelical believers. And not long ago, in a national election, who should be elected but a very outspoken evangelical Christian as the president of that country? And he had the election with about a two-thirds majority vote. That is most encouraging. There are several outstanding Christians in the Colombian legislature. One of the vice presidents of Peru is a dedicated evangelical Christian, and so there's much to be encouraged about. Believe it or not, writing in Forbes magazine, that secular magazine, John Markham Jr. said, evangelical Protestantism has almost certainly replaced Roman Catholicism as Brazil's most widely accepted faith. Great movement in Brazil. And then Patrick Johnstone, who is the editor of that book Operation World that contains so much information, says that from nineteen sixty to nineteen eighty five, evangelicals doubled their share of the population in Chile, Paraguay, Venezuela, Panama, and Haiti. Furthermore, evangelicals tripled their share of the population in Argentina, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic, quadrupled their share in Brazil and Puerto Rico, quintupled their share in El Salvador, Costa Rica, Peru, and Bolivia, and sextupled, I think I'm pronouncing that right, their share in Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, and Colombia. Isn't that encouraging news? Well, along that same line, it's mighty encouraging to realize that a lot of the countries that at one time were receiving countries, as far as missionaries are concerned, are now becoming sending countries. Brazil leads the way in Latin America in mission involvement, with fifty seven agencies and some two thousand forty missionaries, followed by Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Guatemala. There are one hundred fifty Latin agencies with more than three thousand missionaries, and there was an estimated total of forty nine thousand third world missionaries by the end of nineteen ninety. That's thirty five percent of the total number of Protestant missionaries in the world. By AD two thousand— Jesus doesn't come before then, the number of missionaries from the two-thirds world will surpass those of the Western nations. Thank God for that successful harvest. And then just a very specific thing, but a great cause for rejoicing. Uh, we have some friends in Ecuador that worked the whole missionary career among some, uh, Indian, an Indian group called the Sequoias. And just recently, the new Testament was dedicated in the Sequoia language. This is what these folks wrote in their joy prayer letter. In the beginning, the Sequoias were a drunken tribe. At least four days of every week they were drunk. We lived seven years in this drunken society before one person was changed by the gospel. Today, ninety percent of the adults say they are Christian, and from a drunken society to a Christian community, the Lord has done a wonderful thing among the Sequoias. Up to this point, only a few have had portions of the scriptures which they read and passed on by word of mouth. Now they all can have the New Testament, and the tribe is about sixty percent literate, and there are readers in every home. So, thank God with us for this good news from far countries. And as we tell you the good news, there are some of you who can especially rejoice because you have prayed, you have given, you have been faithful in being part of that sending community to make this kind of outreach possible. And we would like to say to you, thank you with all of our hearts. Now, tonight we're going to start to take a look at Second Corinthians. Second Corinthians. Tonight, Second Corinthians chapter one beginning at verse three. We're going to think tonight about comfort to spare. It seems like this today we are majoring on trials and comfort. Well, that's the way it happens to be as far as these chapters are concerned. And of course, that's not at all out of order, because the world is seeing its share of sorrow in these days. Marge and I have traveled non-stop since the early days of January. We've been in many churches, many homes, many places. I guess the greatest burden we have is we come from those trips is the burden of seeing so many people in suffering and sorrow and broken homes and shattered lives and testimonies. Well, maybe it's a good thing to look tonight at this portion of the Word of God. Second Corinthians one verse three: Blessed be the God and 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 with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now, if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffering- suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death and does deliver us, in whom we trust that he will still deliver us. You also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many. May God bless this passage of scripture in a wonderful way to our lives and hearts tonight. Some time ago, I had the privilege of writing an article for Confident Living, the Back to the Bible magazine, which I do every other month, and I entitled the article, Our Trials Can Promote World Evangelism. We had just gone through a trial ourselves. Marge had had a mastectomy, and we were brought face to face again with the trials and problems of this world. But as we did, there were a number of things that happened. In that, we had a greater understanding of how much salvation is worth. We saw again the power of prayer. We enjoyed the richness of Christian fellowship. We were brought face to face with the brevity of life. And you know what? All of that intensified our desire to witness and to get that marvelous gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Yes, our trials can promote world evangelism. We shouldn't be surprised. These verses tell us how wonderfully God can work in and through us when we suffer trial and affliction. As I've read these verses, I wrote a little summary. Here's the summary. Affliction is inevitable and painful, but has an answer, God's answer, and results in great advantage. Well, now that's a Dutchman's rather prosaic way of saying it. If you'd like to have a very dramatic and interesting way of saying it, I understand that there's a book out about suffering and difficulty, and the title of it is Pain is inevitable, misery is optional, so stick a geranium in your hat and be happy. That, by the way, is written by a relative of Mel Johnson, whom some of you know from the broadcast Tips for Teens and the youth broadcast on Northwestern College Radio. Well, let's start with the first part. Affliction is inevitable and painful. You know, the Bible is not a somber or moody book, but the Bible is very realistic, and this passage and many other passages in the Bible frankly refer to the fact of sin and suffering in the world. That's why Paul addresses the Corinthians in the name of the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Someone has well said, man is born a sinner and a sorwer. He needs mercy for his sins and comfort for his sorrow. And we never can really know the best comfort for sorrow until we have first known the mercy of God for our sins and for our estrangement from him. Many of you are very well aware of the Bible teaching about trouble and affliction. I'd just like to remind you of a few passages that are so important in this regard. I often think about Job five seven: Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. And then, of course, we think of Genesis, the third chapter that tells the story of the fall. And in that story, we are presented with the results of man's fall into sin, sorrow, pain, struggle, sweat. Jesus, in his ministry, encountered many suffering and sorrowful people. And I often think about that statement in Romans chapter eight that says that the whole creation groans and labors, waiting for the day of redemption. And you, of course, recall that James and Peter talk about trials, grievous trials. And sometimes when we wonder why it's happening to us, we might remember the statement of Peter when he said, my beloved, think it not strange concerning the trials that are coming on upon you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. It's not strange at all. It's very normal as far as human existence is concerned. But of course, when we come to the end of the book, that book talks about God wiping the tears away. No more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain. Paul knew his share of suffering. You remember in this passage that we read tonight, he talks about suffering so much that he was utterly, unbearably crushed, that he despaired even of life itself. Well, as we've taken this very brief review of what the Bible says about suffering and sorrow and pain, I think we can say that personal experience today in nineteen hundred ninety two supports that Bible picture. I was thinking the other day about some people who are part of our staff, esteemed colleagues whom we love and appreciate very much. We have a family down on the United States-Mexico border. He is Colombian, she is from the United States. They've served with us quite a few years on the border. They've served with us in spite of great trials and difficulties. They had three children. One of them was born with that strange disease of not having a sufficient immunity capacity and becoming ill with almost everything. He lived to only twelve years of age. They have another son who is autistic, and some of you who know about autistic situations know what a trial that can be. He's a big, handsome son, but he doesn't communicate. He often engages in bizarre behavior that almost leaves people who are visiting at the house embarrassed, not knowing what to do. He's institutionalized now in a place where they are treating him with great skill, and he comes home every other weekend. But what a trial that has been. And then one child remaining, who has been quite sickly in the last few years, and that isn't the end of the story. The mother suffers constant pain, and right now, while we're here tonight, she is at the Mayo Clinic trying to find out what the source of the pain might be. Well, that's a lot of trial for one family, isn't it? I thank God that they are victorious and that they continue in ministry, and it's very possible that some of the effectiveness of their ministry is born out of the lessons learned in suffering. We were in Ecuador not long ago, and, uh, I saw one of our staff members. I was surprised that he was walking at all, because the last time I was there, he and his family had just suffered an unbelievable accident. They were coming from a few days of vacation in the coastal areas of Ecuador, coming now up into the mountains around the curve as you climb and climb and climb some more. And as they came around one of the curves, to their surprise, a big truck also coming around the curve from the other side did not make the curve and was on their side of the road. And you know what happened? That huge truck literally rode right over the top of the Subaru station wagon. It sits on the grounds of HCJB right now with great big tire marks across the roof. I look at that wreck, and I don't believe that anybody could have come out alive from it. They all came out alive, badly hurt, especially the father, with a great deal of therapy in the past and a great deal more to come. That isn't all of the story. He's a marvelous accordion player. But not long ago, he had to leave playing the accordion because he has such back trouble. And then, as if to compound it, his wife had sufficiently bad back trouble that she had to go to Canada on several occasions for very major surgeries. Well, that's a pretty big load for one family. I thank God that they are victorious. And in stride they are still honoring God and serving him. Paul also refers to the sufferings in Christ, the fellowship of his sufferings, or as Peter says, suffering as a Christian. What sufferings are these? They are the mockery and ridicule of the world. They are our own dying to sin, that's painful, and then on many occasions, direct and fiery persecution. In America, we have been spared a great deal of that, but it's going on round the world. Did you know that David Barrett, the great missionary statistician, has calculated from all the information that streams into him from all parts of the world that in the last few years, at least three hundred thousand Christians in the world have died for their faith. And when you start to multiply that number and think of all the incidents involved in that persecution and in that suffering, and finally execution and death, there are many who are paying a terrific price as followers of Jesus Christ. I think of people in Muslim areas today who are suffering so much for their faith, and I respond to the great statement of Samuel Swamer, that great missionary to the Muslims of another generation, when he said with great hope in his heart, he trusted that in the day that Christ would come, that there would be Christian believers rising from Muslim graves. Because of the fact that where they were living and serving, the society was so oppressive and so demanding and so persecuting that even though they were followers of Christ, they had little occasion to express it. I too hope that in that great day there will be some Christian believers rising from Muslim graves. Yes, there's plenty of trouble, but this is the great message of this chapter. Affliction has an answer, God's answer. He's called the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. And as Paul says, our consolation abounds through Christ. I was very inspired when I read a translation that, that a lot of us don't read very much of Arthur S. Way. And Arthur S. Way translates this passage as follows: Blessed be he who in all my afflictions comforts me so perfectly that I have comfort to spare for the afflicted ones. And some of you know by personal experience, and we know by personal experience, that when we pass through the valley of suffering, God comforts us so greatly that, thank God, we have comfort to spare. I think it's very interesting that in verses three to seven, the noun comfort or the verb to comfort occurs nine times. And in all of the book of second Corinthians, the verb to comfort is used eighteen times, and the noun is lu- used eleven times. It seems that through second Corinthians, the Lord wants us to get the message that he is there for the comfort that we need. Now we ought to pause for a moment and ask the question, what is this comfort? Well, the word that is used here is the word paraclete. That's the same word for the Holy Spirit. And as some of you know, the English word comfort comes from two Latin words with strength. The Greek word signifies to come alongside and to help. Well, here's the message. The Holy Spirit is our comforter in trial. He gives us the strength to endure, to accept trouble with triumph. He gives us the right attitude. He gives us the strength and the power, and he makes us overcomers. I may say this again during this week, but when I think of the marvelous service and function and ministry of the Holy Spirit, I've said to myself lately, you know, it's pretty important to stay on good terms with the Holy Spirit. I'd like to ask you that question tonight, as I ask myself. Are you on good terms with the Holy Spirit? Does he have control of your life? I shudder when I read the words in scripture about grieving or quenching the Holy. We don't want that, do we? We want to be on good terms with the Holy Spirit, and then when we move through these trials and difficulties, why, the comfort flows in, and the Holy Spirit comes alongside, and he blesses us, and he helps us, and he makes us victorious in that time of need. He makes us overcomers. I've seen that in the experience of others, and I've seen it in our own experience. And Marge and I would like to testify publicly during these days that when the fire is burning and the difficulty is there, thank God we can count on the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit. Someone said to a sufferer, suffering colors life, doesn't it? And the sufferer replied, yes, but I propose to choose the colors. And thank God, with the Holy Spirit, we can choose the colors, and we can be triumphant in that situation. And then I was so blessed the other day, we have some friends there in Lincoln, Nebraska, where we lived for a few years, and in a church in that area that really honors God, there's a young man there who right now is desperately ill with terminal cancer. And the other day he said to the congregation, living with the constant awareness of death can rejuvenate life and brings fullness even to the mundane. And so, dear friends, I hope to live life more fully in the coming days than I have in the past. By the help of the Holy Spirit, he has chosen the colors, and he has found the comfort to spare. Well, what does it do in us? Paul puts it very nicely when he says, not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. Verse nine. And in place of self-confidence that is often misplaced, we can have Holy Spirit confidence. You know, it's such a wonderful thing in life to learn this wonderful secret, to learn it more and more. Without me, ye can do nothing. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. I have an idea tonight that with some of us, our greatest problem still is that we think we can handle it ourselves, and we don't succeed. We fail. And it's such a great thing to come back to this basic principle. Without me, ye can do nothing. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. In trial and pain and suffering, we learn the real secret of the Christian life. Warren Wiersbe says about this particular passage, Paul's secret was God, and we need to learn that lesson more and more. I think a word to each one of us is, uh, appropriate tonight. Maybe there's some of us who are struggling under heavy burdens, and the problem is we're trying to carry those by ourselves, and we are struggling, and we are struggling, and we're not succeeding. And the Bible tells us to roll our burden on the Lord. And the great Paraclete, the one who comes alongside, stands with you and with me right now as we trust him and yield ourselves to him in order to provide the great answers to our needs. Well, one man who's been in the news a lot in the United States in past days has been Ollie North. Ollie North was at National Religious Broadcasters in January. He spoke for a short time. He's not at all an orator, but he's a very effective communicator. And while he was there, he told a story which is also in his book, Under Fire. At the time that the trial began, the newspaper reporters ganged up around their house, and he said, never left the house for seven months, camped on the lawn, followed their every move, harassed them day after day after day. One day, some of the reporters came to him as he came outside the door, and he said, they said, have you read the Washington Post yet? It was a very bad article against him. And Ollie North said, yes, I read the Washington Post, and I also read the Bible to get the other side. You know, that was never reported in the papers. He said it was never reported that every Tuesday night, even while the trial was going on, there was a Bible study in their home, right there at that time. But the newspapers never reported that. There's another thing they didn't report. One day, as Ollie North was coming out of the house, there was a little old lady that somehow broke through the security around him and gave him a little piece of paper. And Ollie North says, imagine a little old lady breaks through the security. You can get an idea of how good the security was. And he took the paper, was ready to put it in his pocket, and his lawyer took it away from him because he didn't want to be distracted, want him to be distracted. The lawyer read it, then when they got down to the trial site, the lawyer set the little piece of paper in front of Ollie North on the desk. And when recess came, they took the paper down, put it away. Then they put it up again after recess, and in the afternoon. They did it the second day, they did it the third day. You can imagine by this time how curious the reporters were. What was that secret weapon on that little piece of paper? But they didn't tell them. You know what the secret weapon was? That dear lady had written on that paper, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. And he was told by her and by the Word of God not to trust in himself, but to trust in God who raises the dead. And that's a good message for you and for me today. Well, we've gone two-thirds of the way. Affliction is inevitable and painful, but there is an answer, God's answer, and results in great advantage. And that's the message that really is the bottom line right now at this point. What does Paul say? The God of all mercy and the God of all comfort comforts us so much that we have comfort to spare, and in turn we are able to exercise that ministry to others. First of all, I think of a ministry of that kind to fellow Christians. Say, they can really profit from our help, can't they? I love to read the verses in the Bible that tell us about our privilege and responsibility related to fellow Christians. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Say, are you a burden bearer? That's a precious and wonderful ministry. Galatians six ten, do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. We have a responsibility to those out in the world, to those who are unconverted. But this particular verse says that in doing good to all, we have a privilege and responsibility, especially to those who are of the family of God. And you know what? This ministry can best be exercised by those who, in trial, have experienced the comfort of God. Now that comfort is running over, and there's God's strength to help others as well. I made reference this morning to the fact that two of our families are facing some very deep crises. I'm happy to tell you, especially in the case of one family, because they are surrounded by a number of very dedicated Christians. Already, the whole comfort system has gone into operation, and they have the kind of health, help and affirmation and comfort and confirmation and, and advice and counsel and prayer that is priceless in a time like that. And I think it is so beautiful when someone passes through trial and crisis and difficulty. Those of like precious faith are right there because they have the comfort to spare that God has given to them. Many ways to do it, by prayer, by the use of scripture, by compassionate service, by just caring. And I trust that you and I are really exercising that ministry. That's not something that just belongs to a select few. It is something that every Christian can do and perform in his own way. And then I think that this comfort also extends to non-Christians. I like what Alan Redpath says in this regard. I would rather have the gift of bringing life to one broken heart than the ability to preach a thousand sermons. Yes, I would like to do that too. I would count that a greater privilege. And when you and I receive the comfort of God, the kind of comfort to spare, the kind of comfort that overflows, it's God's purpose, God's purpose, and God's plan that has comforted, triumphant, victorious Christians. We share that message with others who need the message of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm glad that in the neighborhood where we live, even though we're not there very much, God has given us opportunities these days to tell the story of Christ and his love. There was a lady right across the street, terribly ill with cancer, terminal. She died not long ago. Marge regularly went to visit and comfort her. It was not an easy ministry. So much of the time the husband was around, and he wasn't any help in that particular situation. One day he was not around, and Marge was there with Trudy all by herself. And when she came back, she came back with the joyful note, Abe, Trudy has received Christ as Savior. And not long ago, when Trudy left this earth, she left with faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh, that's so wonderful. And everywhere we turn, north, south, east, and west, there are men and women who are eligible for that comfort to spare, and the grace of God, and the victory that we have in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A comforted, spirit-filled person, carrying the message to those who have not heard, or the message to those who have never accepted Jesus Christ. I see that time is going very quickly, but I want to conclude with two very current illustrations, just to give us an idea of the things that God is doing through people who are willing to be used. Some, to some of you, this will not be as significant as it might be to others. There's a very successful football coach in the United States by the name of Bill McCartney. He's so successful that his University of Colorado team two years ago was number one in the nation. I'm happy to tell you that Bill McCartney is also a dedicated Christian, and I love to think of the fact that these young men who are part of that big bruising football team, day after day, are coming under the impact of that Christian testimony. Bill McCartney hit the news the other day across the nation because of some very clear-cut statements he made on homosexuality. He hasn't had an easy time of it there at the University of Colorado. In fact, think of the tragedy at one time, several years ago, his own daughter was made pregnant by the quarterback of the team, who himself, in just a little while, became terminally ill with cancer and died. So Bill McCartney knows his share of sorrow and tragedy, but that hasn't stopped his living for Christ. And now, at this particular time, more brilliantly than ever, this man who stands in the spotlight is witnessing for his savior and taking the comfort to spare and passing it on to others. It just so happens that about during this same time, there was a man in professional baseball. Some of you have read about him, the Dravecky story. Dave Dravecky, star pitcher in professional baseball, left-hander, southpaw, and then one day he discovers there's something wrong with his pitching arm, a tumor on his arm, a malignant tumor. Boy, that's about as hard a blow as you can strike to anybody when the pitching arm of a professional star pitcher now has a tumor on it. They removed the tumor. They said he would never pitch again. Well, by great effort, he reconditioned himself and went back to pitching and won the first of the games that he, that he started up again. On the second game, as he was pitching with all his force and strength, that weakened arm fractured, and he lay in a heap on the pitcher's mound in great pain and difficulty. But that wasn't the end of it. Didn't only fracture the arm, the malignancy had advanced enough that they had to take the arm. They didn't only have to take the arm, they had to take the shoulder, all the way up to the shoulder. Well, I tell you that story because at National Religious Broadcaster, Dave Dravecky was there. And with that limb gone, there he stood before us to tell us about the comfort of God and what God had meant to him in that time of need. And I want to tell you, Dave Dravecky is able to do more for God now without an arm and not being a star pitcher than he ever could do as one who was idolized by baseball fans, because there he stands as a powerful testimony to the grace of God and the comfort to spare. And Paul is right when he says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. So tonight we can say affliction is inevitable and painful, but it has an answer, God's answer, and results in great advantage. So tonight, let us, by the grace of God, not keep asking why, but what now, and be wonderful instruments in God's hands to honor him, to glorify his name, to witness to those who need that witness. Let's pray together. Loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for this passage of the Word of God. We thank you that comfort is one great word of the Christian faith, and we think of the fact that someday we shall know perfect comfort in the presence of our Lord and lo- of Lords and King of Kings, our glorious and triumphant Savior. And during these days of battle and campaign on earth, we pray that we will be good soldiers of Jesus Christ, in whose wonderful name we pray. Amen.