Good morning everyone. My name is Sandi Asker. I am one of the pastors here.

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Under pressure. Anybody?
Yep.
Few songs with this.
Yep.

I was listening to a podcast this last week by a man named Craig Groeschel. Anybody heard of him? He is the pastor of one of the largest churches in The United States. And he was talking about the time when he thought his job was going to—his words.

Craig Groeschel planted a covenant church, our denomination, in his garage with his wife, which eventually led to big things like the YouVersion app, at least 15 books that I could find in English as well as multiple languages, and a very successful career as a leader and a well sought after speaker. He hosts the podcast of course. He, of course, also has six kids and eight grandchildren and if you've ever seen him, he looks like a runway model who works out a lot. He's like a buff guy, okay? The reason he was on the podcast was to talk about this time where he literally thought his job was going to kill him. Life had become too much. He was at a breaking point.

Now, I've never been at this point where I thought this job was going to kill me. Praise the lord. Maybe I should say yet. But in 2024, I had to take a leave of absence. Thankfully, you as a community supported that and I found myself taking a six week leave only to have pneumonia extended for two more. At that time of my life, it was just too much. I could not do it anymore. I was under pressure and I definitely got to that breaking point.

Have you ever been at a season where you just felt crushed and you just could not do it? One more minute? Or maybe you're watching or have watched someone in that season.

In the face of all of this, we can ask ourselves as followers of Jesus, god, how are you really good? Sometimes, it actually even feels like those of us who follow Jesus we get it even harder in the teeth than people who don't follow Jesus. So, like, what's the deal?

I am really excited about this new series that we're going to kick off. We're going to be in it for a while extending into July. So buckle up. We're going to be in Paul's letter to the Corinthians part. Hopefully, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, collaborating with Crossview, we've been studying this and are going to preach through the book.

There are many podcast books pastors, therapists, and even sermon series that talk about how do you find hope in times where you are under pressure but I care, I guarantee you, that the message that I believe second Corinthians has for us is not perhaps a message that you can buy at the store. Lovely words for your wall. And it's not super popular. Okay? And personally, I would say it's not what I expected.

This would be a great time for you to bring your Bible, perhaps a notebook, if you do miss a Sunday because we literally are going to go through the whole book. We have a podcast. We download just the sermon part so you can listen and there are recordings of the service. Those of you who are watching right now, perhaps it's not even Sunday morning and you are enjoying hopefully the service today.

We're going to start in second Corinthians chapter one. Now, second Corinthians isn't like part one, part two, first Corinthians, second Corinthians. It's just the second letter of Corinthians that to the Corinthians that we have.

So, it starts off: Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of god and Timothy, our brother. So, Timothy is a travel companion, a fellow pastor, and a friend to Paul. Not a brother in the biological sense but a brother in the lord. And Paul says, to the church of god in Corinth, together with all of God's holy people throughout Akiah.

Okay, so Paul, some of you may know who Paul is, have studied him at length, I was this many years old when I discovered his name, Paul, changed from his Hebrew name, Saul which was a very good Jewish name associated with authority. God called it to Paul called him then Paul because it's a Roman name. Paul was sent not to the Jews like many of the other apostles to the Jews like many of the other apostles and disciples but he was specifically sent to non Jews including the Romans and so by him having a name that fit in more with that culture was part of what god was doing. Paul, the name also means small man. Would you love that name? What is your name, what is your name mean, small man? John? Not your name or Andrew. Right? You're not short.

The word apostle that Paul uses here means he was sent. He was a delegate of sense, in a sense. He was a representative with orders and Paul not unlike myself, was a church planter, was a little bit more successful. I mean, I haven't stopped yet. We'll see but he planted many churches and Paul is also known for facing historic enormous suffering because of his following of Jesus.

Now, Corinth I know multiple people who are in the room who've actually been to Corinth recently. Corinth, the name, Corinth, means city of pleasure. Perhaps the Las Vegas of our day. It was the Roman Center for Power because now, imagine my hand here is Asia, okay? And this and this connect to what we now know as Greece. Okay? This is an isthmus which as a child, I always said isthmus. Do you remember that geography word? In Corinth, let's just for the sake of conversation, Corinth is where my thumbs touch.

Okay? What surrounds Greece? Okay? And this connects to Asia. A very large land, right? So, Corinth is in an extremely strategic, important, I I don't even know what other word to use. Corinth's a really good location. When you're thinking about power in your room, if you're thinking about I delivered goods, and if I want to avoid all of the islands around Greece and all of the storms, you know what I can do? Because they're super smart back then. I can take my ship across these stone ruts and they literally portaged not like canoes but ships over the land. So, in terms of commerce, in terms of people, it was an amazing location. I could go on and on about in Corinth. But this is where this church is. Highly important.

Now, this word church, this word in Greek is a combination of two words. And Klasia. Which is a form of the word Kaleo which means call. So, the church is a group of people who have been called out of something. Ec means out of. So, individuals have been called out of their former life into a life with god and they have been called to be reconciled to god and join a group of people who have been called. You're not just called to god, you're called to the church.

Paul had planted this church in Corinth and spent eighteen months with them and if you're interested in reading about that, you can look at Acts 18. If you're having a hard time remembering that, Paul was there eighteen months and it's in Acts 18. It's where he met Priscilla and Aquila, maybe some names that you recognize. And in between the start of the church that Paul planted, he wrote this letter first Corinthians and then, there were some other letters that he wrote that have been lost. New missionaries had come to town. And then Paul writes second Corinthians.

Now, because Corinth is such an important location, it was also a hotbed for orators, people who spoke. And this is before like magazines, right? Or books. And so the oral teaching, people who spoke were really important. Imagine the TikTok of the day. This is how news, ideas, thoughts, conspiracies, truth, everything. This is how it was shared and there were people who made their living by speaking.

And the shiny, happy ones, they ruled the day and all of us peons who didn't speak well, we all had to pick which one are we going to follow? Not unlike social, right? Do you follow so and so? Pfft. No, I follow this person, right? The rivalry between some of these leaders was intense.

Now, the people who had come to Corinth that Paul is referencing in second Corinthians, they were shiny and happy and they were sharing a gospel that sounded to them a lot better than the one that Paul had shared. Paul was kind of inferior. He was known to suffer, get in trouble with the government. Physically, these others, the like super apostles, they spoke well, I bet they dressed well, they were very they were articulate unlike me in that moment. They were the best.

So, now, Corinth receives this letter from Paul and Paul is urging them to reconsider the gospel that he has shown them. And he is a bit defensive, trying to reestablish himself as authority to whom they can place their trust and leadership. Okay, you with me?

So, Paul, verse two, Paul says, grace and peace to you from god our father and the lord Jesus Christ.

Verse three, praise be to the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ. The father of compassion and the god of all comfort. Say with me comfort. Comfort. Comforts us, say comforts, us in all our troubles so that we can say it with me, comfort those in any trouble with the, say it with me, comfort, we ourselves receive from god.

For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, Paul's talking about himself and any other follower of Jesus. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are, say it with me, comforted it is for your comfort, which produces patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 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.

That is translated correctly. In the Greek, Paul repeats the word comfort. Now, depending on your translation, it could be a different word. Consolation is another one. But Paul in the very beginning of this letter is not making a mistake. He is not bad writer. He is not being redundant. He is trying to get something across.

Now, this word in the Greek I just feel like we just need to go to Greece. I'm a little jealous that my friends literally just got to go there. I actually know two different groups of people that went to Greece recently.

The word comfort is also made up of two words. Para and kaleo. I just want to know what you're looking at. So, do you remember Ek, Kaleo, Ekclesia is the church. Okay? Paracleo is this word for comfort. Is that crazy? There's a lot of calling happening.

The word paraclete Paracleo means to call alongside. Okay? So, para means along. It is a word to describe the comforter the promised spirit Jesus speaks of in John chapter 14 15, and 16. It is the same word or a cousin, close. It is the word sometimes translated as an advocate.

And this came to me maybe in a moment of fevered sermon prep. Do you know when you go to jail, what do they give you? One phone call. You need an advocate when you're in prison, right? I watch a lot of TV. You need a lawyer. You need someone who's going to advocate you. For you.

Paul talks about trouble. Now, I think that this is funny. I have a lot of issues with Bible translation. Lord and I are going to have conversations about it in heaven, I hope. Or maybe I won't care then because I'll be with Jesus. But he uses the word trouble.

And the word trouble is not just help me Lord. I mean, a flat tire, I guess. Or I stub my toe. This word means pressure. And what I read is it's the same kind of pressure that they use to make wine from grapes. Crushing to a pulp pressure. That's trouble.

And in the midst of that, he says in verse seven, but our hope for you is firm. All in the midst of all of this, trouble that Paul is having, he wants to remind them of the comfort in the midst of the trouble and there can be hope in that. It is an anticipation of good and a confidence that even in the midst of suffering, there is something that I can be confident in that is trustworthy.

Paul says in verse eight, we do not want you to be uninformed brothers and sisters about the troubles in the province of Asia. The crushing troubles. We were under great pressure. Thank you, Lord. That really when we work on sermon titles and every.

We don't want you to be unformed about the troubles we experienced. We were under great pressure far beyond our ability to endure so that we despaired of life itself. Like Craig Groeschel, he thought he was going to die.

Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death but this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on god who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver us again. On him, we have set our hope, that he will continue to deliver us.

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.

Paul is not sugarcoating his life here. He does not deny that the things that the Corinthians are maybe complaining about that Paul is enduring. He's not trying to say, oh, it wasn't that bad. Don't worry about that or nor did he say, I don't need any help. I'm good. No, they prayed for him.

Nor does Paul say, well, everybody goes through this. He just straight up says, I don't want you to be uninformed. I actually want to tell you just how bad it was. I thought I was going to die.

Now, imagine for now, imagine Brian and I get in trouble with the government. Let's be honest, you'd probably be me. And so, I end up in jail.

Now, would you would you guys keep coming back and supporting Brian? Maybe you would. But can you understand how the Corinthians would feel? What the heck, Paul? Can't you like stay out of prison for a minute? Could you like just have a month where we're not praying for your health? Just take a vacation or something. I don't know. I'm tired of listening to all the terrible things that are happening.

Now, Paul is suffering because of the gospel. But I want to capture a little bit of today because sometimes when we think about our sufferings, and we read scripture like this, we think, well, this is really only for like the martyrs, for the missionaries, for the pastors who are like living their lives for Jesus obvious.

But I want to remind you that in Matthew, Jesus says, bless are those who suffer for righteousness sake. Does that ring a bell? That word righteousness can also mean justice. Okay? So, it is for those who are working for justice in the name of Jesus.

But I think it's also sometimes when we're doing the right things, we're trying to get our nap, we're trying to eat well, we're serving other people. Maybe it is because of Jesus. Do you ever suffer because of that? Doing the right thing, do you ever like, oh this happened.

Okay? This message is for us. No matter what it is you're facing, okay?

Paul does not avoid the suffering. He does not explain it away. In fact, he clarifies it. He points it out. He stresses just how bad it was and again, later on in chapter one, he says, you can even boast about my sufferings.

Corinth. And I would like to say, would you ever tattoo that I boast in my sufferings? Do you think we could go to Hobby Lobby later today? And find a sign that says, I boast in my son. Anyone? I don't think so, you guys.

This is what I'm talking about. The message that is second Corinthians is not necessarily the one that I think gains a lot of traction.

Okay? Help me Jesus. I can count. Here we go.

Paul is telling them that not only he is suffering from the dead but he is but as we continue to see in second Corinthians and if you read anything from Paul, it is that Jesus suffered.

And the way of Jesus is suffering. The gospel is not about winning, it's actually about weakness.

And for them living in this really important place in history in the world where Rome is like, Oh yeah, we're taking advantage of this location. We are winning. Caesar says, peace, Pax Romana. Winning. Wealth. Protection, this is what's going to sustain us.

And has anyone ever seen a picture of the Roman Colosseum? It's crumbling. Caesar is no longer God.

Paul says, we have a dying savior that we serve. And in fact, as you view me don't look through the lens of Rome. Don't look through the lens of the world. Don't look through the lens of pleasure.

Instead,

Thursday, it everyone we won. We won. The twins won. The Wild made it to the next round of the playoffs. The Timberwolves made it to the next. I heard someone say it might have been the best day ever in Minnesota sports history. Can I get an hallelujah?

Let's just enjoy it while it lasts, shall we?

It is no fun to lose all the time, is it? It's no fun. It's no fun to be a parent of a kid who's on a losing team. It's terrible, you all. Watching your friends suffer your kids suffer on a team, it's not fun, is it?

Okay? So, this is Corinth right now. They're watching Paul. He's not only on the losing team, he's the coach of the losing team. And the owner of the team, Jesus, was all alone on the cross with a very few people arrested, and he got the death penalty unjustly.

And y'all, that doesn't sell jerseys.

But that is what Jesus, that is who Jesus is and when we suffer, here's what can happen. Okay? It can happen.

We can come alongside and experience Jesus in a different way.

Craig Rochelle said, we need to do all these things to avoid burnout. Amen. Okay? I'm not saying like, whoo, bring on the suffering. I'm going to stay up late. I'm gonna eat I'm going to hang out in stupid places. I'm gonna do stupid things, I'm gonna spend all my money. For the gospel. No, okay? Be smart.

But that is not what this series is about. This series about is about the A, we are going to suffer together. The word says that when one potty of help me Jesus. When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer. You will not go through it alone. You were not called just to Jesus. You were called to a community of Jesus.

Secondly, Paul is establishing that it might seem like he is a terrible weak leader but again, if we look through Paul with the lens of the cross, Paul's magnificent. He is willing to suffer for the sake of Jesus.

And even in the midst of that, there is a comfort that is promised and a comfort that doesn't just help me feel better but it can overflow to others who are suffering.

Now, I don't know about you but I don't know anyone who doesn't suffer. Do you know anybody who just feels like can they just have the easiest flight? I bet if we talk to them, there's something happening in their life that actually is quite terrible.

When god doesn't save us from the suffering, it might feel like we've done something wrong. And maybe you have. Maybe you've brought it on yourself. Let's get some accountability and forgiveness for that, okay?

But if you are doing the right thing, if you are leaning into Jesus, if you are following Jesus, you will suffer.

Suffering, death, and darkness doesn't get the last word. We believe that Jesus is going to come back and make all things the way that it should be.

We might feel like crushed grapes but you know what happens? To crushed grapes, don't we?

We know what happens when Jesus came out of the tomb. That is the hope that we have.

Jesus did not come by that resurrection and that empty tomb by winning though. By conquering, by taking over the government, by casting out coins to the masses as he rode away on a horse.

The blows are going to keep coming. Our church may fail. I might have a mental crisis again. Craig Rochelle, I don't know, might burn out.

There is something about this chapter that has led me to do something I've never done before and I'll have the worship team come up.

For some reason, I have a new hope when even the like small, painful things happen.

So last night, I was in the bathroom. What was I doing? I was doing something on the floor. Brian was brushing his teeth had left the drawer open. And I came up off the floor and I cracked my head so hard I really thought I was going to have a little knot today but I didn't.

And I hurt so bad. I was crying.

And in that moment I thought to myself, okay Jesus, I'm in pain. Nothing like what Jesus suffered, okay? I'm not trying to I don't know. Right? Okay.

But in that moment, I was like, Jesus, what does it look like for me to know you better because of this pain?

When I don't want to wake up in the morning, I'm super tired. I think about, you know, Jesus didn't have a pillow and a mattress. What does it mean, Jesus? When I am tired, what does it look like for me to know you in these moments?

For some reason, there is hope in me now for the next time something terrible happens which will probably be in two minutes. I don't know.

I have hope now that no matter what happens in that moment, like Jesus is there.

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Paul says this, and then y'all can go get your kids.

God has delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver us again.

On god, on Jesus, we have set our hope that god will continue to deliver us.

Amen?