This week's Sunday School Lesson, "God's Work Is perfected through Trials", 2 Corinthians 1:1=11, 4/24/2022

  

THE LORD’S WORK IS PERFECTED IN OUR TRIALS 

2 Corinthians 1:1-12 

 

EQUIPPED BY THE LORD 

 V:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 

To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:  

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   

1. It is good for us to identify our calling in word and deed. 

1. The Word apostle is from the Greek word Apostolos which means 

A delegate, ambassador of the Gospel with miraculous powers. 

2. Paul was called by Christ on the road to Damascus. 

3. He was commissioned by Christ to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. 

4. He was empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach and teach the Word 

Of God. 

5. He established 14 churches through his 4 missionary journeys. 

6. Before being called by Jesus, he was trained in the Jewish Law 

By one of the great Jewish teachers, Gamaliel. 

7. His commission required him to give up his esteem 

Position of Pharisee to become the work of Christ. 

8. His humble position as an apostle of Christ far exceeded the glamor 

Of any Jewish position of the law.  

2. As believers of Christ, we have to remind ourselves that we work for 

The Lord and not the world.  

1. We do not have the instant powers of Paul, but we have access to 

All power through Jesus Christ.  

2. We are ambassadors of Christ equipped to proclaim the Gospel. 

3. While the Bible is complete and there are no new revelations, 

It is our job to proclaim God’s Word to the world. 

3. We have been blessed with God’s favor which comes with His peace 

To endure the trials and tribulations that result from proclaiming  

The Gospel. 

1. It is the job of every teacher/preacher to train his replacement.  

2. Paul met Timothy during his second missionary journey  

While traveling through Lystra. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium 

Spoke well of Timothy  (Acts 16), who became a traveling companion 

Of Paul.  

 

 

COMFORT FROM THE LORD 

V:3 Praise is to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 

1. We give thanks to God who comforts us in times of trials and tribulations. 

1. Working for Christ come with its share of adversities from non 

Believers.  

2. Jesus said, take up your cross and follow me, which includes getting 

Rid of any distractions that minimize the Gospel.  

3. We can only speak the truth which is foolishness to the world. 

4. The nature of the truth invites adversities. 

2. The Lord knows in advance what trouble we will face when we do 

His work according to His will. 

1. He is compassionate enough to comfort us in our times of trial.  

2. Paul’s traveling companions became a source of comfort. 

3. God comforts us in our troubles building our faith so that we can 

Comfort others. 

1. God provides us with testimonies that are used to build the 

Faith of others.  

2. Without a testimony, we would be empty wagons of faith. 

3. During Jesus's 3 1/2 years of ministry on earth, He suffered 

so we suffer also. 

4. Jesus knows firsthand our troubles the need for consolation.  

       

FAITH TESTED IN DISTRESS 

 V:6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.  

1. Whatever trouble God allows in our lives has a purpose. 

1. We should not see trouble as trouble but as growth opportunities. 

2. Our distressing is an opportunity for God to comfort us. 

3. Our distressing is an opportunity to trust God with our comfort. 

4. With our comfort in the Lord Jesus, we are well able to comfort 

           Others. 

2. God designs our trials for our welfare.  

James 1:2-5 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  

1. Our trials prepare us to be a blessing of encouragement for others. 

2. We can promote salvation to others with our assurance of the  

Protection, provisions, and comfort of the Lord. 

3. Suffering draws us closer to God and forces us to be more compassionate to other brothers and sisters in Christ.  

 

SHARE THE TESTIMONY OF YOUR COMFORT 

V:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him, we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.  

1. Some think that once we accept Christ as our personal 

Savior our troubles are over. 

1. Quite to the contrary, our troubles are just beginning. 

2. We become a target of Satan and his demons.  

3. We are under the umbrella of God’s protection, but  

God allows trouble to grow our faith.  

4. We need trouble in our lives to understand our weaknesses and 

Our need to rely on the strength of the Lord. 

2. Paul and his companions were severely tested to the point of 

Fearing death.  

1. It was not by their strength that they endured but the strength 

Of the Lord. 

Philippians 4:13 

 I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.  

2. We come to know what God will do for us when we are tested. 

3. No matter what situations we face in life, we must learn to put 

Our trust in the Lord.  

4. The day is never dim and the troubles are never too big when our 

Hope is in the Lord. 

3. We need to share our testimonies with others 

So they hope as we do. 

1. You never know what others are going through and how 

Your testimony will encourage them. 

2. Believers should continually proclaim the goodness of the Lord 

           Through the mercies, He has displayed in our trials and 

            Tribulations. 

 

THANK GOD FOR OUR TROUBLES 

 

Rev. M. Mitchell