Let Us Comfort One Another

The title of today's sermon is, Let Us Comfort One Another. Let us comfort one another.

You are well aware that we live in a world of suffering and woe. And we are very familiar with the good times. It's not always terrible being alive. There are so many beautiful things God has created and taught us how to enjoy and relish and praise and thank Him for.

The difficult times we don't like as much, but it's the difficult times we have to be very mindful of because they can either weaken or they can strengthen our faith. God wants the difficult times to strengthen our faith. He has a reason for them. In difficult times, we will find comfort in drawing near to God. Remember, God the Father, through Jesus Christ, gives His faithful ones His Holy Spirit, the very power and life essence of God. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Comforter. In some translations, it's the Helper, but I like the idea of the Comforter.

Comfort. What does comfort mean? We know what it feels like, but what does it mean?

Well, comfort means relief from pain and stress. That sounds good to me. How about you?

Relief from pain and stress. And the action to comfort means to soothe in time of affliction or distress. It can mean to ease, to relieve. And at times, I'm quite certain we all need comforting. We might not know it always, but sometimes that's just what we really could use, some good old comfort. And always, God especially comforts us. God especially comforts us. The Bible, the Word of God, as we were reminded so well in the sermonette, the Bible, God's Word is filled with God's comfort. It's filled with God's assurances, His promises, and words of our living hope through Jesus Christ. That's right. And today is a good day to draw comfort from God's Word, to draw comfort from God's Word for our own comforting, but also so that we are able to comfort others in their need of comforting. It's a gift, and it's a gift. Two directions of giving and receiving. And so again, the title of the sermon is, Let Us Comfort One Another. Comfort is required because we live in a world that is not what God wants for us. It is a world of suffering and sorrow. What is the main cause of suffering and sorrow? Do you know? Do you ever wonder? It really comes down to sin. It's sin. It's sin. It's sin. It's sin. Since the beginning of the world. Adam and Eve chose, they made the choice.

They did not make a good choice. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, and they sinned. They decided for themselves how to live and what they would believe.

Their decision brought about sorrow and suffering of all sorts. It brought about a broken relationship with their loving creator, our loving creator.

Their decision brought about death. It took a while for them to experience it, but it came.

Now, Satan was the instigator of Adam and Eve's disobedience. We know that. We understand that. He sowed doubt and deceived Eve. Eve's deceived Eve, leading her to disobey God. Adam, we are told, was not deceived, but he chose to follow Eve instead of staying faithful to God.

Now, humanity, ever since that time, has continued to make the choice of Adam and Eve. Humanity has continued to choose to disobey God, to sin. And humanity, ever since, has continued to suffer the consequences. Let's turn to Romans, verse 5. Romans, verse 5.

Many places one could turn to, but Romans 5 describes the cause we're talking about sin, the cause of humanity's suffering and death.

Romans 5, verse 12. Here Paul states, he says, therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, that man being Adam, he's making that reference, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. Each man followed the example of Satan, and so have we. We sinned. We, to this day, we struggle, and God gives us strength to fight it. We struggled wanting to do our way versus doing things God's way.

Verse 18 through 19, continuing, reveal, these verses reveal the solution. The solution to sin, and it's a comforting thought and a comforting practice. It's repentance. It's repentance through living faith in humanity's Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul writes, therefore, verse 18, therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act, of course he's speaking of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice, even so through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous. Don't you like how that sounds? It's not a few will be made righteous, but many. And God works with huge numbers. It will be many. For now, humanity, we often call the world, humanity continues in disobeying God and walking, as Paul says later, according to the prince of the power of the air, which is Satan, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience. That's a reference to Ephesians 2 verse 2. Humanity continues to earn the wages of sin, which is death, Romans 6 23. But God, God gives us hope, God gives us great comfort. He gives us hope and comfort through his gospel message about his gift, the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus. And you find that spoken of also in Romans 6 23. And it's not just for a few. It's at hope of eternal life, his gift of eternal life offered to every human being, all in due time. And so sin is the main cause of suffering and sorrow. What is another cause of suffering and sorrow? Well, you might just call it our human existence. Our human existence.

Not all suffering is directly related to our having committed a sin. Sometimes we suffer because of other people's sins and the ramifications of someone's sin impacting us, perhaps way up behind us in the ancestral tree somewhere. It has ramifications for people or generations that come after us. Sometimes things happen to us, suffering and sorrow happens just because of our mortal human existence. It was Job who said, Job said that man who was born of woman is a few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away. He flees like a shadow and does not continue.

That's Job 14, 1 through 2. Life is fleeting. Life is fleeting. Life's temporary.

The psalmist, Psalm 90 verse 10, the psalmist tells us their lifespan is about 70 years, give or take. 70 years, and he adds, or and if by reason of strength they are 80 years.

Of course, in this congregation we have some that expanded much beyond that into their 90s, some beyond. The point about our human existence is it's just a breath. It may seem long to us, but in the span of eternity it is like a breath. The great wisdom of our country western singers were only here for a little while. We're only here for a little while. Let's look at Ecclesiastes 9 verse 11 through 12. Solomon also perceived something about our human existence. Solomon spent many years, it seems. He had great wisdom, but great wisdom, if you don't use it, doesn't do as what it could do, and Solomon had great wisdom, but he didn't always make good choices. But that's another sermon. Ecclesiastes 9, 11 through 12, Solomon did see something very perceptive, very insightful. He perceived that our lives can be afflicted and cut short by what we often call time and chance. Time and chance happens, too, in our moral existence. Ecclesiastes 9, 11 through 12, he explains it, describes it this way. He says, I returned and saw under the sun, this human existence, life that goes on under the sun, under the heavens. I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift. Did you know that? The race is not to the fastest. Remember the old tortoise and the hare story? Remember that? It's the tortoise who won the race, not the faster rabbit. And so there's some truth here. The race is not always, is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill. But time and chance happen to them all. Life happens. For man also does not know his time. None of us knows when our time is up. Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time when it falls suddenly upon them. And so what he's telling us, something we know, but he's doing it much more poetic and descriptive fashion, he's telling us that bad things do happen.

Bad things do happen. And bad things happen that are not always by any fault of our own. They just happen. Sadly then, that loss and pain and suffering and even death occur by being sometimes just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And we understand that. And that's part of our part of the cause of suffering and sorrow in this existence we have.

But I'm not here to focus on the suffering and sorrow. I want to talk about the comfort. Don't you? We want to talk about the comfort.

It's an interesting fact of Scripture that, yes, life is full of sorrow and suffering and woes, life is short. But it's also an interesting fact that God is a God of comfort. And God comforts us. He knows our condition. He knows our frame. He knows what we're made of, what we can handle. And His desire is to comfort us and give us hope in which He does. In fact, God gives comfort to the sinner and the innocent. He gives comfort to all people if they're willing to perceive it, if they're willing to accept it and believe it. God comforts His people after they've suffered due to their sins. Let's turn to an example, just a brief example, Isaiah 40, verses 1 through 2. Isaiah 40, verses 1 through 2. God hates death. God does not like sin and what happens and the suffering in this world. But sometimes, well, He uses suffering. He allows suffering to help us learn to turn to Him and trust Him and to repent. We see an example of how God comforts His people after they've suffered due to their sins in Isaiah 40, verse 1 through 2. Israel had suffered many years of pain and punishment. And, of course, they're going to be suffering more pain and punishment. They still do and they still will, the modern-day descendants of Israel. But historically, they suffered a lot. And God, we see here—I'm just going to take a snippet of this. Here God turns to Israel with a message of hope and comfort. Isaiah 40, verse 1, it reads, Comfort, yes, comfort my people, says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. So God, at times like a loving father, has to discipline His unruly children. So does God. And God will discipline all humanity. And that is told to us in prophecy. But God's comfort for Israel, what we're talking about here, if we continue on down, we're going to read verses 10 through 11. God's comfort to Israel was His forgiveness, and also a hope He gives us, He gave Israel, of a coming Messiah. So let's read also now, verses 10 through 11.

Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and his arms shall rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those who are with young. And so what we see here is just a very small snippet of God's comfort, His assurances, to Israel then, and continuing to this day, until it will be fulfilled. We pray not many, many years from now. God is a God of mercy and comfort. And just as God comforted ancient Israel, this prophecy tells us that He will also deliver the modern-day descendants of Israel from a future time of cruel suffering, a future time of captivity due to their sins. Jesus Christ, their King, their Shepherd, will comfort them as he establishes God's kingdom on earth. That's part of what God wants us to rehearse and remember every year through the observance of His Holy Days. Now, if we turn next to 2 Corinthians chapter 1, 2 Corinthians 1, 3 through 5, we see that Paul, like Isaiah, also conveys a message of hope, encouragement, and comfort to those who bear God's Holy Spirit, to His church, to His people, to us. He encourages His brethren, Paul does. Paul encourages His brethren with the comfort and hope given to us by our loving God. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3 through 5. Paul writes, Bless be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. Why? 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 the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation, so our consolation, our comfort, our reassurance, our our encouragement also abounds through Christ. And so God's faithful ones, Paul is telling us, inspired of God, Paul is telling us that God's faithful ones will experience pain and suffering due to sin, due to happenstance, and any other causes we might come up with. Life is full of toil and tears, but Paul encourages us with God's message of assurance. It's a gospel message when it comes down to it. It's a gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ. It also reminds us that we are not forgotten by our God, our God of all comfort.

Now what other wonderful comfort does God offer in His scripture? What does His Word share with us? This Word that must guide us and direct us that we must follow. So let's consider some other comforts, and how do you count all the comfort that the God of all comfort can give us? How do you begin? How do you make a list? Well, foolishly, I started one. But it's not a bad list. It's not a foolish list by any means. Let's consider some of the comforting ideas, some of the comforting thoughts and assurances God gives us. And I'm going to call these comforts. Comfort number one. Here's another comfort God gives us. Very encouraging and uplifting. Comfort number one is, one day we will understand why. One day we will understand why. Why what? Well, pretty much anything that has been troubling us or discouraging us. And that is if we, in the future time of the kingdom, we even care to know. We may not care to know why any longer, because that's all behind us. It's all old news. But one day we will understand why. We would like to understand why certain terrible events happen. That's what often happens to us as human beings. We want to know why a chronic illness is happening. We want to know why me. We want to know why a sudden death of a loved one. Why a devastating accident. We want to know why an innocent was assaulted or murdered. We want to know why. We don't want to know why.

And so as human beings, God has created us with an intellect that we want to find out answers. And we will search for answers. We'll try to come up with things perhaps on our own and sometimes fail. And we'll not always know the reason why. And that not knowing, perhaps you'd agree with me, not knowing why sometimes can sorely vex us. Vex us. It can really frustrate us. It can cause us added distress. It can make us think things like, God's not fair. That's what can happen when we search for reasons why. Now the Apostle Paul understood our need to make sense out of life's sorrows. Let's look at 1 Corinthians 13 verse 12. 1 Corinthians 13, 12. Paul says something here. He admits that we don't, as human beings, we don't. And we frankly can't always understand why bad things sometimes happen. But he does comfort us. He comforts us with this assurance that one day we will. One day we will. He says in part, he says, verse 12, for now we see an emirate dimly. It's like we can understand things dimly. But then face to face, now I know in part, I get some of it, but then, then would seem to refer to the time of the kingdom when we've changed or no longer in this mortal flesh. But then I shall know, just as I am also known, and the amplified version adds, just as I am also known by God. The idea is that we'll have a full, fuller understanding. Now what does this mean? We see an emirate dimly. Mirrors in ancient times were not made of glass with the metal glazing on the back of it. Mirrors in ancient times were made of highly polished metal, oftentimes bronze, something that you can polish to a high shimmer and you can see your reflection. Do you still have a metal toaster?

You can make your face in it, yeah, you get the idea of the metal mirrors. But what happens with metal mirrors, especially, let's say it's bronze or even silver, they tarnish through time. You know how metal tarnishes, and that image can become very clouded and blurred and hard to see. Paul seems to be making this similarity, this comparison, that we cannot always clearly see and understand God's will. It gets a little blurry to us. It gets a little clouded.

And so we don't always understand. We can get a grasp of a bit of it, perhaps, or he does give us the hope to know it'll be okay, but we can't always understand why certain things happen. But that phrase, he says, but then, seeming to refer to a time when life is different, we're in a different world in God's kingdom, then we will finally begin to see God's reasoning. We'll begin to see and understand God's purpose for why we and others suffer, why we perhaps are allowed to suffer. And again, maybe we won't care. Maybe once we've become spirit beings, we really won't care to know why, because we've arrived. We've arrived. But the fact that we can know, we might know, we may even will know, that fact should comfort us now. And even now, knowing that God is love, should help us to believe and to trust that whatever God allows to happen is for the best. It can be very complicated to understand it all, but ultimately that's part of our faith. That's part of our faith. And one day, then, we will understand why. That's a comfort.

A second comfort is, we will not be tried beyond what we can bear.

We will not be tried, and sometimes it's tempted or tested beyond what we can bear. And so for this present time, God also wants us to be comforted in knowing that He won't allow us to be tempted, tested, and trials beyond what we're able to endure. I know trials are not fun, especially the long ones that can go on for months and years. They're no fun.

But sometimes we may discover through those trials that we're a whole lot stronger in faith than we thought we were. Maybe that's something God wants us to learn. We're still in 1 Corinthians. Let's turn now to 1 Corinthians 10.13. 1 Corinthians 10.13. And here's that assurance for this comfort, number two. Paul gives us God's viewpoint about trials and tests. 1 Corinthians 10.13 Paul writes, No temptation, New English translation says, no trial, no temptation or trial is overtaking you, except such as is common to man. There's other people like us that go through the same things. And that's a comfort to know. We can learn from people who have gone through what we've gone through. And so he says, no temptation is overtaking you, except such as is common to man. But God is faithful. This is a good part. God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, the trial will also make the way of escape. Why? That you may be able to bear it. Isn't that good to know? It's really good to know. No. God's word assures us that we won't be tested or tried beyond what we are able to bear. We might think we can't do it any longer. Maybe we can't. Well, God will give you away.

But we may be able to do it longer. We can get through it. We can endure it. And God's there to help us. And so along with the trial of temptation, God will provide us an escape, a way out. A way out. There's an exit somewhere. What might that be?

It could be any number of things. When tempted, God can give us the strength to resist the temptation. God might give us the means to flee from it. Maybe your temptation is sexual immorality of some sort. Well, chances are God has given you two good legs. Get up and run away from it. Flee sexual immorality, we're told in Scripture. Sometimes the way to find the exit from temptation is just to put great distance between you and the thing that's tempting you. But do we do it? That's the rub. That's what we need to do.

In a trial, God can help us find what was lost. God's good at helping people find things that they've lost. Whether it's a coin, whether it's a sheep, whether it's your keys. There are times you've helped me find contacts from time to time. That was, you know, it's nice to be able to drive, if you can see clearly. God's good at helping us that way. God can help you find and land a new job.

God can heal us. That's a way out. And yes, God can even allow us to sleep the sleep of death, to sleep the sleep of death. Sometimes that is a way out. And that is a comfort sometimes, especially when we know in faith that death is just a sleep. In our next awakening moment, we will be in a far, far better place, a better world, of Christ reigning on earth. God knows our limits and what's best. We should believe God and trust Him not to try us more than we can bear. But we've got to use our wits to know when we can do our part to get away from the temptation to do our part to make the trial less, what, trialsome. Comfort number three. It's a comfort to know that trials prove the genuineness of our faith. Or stated another way, trials prove the genuineness of our faith, the authenticity of our faith. God wants us to find comfort in knowing and believing that He uses our trials and sufferings as opportunities. These are opportunities for us to prove the authenticity, the quality of our faith. Peter makes God's purpose for trials a little clearer for us to understand. Let's look at 1 Peter 1, 6-8. 1 Peter 1, 6-8. 1 Peter 1, 6-8. In breaking into the threat of his conversation here in his letter, Peter writes to the brethren, he's writing to people that have God's Holy Spirit. He's writing to people like you and me who have gone through trials. And particularly in this historical moment, they were facing some very cruel persecution by the Roman government from what we understand. And he writes to them, 1 Peter 1, 6-8. In this, this referring to, in this the hope of salvation, in this the hope of salvation you greatly rejoice. Though now for a little while, just a little while, if need be you have been grieved by various trials. And why? That the genuineness, the true metal, we might say, the true metal of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Peter saw Christ, he knew Christ, and that gave him great hope.

We have to trust in the scripture the testimony of those eyewitnesses, and they're inspired words to us. And God gives us the help of his spirit as well to help us see and look forward to the praise, honor, and glory that will be part of our lives at the revelation and coming of Jesus Christ.

And so the point here is that Peter's telling us that trials give us a chance to prove our faith, what we're made of, and also our commitment to God. Trials are a time for us to strengthen our strength in God, and I'm going to say this again. Trials are a time for us to strengthen our strength in God, and to weaken our weaknesses of the flesh. Trials are a time for us to strengthen our strength in God, and weaken our weaknesses of the flesh. That's a different way of looking through the tough times we go through. Perhaps we're going through right now. Now, if we're wise, if we're wise, we'll stay faithful and committed to God. Even if we don't see the way out, where else can we go? God's there to help us. He's ready. So if we're wise, we'll stay faithful and committed to God. We'll draw closer to God, and I think we should understand how. We could draw closer to God for that strength we need from Him through prayer, study, meditation, fasting, and the doing of His Word. When we do that, we can gain that strength. We can weaken our weaknesses of the flesh. We can find that solace or comfort that comes from God, that comes from His Word, that strengthens us. God strengthens us with His Spirit. And all this instruction and promises we find in Scripture, it's there to help us in our trials. And so trials ultimately should lead us to a deeper submission to God, a deeper willingness to do what God says, and to do it gladly so. Even in the midst of troubles, we can gladly put our faith and trust and obedience in God. Now, a fourth comfort to understand is that suffering as a Christian pleases God. Suffering as a Christian pleases God. God may test our faith through ordeals, which Scripture likens to fiery trials. Ordeals can be really tough. We're here in 1 Peter 1. Let's turn to 1 Peter 4. 1 Peter 4, 12 through 15.

And again, Peter is encouraging us in trials. And here we're encouraged to be comforted during the fiery trial. That's any ordeal. And here for Peter, he seems to focus on those ordeals when we're being hated. When we're being hated and reviled, it even persecuted because of our faith and obedience to our great God. As Peter writes, 1 Peter 4, verse 12, he says, Beloved, do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you. As though some strange thing has happened to you. You should know this is going to happen. It's part of our lives. It's part of our existence. But verse 13, he says, But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. We'll become better. We'll become more perfected in God's way. We'll be ready to receive salvation in those glorious bodies that we're promised. Continuing in verse 14, he says, If you are reproached, amplified Bible says, if you're reproached, if you are insulted, if you're reviled or hated for the name of Christ, blessed are you. In other words, be happy, be comforted. That's happening. For the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you.

Now on their part, on the hater's part, Christ is blasphemed. But on your part, when you're hated for doing what's good and right, for your part then, Christ is glorified through your righteous sufferings. But verse 15 is a warning to us all. Peter adds, But let none of you suffer as a murderer, as a thief, an evildoer, or as a busy body, a gossip, and other people's matters. God does not approve of sinning, and sinning is what should cause us shame. Do we understand that? Sinning is what should cause us shame. We should not feel ashamed for obeying God and Christ. And people will try to make us feel ashamed, any of us that have been bullied in school or made fun of because we didn't partake of their holiday parties or dress the way they dress in the coolest ways. By the way, cool is not all it's talked up about. I know a lot about cool.

It's a fad. It comes and goes and mostly goes. What lasts forever? God's way of life. Righteousness. Standing up firm, entrenched in the way of God. Tell the kids that bully you, put that... well, I can't tell them to put it in their pipe. They shouldn't be smoking pipes either. Just tell them, go away. You know, one day you'll get it. I'll help you learn. One day.

And so we should not feel shame for being reviled for our faith in Christ. Being bullied, being harassed, being persecuted for being a Christian. At times it can be quite horrific. Scripture says it may come to that for some of us. There'll be persecutions. There'll be martyrdom.

But should that happen, even then God's Word tells us we should be comforted. We should be comforted in knowing not only is it just temporary, but we can be comforted in knowing that we are sharing in Christ's suffering. Remember all that Christ suffered for righteousness' sake, for us. And perhaps with little we suffer for Christ's sake, for doing what is right and good. Just know that sort of faithfulness is very, very pleasing to our great God.

Comfort number five. Comfort number five. This is good. We will always be with Christ. Don't forget this. We will always be with Christ.

Those whom the Father is called to be first fruits of salvation who have received the begettle of God's Holy Spirit will be resurrected and meet Jesus Christ in the air at his return.

Thereafter, we will forever be with Christ on earth in his kingdom. That's what Christ is going to be. He's not going to stay hovering in the air. He's coming down to earth. Let's look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians 4, 16 through 18. 1 Thessalonians 4, 16 through 18.

Here, Paul specifically instructs us to comfort one another. He specifically instructs us to comfort one another with that truth, that truth of Christ's return and our hope, that hope, that living hope, of the resurrection and salvation. 1 Thessalonians 4, 16. Paul writes, For the Lord himself will be sent from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. And then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Comfort one another with these words. Let's also read the next chapter, chapter 5, verse 8 through 11. 1 Thessalonians 5, 8 through 11 now. Again, Paul tells us to comfort one another. He says, But let us who are of the day be sober, the light, and we are part with Christ, he is the light of mankind. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation, the armor that spiritual armor of God. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He didn't call us just so we can be miserable. There's a purpose suffering. It's to help us to be ready to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 10, Who died for us, for all humanity, and that whether we wake or sleep, whether we're alive or dead, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. So Paul realized they're already doing that, and he's telling them, keep it up. And I know we've been doing that. We have to keep it up, especially when we're burdened ourselves by trials. And so when our brethren are in their trials and sorrows, we should pray for God's peace and comfort and strength to be with them. We can also do more than just pray, some opportunities may come to serve in more personal and concrete ways. But prayer is so, so very important. We should comfort each other with the fact that Jesus Christ is coming. And just think of it. Soon we'll be with Him forever. And sometimes we don't want to think like that because we know this life and this is comfortable. This is our comfort zone, and we ought to cling to what we got. But this is temporary. This is a breath. And we need to think about that and realize that soon we'll be with Christ forever. And how very encouraging that is. The next comfort number six is, following in line with this, we shall be changed. We shall be changed. Not only will we always be with Christ, but we shall be like Him.

We shall be like Him, John says in 1 John 3, 2. And as first fruits, yes, we'll no longer bear the burden of our flesh. Let's turn back to 1 Corinthians 15. If you're familiar with chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians, you know Paul goes to some detail inspired of God to describe, to explain to us what the first resurrection is like. And here Paul conferences us to some of the details of the transformation of the first fruits when Christ returns. Because we, it's interesting, in those times, they're inquiring people too. They're inquiring minds back then that wanted to know, just as inquiring minds today want to know. So he says, verse 35, but someone will say, well, how are the dead raised up? That's a great question. I've seen a lot of zombie movies. I don't want to be like that. Did I just say I've seen a lot of zombie movies? I'm sorry. I think I saw part of one once. I see a lot of the ads, which are disgusting, but that's not how the dead are going to be raised up. Humanity has got it all wrong, as they often do. How will the dead be raised? And with what body do they come? And Paul says, foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. So he's giving a reference to what many people then understood. They're an agrarian culture. They knew about seeds, and I think a lot of us know about that. There's a lot of gardeners here and farmers and former farmers. We get it. He says, foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain, mere seed, perhaps wheat seed or some other grain seed. But God gives it a body as He pleases and to each seed its own body. And so it's a beautiful analogy. And I'm still amazed to this day. I admit I don't garden. I don't try anymore. But I did grow up on a farm, and we always had a garden. I'm still amazed to this day how tiny seeds, tiny little seeds, well in fact, a lot of seeds aren't very pretty, are they? They're kind of shriveled up and ugly, and they look inert. They look like gravel sometimes. They don't look like anything. And then other seeds are tiny, like little flyspecs. You've seen some of those seeds? And then you plant them in the ground, and then just under the right perfect condition, give or take perfection, the right conditions, they are transformed into what? Golden stalks of wheat that are way over waist high.

They're transformed into corn. Corn stalks. Corn stalks now, on some of these farms, they're like 10-12 feet tall. It's incredible. From a little seed. It looks nothing like the corn plant. You ever plant seeds for flowers? You get these little black seeds, you put them in the ground, and up comes these astounding zinnias, just full of this kaleidoscope of color. They attract all these birds and butterflies. Watermelons are pretty good. You like those seeds? That's pretty good. You can even take a tiny little acorn, plant it in the right condition. You may not live long enough to see its full height, because it takes a long time, but it turns into this mighty oak.

You get the idea of what Paul's talking about? Us. These physical bodies are being sort of a seed. This is not what we're... we're kind of in seed form, I guess. Is he saying we're seedy? Is that what he's saying? Some people might say that. This is not what we're meant to be. We're meant to be something more than this, and that's what Paul goes on to continue. He said, those who have God's Holy Spirit, there's going to be a transformation. At Christ's return, the first fruits of salvation will be resurrected from the dead. Some resurrected. They're still alive. They're going to be transformed into a spirit body. Quite unlike those natural bodies. He says, going on, verse 42, And so also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption. It is raised in incorruption. It's not going to look quite like it did, going in. It is sown in dishonor. It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness. It is raised in power. It is sown in a natural body. It is raised a spiritual body, and there is a natural body, and there is a spirit body, spiritual body. Verse 49, And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. And of course, there's much more. We're going to learn about that in the days, weeks ahead, the holy days approaching. This is just a lapitizer of what we should remember, the hope we have. But what a comfort it is to know that death is but a sleep, that the firstfruits at their next waking moment after death will be resurrected, and that those firstfruits still living will also be changed and resurrected, and together they will meet Christ in the air. And this is why we must push through life's challenges, through the trials and sorrows with faith and obedience to God. It's a wonderful thing Paul is describing here. In fact, let's read verse 57. Paul adds, But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, be immovable in the ways of God, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. In the Lord, our labor, keep it going in the Lord. Again, this is our calling and our destiny. And truly, we should be comforted by these things. Comfort number seven. Continuing on in that tract, we will be kings and priests of the kingdom. We will be kings and priests in the kingdom. Let's turn to Revelation 20, verse 4 through 6. Revelation 20, verse 4 through 6.

I don't know about you, but I'm in the middle of trials. I don't always think of all these comforting things. But when I do get my mind focused on God, this definitely helps me in my trials. And so it should for all of us. Revelation 20, verse 4 through 6. And so we understand that for God's faithful ones, death is... well, we might call death is like hitting the pause button. Do you know they have pause buttons and washing machines and dryers now? It's a pause button. And sometimes I wonder if our death, our lives end, and it's like a pause button. We sleep, and we wait for God to start, hit the start, into a new creation. And something new, our new life, our new roles as kings and priests and a Christ.

And so the first fruits receive the honor and joy of serving as leaders in Christ's kingdom. And that's what we learn here in Revelation 20, verse 4. John, explaining the vision, he says, I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was committed to them. And then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not worshipped the beast nor his image, who had not received the mark on their foreheads or on their hands, they had not lived his way of life, they had not followed him, they'd rejected the beast in his image. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. It's a millennium. But, verse 5 says, the rest of the dead do not live again until the thousand years were finished.

And this is the first resurrection. The first resurrection he's referring to is that thousand year period. But he tells us, what he tells us in verse 5 is that there is a second resurrection, and I believe we're aware of that. Verse 5 refers to the billions of people who will be in the second resurrection. That's a resurrection to physical life, and that will happen after the millennium ends, after that thousand year period. In every person, God is going to give every human being a fair chance. And then, without Satan's interference to learn about God, to learn about salvation, they'll be given an opportunity to repent, and to be forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ, and to be like God. They will have to go very much the process we're going through now. Now, that's a comfort to know that God is not going to neglect or forget anybody. He wants everyone to be in his kingdom and more. Yet the first resurrection is a better resurrection.

Verse 6, John continues, he says, blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And the rest of the story we pick up on the eighth day tells us that there is no end to God's kingdom. There's no end. It goes on and on for all eternity. As an author wrote me years ago, the nebula, the universe, the stars we see out there, they will fade away one day, but we will continue to live. We will continue to live in eternity with God if we remain faithful. And so our duty as first-routes is to seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness. Suffering right now may seem to be our lot in life, but again it's just temporary. Be comforted. When we endure to the end, we shall receive our crown of glory. That's what Peter calls it. We'll receive our crown of glory, 1 Peter 5 for. The last comfort I wanted to share with you today from the scripture. We are and will forever be the children of God. We are and will forever be the children of God. Now there are some caveats there. If we remain faithful, and if you have accepted the calling of our Heavenly Father, and through faith in Christ, Jesus Christ, you've repented of your sins, you've been baptized, you've received the begettle of God's Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. The scripture tells us then that you are a begotten child of God.

God then considers us to be his children. Let's go back to Romans 8, verse 18 through 23. Romans 8, 18 through 23. Many places we could turn to on this, but let's go here. Romans 8, 18.

So God considers us to be his children. His Holy Spirit resides in us. It's his gift.

Romans 8, 18. And here Paul again explains why God allows us to suffer through trials and sorrows. Yes, it's to perfect our faith and our character as we stay faithful and committed to God, but he also brings up this idea of being children of God. Verse 18, Paul says, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with that glory, the glory, which shall be revealed in us.

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. The whole creation. Not just us, but all creation, Paul says, is waiting for that time when we'll be calm the sons of God in that very real sense and God's kingdom, Christ's kingdom on earth. Verse 21, Because the creation itself will also be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. And not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. A better word for adoption there would be sonship. And the basic Bible in English puts that phrase this way. It says, eagerly waiting for the time when we will take our place as sons.

I thought that was pretty good. The time when we'll take our place as sons, the redemption of our body. And so the creation and we, the church, that spirit body, the church, we eagerly wait that time. 1 John 3-2, 1 John 3-2, John also declares, and I'm sure you're familiar with these verses. I referred to this earlier. 1 John 3-2 also declares that we shall forever be God's divine children. And John writes 1 John 3 verse 2, well in verse 1 he says, beloved, behold, what manner of love the Father is bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God.

Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know him. But beloved, verse 2, beloved, now we are children of God. And it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, Christ is revealed, when Christ returns, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. We'll be able to see him face to face in all his glory, because we too will be like him. We will have those glorious and mortal spirit bodies.

And so if we endure in faith, then at Christ's return we'll be resurrected. Spirit beings, glorious and mortal, will be truly born again. We'll be the born-again children of God, and we shall see God as he is, because we will fully be our Father's divine children. And moreover, God's salvation is not for firstfruits alone, but ultimately every human being will have this same opportunity. Those are a few comforts you can find in Scripture. Please, please be diligent and find more. Study God's Word and find more reasons to be comforted in God, and that hope he gives us through Christ. And so, brethren, a glorious future and eternity await us.

How very encouraging and comforting to know these assurances and promises of God. And when we've only touched a very few reasons, but I've tried to make sure I got the big ones as best as I would understand it, of why we should be comforted by God's Word. Our lives are brief, and our lives are subject to suffering and time and chance. But do we understand and appreciate how God is helping us now, and throughout all our trials and tears, he's helping us to get better, to become more like him. And he does that to help us perfect our faith. He wants us to be like his Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

So, brethren, Holy Scripture assures us that God truly is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Because he is our Father and we are his children, we need to do what our Father does. We can be comforted in God's Word, but, brethren, we are also instructed, brethren, let us comfort one another with the words of our great and loving God.