Sermon Date: September 13, 2026
Ecclesiastes 4:1, 9-12
“1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed — and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors — and they have no comforter.”
“9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Matthew 18:20
“20 For where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them.”
Jesus is and remains the “I AM” for us too.
The primary Greek word for comfort that carries a deep sense of strength and encouragement is παράκλησις (paraklesis), derived from the verb παρακαλέω (parakaleo), meaning to come alongside to help, strengthen, and console.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
“3 Praise be 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 receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 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.”