Robert Louis Stevenson tells of a storm that caught a vessel off a rocky coast and threatened to drive it and its passengers to destruction. During the terror, one daring man, contrary to orders, went to the deck, made a dangerous passage to the pilot house, and saw the steer man, at his post holding the wheel unwaveringly, and inch by inch, turning the ship out, once more, to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled. Then, the daring passenger went below and gave out a note of cheer: "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well." (Source: Robert Louis Stevenson.)
Comfort was found on the face of the captain! Where do you look for comfort? There are many places people will look for comfort. We are often comforted when feeling loved, but not everyone feels loved in the same way. Here are the 5 ways we can comfort those in closer relationships with one another. This is from the book, “The 5 Love Languages.” We will love at five more ways to comfort others after we study First Thessalonians 4 & 5.
1. A hug from another human being (many crave this comfort)
2. Hearing encouraging words
3. Serving someone in a practical way
4. Giving gifts
5. Spending quality time with someone
Once during Queen Victoria's reign, she heard that the wife of a common laborer had lost her baby. Having experienced deep sorrow herself, she felt moved to express her sympathy. So she called on the bereaved woman one day and spent some time with her. After she left, the neighbors asked what the queen had said. "Nothing," replied the grieving mother. "She simply put her hands on mine, and we silently wept together." (Source Unknown)
Quality time speaks volumes…even when no words are spoken.
We can also get side-tracked and start looking for comfort in the wrong places! For example, there are things that will not bring comfort. What they bring is temporary relief from stress – followed by even more stress than before! Things like food, drugs, tobacco, alcohol, physical relationship outside of marriage, gambling, gaming – do not comfort you! They send hormonal responses to your brain that triggers pleasure responses. However, to get that same hormonal response again, we will need more of the counterfeit comfort. It is not long before we yield to a addictive cycle that becomes even harder to break and damaging to our health, home, and job. This is what we think is comforting us!
However, the chief place we will find comfort is in God and His Word.
In I Thessalonians 4, the Apostle Paul instructs the Thessalonian believers how to live life and please God with some specific exhortations.
Abstain from immoral relationships (4:3- “fornication”)
Love One Another (4:9-10)
Life Goals (4:11-12)
Better Understanding (4:13-17)
Here is the truth the believers needed to understand even better:
o Dead believers have not died without hope (v. 13)
o Jesus is the way now and was the way then (v. 14)
o Dead believers will meet Jesus before those still alive (v. 15)
o Here is the timeline:
Jesus will descend from heaven with a shout
There will be the voice of the arch angel
There will be the trump of God
The dead in Christ rise first
Those alive will be caught up together with them
All believers will meet the Lord Jesus in the clouds
“Always with Jesus” begins!
It is with these teachings that the apostle Paul then says this, “Comfort one another with these words.” Countless believers from the church in Thessalonica and countless believers today have been comforted with these words! We will see our saved loved ones again – one day in heaven, with Jesus!!
Seeing our loved ones again is so comforting. Isn’t it? The next time we will see them they will be whole! No more disease. No more handicaps. No more mental confusion. No more scars. What a day that will be! And yet, there is an even greater comfort that awaits us in heaven. Think about…
“When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!”
In I Thessalonians 5, the apostle Paul continues this line of teaching. He tells the church they have been well taught (“you know perfectly”) that the Lord will return as a thief in the night.
A thief often uses the cover of darkness for a successful theft. Years ago, we became aware that our front door was wide open, swinging in the wind, at 2 AM. Years before that, we lived in an apartment when something fell into the sink and woke us both up. We thought for sure someone was in the apartment in the middle of the night (especially since we had accidentally left the keys in the front door over night the week before). These types of things mess with your comfort levels!
Have you ever wondered why a thief uses the cover of darkness to do his work? One of the reasons is that most people in a home are sleeping and not on the watch for a thief’s possible arrival.
The “night” mentioned in I Thessalonians 5:2 is a reference to whenever there is quiet lack of concern for His arrival. The thief strikes when it is least expected. Here are a few reminders about the rapture from this chapter:
5:2-3 - The Lord will sound the trump at a time that those outside the church will least expect it.
5:4-5 - The church has been well taught this truth and will not be overtaken as by a “thief.”
5:6 – The church is exhorted to watch for His coming
5:6-8 – Believers are called to stay alert and not become spiritually lazy. Believers must be Spirit-filled.
5:9 – God has not chosen to direct His wrath to His church. He has given us salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord instead!
5:10 – Jesus died for us to make living with Him possible.
Because of these truths,
we can help each other find comfort 5 more ways!
6. Find comfort in understanding Bible doctrine
7. Find comfort in believing God’s Word
8. Find comfort in Jesus’ sacrificial gift of salvation
9. Find comfort in knowing you will see loved ones again
10. Find comfort in the reality of heaven
Humanity often finds what is a counterfeit comfort and does not truly provide healthy comfort…does not provide the comfort God intended to be ours. These counterfeit ways provide fake comfort with an addictive prison cell as the catch!
The reality is 1 in 5 internet searches are for pornography and over 28,000 people are watching pornography every second of the day to fuel this multi-billion-dollar industry (Source: Covenant Eyes)…but this does not comfort.
The reality is people are most likely to start abusing alcohol, illegal drugs, & tobacco during their adolescence and young adult years. 70% of high school students will have tried alcohol before graduation, 50% of high school students will have tried illegal drugs before graduation, and 40% of high school students will have smoked a cigarette before graduation…but this does not comfort.
The reality is, the longer the Lord chooses to wait for His return, the more these statistics will increase. The harder life becomes…the more depraved society becomes…the more our society separates from the “one true God culture” and embraces an atheistic culture…and the more humanity insists to find their own way --- will mean that the addictive prisons of alcoholism, tobacco, illegal drugs, pornography, gambling, gluttony, and gaming will increase at rocket speed.
The problem is not the absence of discipline. The problem is not a rotten family background. The problem is not that people grew up poor.
The problem is that humanity is looking for comfort in the wrong places!
The problem is that the church needs to practice looking for comfort in God and God’s Word more consistently.
The problem is that the church needs to live like they find amazing comfort in God’s amazing grace… because they do find amazing comfort there!
I was listening to a podcast this week where the person shared how they had an acquaintance talk to them about their trying ecstasy for the first time. Their friend said it was “amazing.” They said they felt such calm, such peace, and such comfort like they have never known. So, they saved some of what they purchased so this podcast leader could try it too.
This person said they were heartbroken! Here is a friend excitedly sharing about the amazing effects of ecstasy, when this podcast leader knew the real deal. She knew the One who would bring lasting calm, peace, and comfort without the addictive prison cell that ruins health, home, and vocation. She was heart broken because she had not said a word to this friend about Jesus…yet.
Church of God, we have a comfort like no other in Jesus! Comfort one another in God, in His Word, and in His plan…and then comfort any who will hear!! Many are searching…share the comfort that is like no other.