Sermon: Church, You Must Pray In All Circumstances

Let's pray together before we before we the scriptures our great God we thank you. We thank you for this time to gather both morning and evening to worship you. We Begin and we close out the day Lord because all glory Belongs to You alone No one else we pray for the word today that it will be preached Lord and that you will be magnified and that you will be glorified Above All Else. That we may continue in a Heart of Worship in spirit and Truth

by listening to the word of God as it is preached. Well, we pray that you would eliminate the words to our eyes and to our hearts. May your spirit convict us. This evening. May turn us towards you above all else. May our eyes be set forth on the Gaze of Christ Alone. Lord we want to live this time up to you to thank you. Praise you for your word. amen You have your Bibles. Please open up to James chapter 5 verse 13 to 20. If

you using the Pew Bibles, they will be on page 10 13 10 13.

Is anyone among you suffering? Let them pray. Is anyone cheerful let them sing praise? Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the Elders of the church and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may

be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with the nature like ours and he prayed fervently that it might not rain and for three years and six months. It did not rain on the Earth. Then he prayed again and Heaven gave rain in the earth board's fruits. My brothers If anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings them back. Let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering

will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. This is the reading of God's holy in inerrant word. If you you've not gone to know me have talked to me one thing you would know is that I didn't grow up in the reformed or Presbyterian Church. And I remember as my wife and I were making this transition. We were getting ready to be part of our first president church about five years ago. And I was getting ready

to go to this great reform Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary. My excitement was on this that I thought the greatest impression or the greatest impact upon. My life would be that I'm gonna get to talk about theology all day that I would just talk about Calvin and I would just talk about bobbing and all these great theologians of the face. But I was wrong after about a year or two. I talked to Jew and I was telling her.

The greatest impact and the thing that has made the biggest impression upon my heart. From this Presbyterian church and from this reformed Seminary. Was not the theology though that was important in my life in my in my training and who I am today, too. But it was the prayer life. of Pastor Ben and the pastors and the elders that Proclamation And it was the prayer life of my professors. And it was the prayer lecture that I heard from my professors.

And there's one thing that I want to ever forget. That has impressed me. The most is it's been on prayer. These were men and institutions and churches that believed in prayer that believed in the power prayer for all situations that believed that even if we have everything and yet we don't pray. We are beginning to depend upon ourselves. We're Beginning to Look to ourselves that prayer was the engine prayer was the power for everything.

You can have strategies and you can have plans you can have vision and you can have all these different things and yet if it's not governed and it's not done by prayer. There's no power behind it. And James as he closes out his letters to the churches. He places this huge emphasis on prayer. James calls for the church to be a Praying Church in all circumstances. In all circumstances James is calling the church to be a Praying church to pray for everything in

life. And so I have five points for us today. The first is in suffering and cheerfulness prayer is necessary for steadfastness. The second is Elders pray the prayer of faith. Third we must confess and pray for one another fourth. Your prayers are effective. in the last point We must prayerfully intervene. In suffering and cheerfulness prayer is necessary for steadfastness. James opens up with two questions He asks first is anyone suffering.

And then he asked is anyone cheerful. And in each of these James gives two commands. He says pray and sing praises to the Lord. I enjoy how the nasb translates this then SBA translate this with the must pray and must sing. There is this command that comes from it which governs the the understanding of the word that there is this must-ness to what we are to do in these situations.

In the suffering that James speaks of here James is using a word that speaks of a broader category of suffering. It has a mind of course persecution and Injustice. But it's all so much more than just that too. It's speaking of these suffering of the everyday life or the Christians. May be some of you guys have read I have received news of cancer. Some of you guys have been dealing with mental health issues. Maybe some of you guys have been dealing with a marriage

that has been on the rocks and it's been a struggle in your marriage. Maybe it's Financial issues in life. The suffering is broader than just martyrdom that James is speaking of fear. It covers a wide swath of issues in life.

So James says to them what he says pray. in all these sufferings go to the Lord. Is truly the best thing that you can do in suffering, it's not the best options out of all options. It's the only option because it is truly the best option. It's what we must do.

Because it's in suffering that we turn to the lord. It's in suffering that we depend upon one who is greater than us. And James does not promise here that you're suffering will just disappear. Or that you won't have these struggles anymore that there's been heartbreak that that would just somehow dissolve and disappear or that your financial issues will just be taking care of overnight. That is not the promise that James gives

Because we're reminded in James 1 he tells us that you will face Trials of various kinds. And it is to test your faith in your faith and in that it would produce steadfastness. James also remind us in the earlier sections here in chapter 5 as he encourages the church in the midst of suffering. To them he calls them to patience. He calls them to trust in the Lord and he calls them to look at the steadfastness of the prophets.

And so as James is calling the church to persevere and I see it's calling the church to remain steadfast. He's do it calling them to do that in the midst of suffering the trials of life. This has James is standing here. And as he addresses the church, and he's saying go to the Lord and suffering. And so and so pray he's saying this is that not that it'll take everything away. Not that it will resolve everything in your life though. He can do

that. But he's saying this to them they're saying it's so that you will remain steadfast so that you will continue the Walk of Faith so that you continue towards me. It is to continue towards the Lord that is James concerned here.

Because it is often times. In the midst of suffering that many have wandered away. Many have wandered away from the Lord many have lost trust in the goodness of their lord many. I began to doubt their God's goodness. James is calling sufferers of all stripes. To turn Their Eyes Upon Jesus to keep their focus upon whom to ask come to strengthen them through life's trials and pains. changes concerned for the spiritual life of those who are suffering

James is saying come to your God be focused upon him. He will give you rest. He will give you peace in the midst of suffering. Doesn't mean all your answers will be doesn't mean that everything will be answered for you. They'll provide everything for you to be answered and that you'll have this sort of everything disappears. But he's saying this though that there is peace in the Lord. But James doesn't just talk about suffering.

He also reminds us that there's times a cheerfulness, too. Cheerfulness of the Saints another broad category again revealing that it is in all situations and it speaks of seasons of life and things seem to be going well. But also include the victories of the everyday life. And the proper response to this James says this sing praises to God. Oh guys. Each day is a blessing from the Lord. How much more should he stay? Should we be thinking

praises to our Lord honoring him? And although he says to sing the songs of praise to the Lord and though it's not prayer in the sense that we normally think of Prayer of bound our heads down. There is I think it's proper say that there is this offering up of words to the Lord set to Melody and music in a tune that is proper. Just as there is the danger of wandering one one suffers. There is also the danger of wandering in Good Times

too this walking away from this Lord. This is a danger of allowing the gift to possess us and I told you the heart to form around the gift. And not to give her we forget the giver of good gifts. Going up to the Lord and song is focused upon the Lord. It is to remind us that he is a good Giver of all things which changed reminds us in James 1:17. James concern is for the spirit of Vitality of the Saints and in both of these situations in times of suffering.

And in times of cheerfulness, James concern is this is saying go to the Lord do not lose focus upon the Lord do not be one who will wander whether in times a suffering or whether in times a cheerfulness. And he's saying the way that happens is we continually turn our eyes upon the Lord through prayer and through songs daily and regularly. Go to the Lord. in all situations go to hum, who is a good god. There's this focus

upon hum alone. It is in Christ that is in our Lord alone that we go to in the midst of all situations. But James also asked this third question in my second point of Elders, pray the prayer of faith in verse 14 to 15. James and his third question. He's much more specific. He speaks of sickness this time. He has a mind more than just a sniff or a sneeze here. But a debilitating illness a sickness that may leave some bedridden and illness that would prevent someone from gathering

with the body of Believers. That's why there's this call upon them to come to home to come to them. But there's a difference this time around as well, too. The sixth person's command is to call the Elders to come to them. And then the elders are the one commanded to anoint and to pray over this person. I think it's important to note. That James here does not say call forth the apostles to come. Nor does James also say call forth those

with the gift of healing. He sees it as a task of the elders and as such the early church would have recognized the role importance of the office of eldership here that this is their task. This is their duty to come and pray for those who are sick and in debilitating that there is a special role in which they have been ordained for.

This is why we must never think of our elders as merely aboard a business board. Instead we need to see that these are spiritual Shepherds.

Elders need to see that their task is primarily spiritual leadership. They need to see that their mission is spiritual for them and as such it as their task in the midst of this and when there's debilitating illness that is their task to be called out to go and pray they are the ones. Or being called here.

And so when we choose elders and we look at elders and when we look at these men. Must look to their spiritual leadership. How are they is why James? And this is why in scriptures Paul's calling what men or what men who can care for their family spiritually. men who have spiritual qualifications

so that same way James understood. This is a role for the elders to play. This is their their what they've been set apart for. And although prayer is a primary focus here. We have to deal with the anointing with oil. We have to talk about that. Just even quickly here. Because at times we must ask ourselves. What is it? What does it mean by annoyance with oil? What is that oil do is there power in that oil?

You can ask is that medicinal because oil was used in medicine in the ancient world? Um, and and that that are the elders called them to kind of apply this medicine to those who are sick. Or is it sacramental as the Roman Catholics would do for extreme unction for those who are dying to help remove sins and to strengthen the souls of those who are dying. I don't think it's neither of those. I don't think it's medicinal because

the role the elders being called is a spiritual role and yet I don't think it's extreme unction because James saying. Hey, they'll be healed no rise up.

But the oil is symbolic when the sick is Anointed with the oil. It's for the purpose of setting this person apart for the Lord It's the purpose of sending this person apart for prayer. And when applied it is to be applied in the name of the Lord to help stimulate faith in this person that it is to be for the purpose of turning their eyes back to the Lord himself. Not upon them. We've even see this. That the focus is not on the oil because James makes

a case that James focuses instead on the efficacy of the prayer. If concern is not the oil itself and the power of the oil. But he focuses on the efficacy of the prayer. Because very soon right after he speaks about the prayer of faith as that which will save the one who is sick and that the Lord would raise them up. They would read the text may be asking ourselves as James saying that if elders just have enough faith in this person be healed.

And so when healing doesn't happen, do we blame Alters or not occurring? I don't think so. There have been abuses of this text. Of course when James talks about the prayer of faith. There are those who say that we can demand healing for anyone who has enough Faith or if the elders would have enough faith. We can demand and expect healing and request it. Placed in a focus upon the quantity of faith that one has and the quantity of faith in the

sick person as well. That is a danger that we have to deal with here yet. There's also the opposite danger. I think that I think many of us probably would lean if we were to have two extremes here of being doubtful of not praying with confidence that the Lord would heal. This may be due to seeing that the only healing comes from modern medicine. Just to make the case here. James is not against that at all here. That's just not his Focus.

And this is probably where we were part of land more than the demanding here. We probably would land more and saying well God really healed this person with debilitating illness.

And so as we pray for healing or when we hear the elders praying for miraculous healings. Do we truly believe it? Do we believe that it will happen? Or has it become more of what we're just supposed to say it's done out of it's done not out of Faith, but done out of obligation done out of to provide some therapeutic rest for the mind.

So what is it then? It's not either of those and James 158 James calls. For the church to ask him faith without doubting. And yet in James 4:15 here remind us to ask according to his will at the same time. This is the twin truth on the prayer of faith. We ask in faith without doubts and we never can we can never come to this prayer of faith with arrogance and saying we can demand healing.

The two extremes have forgotten that this prayer of faith has an object of our faith. It's our Lord. It's a reminder to both sides that our Lord is the Healer not the quantity of your faith. And also the other side one side has forgotten that that our God is the one who heals and so he still heals that he is The Sovereign Lord over all the Earth and yet he can still heal.

Because you cannot approach those who are hurting and in sickness and pain with doubts of God's healing. And yet at the same time, we cannot be arrogant in our in our requests. And so Elders When you pray the prayer of faith, it's the reality that you need and you can pray expectantly trustingly and believing that the Lord has given us such promises. And so we pray with such convictions that he is the Healer and yet at the same time. We do

not pray arrogantly demanding such healing from his will Because there is a reminder for us all that it is not us who heals it is our Lord who heals? And he still brings healing today.

But James doesn't just end there with the elders and praying for this sick. He States just right at the end there and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. James is not saying that all sickness is connected to someone's direct sin. We all understand that we live in a fallen World sickness abounds disease abounds. But James does leave room. for us to show that it is a possibility with some that their sickness is connected to their sins.

We are reminded that the Lord chastitises his children, but always for the sake that they would turn back to him. And I have made this greatness grave mistake. When I pastored in my previous denomination. I remember hearing a lot of the older folks as they were on their hospital beds or they were on their beds at home. And we would go and pray for them as elders and pastors and I remember being there and just being tired saying why do they keep talking about their sins? There's

nothing going on here. And I remember going to one of my Hospital visitations and stepping into the hospital room with a family all surrounding there the person on the bed and I remember one of my first things I said, here's what I'm gonna do. Don't tell them. In that moment. But you don't need to seek forgiveness in this moment. Is sickness not because of your sin? You guys that may have been true. It may have been true that that sickness that they had at that

moment may not have been directly. Of the reason for this for their sickness.

but here's what I did wrong and why that was wrong. I turned down spiritual healing. I turned down one who had conviction from the spirit of God of the sins of their lives. Because oftentimes it is in sickness and it is in pain when one is sitting on their beds that even if that connected directly to the sickness that they have. They often sits and think and ruminates about their lives and the sins that they have caused and the sins that they have done.

In the spirit is pricking their heart and the spirit is convicting their hearts.

to seek confession to seek to ask for forgiveness the Lord and it is an opportunity for us to minister to them fit not just physically but spiritually as well, too.

I went against the work of the spirit because I was afraid of being too what I consider that time charismatic.

It's a practical reality that has Elders you need to be mindful of not just the physical healing of a person but also the spiritual healing that is so necessary for them. James is as concerned with the spiritual life or the sick individual as he is with the physical states of these individuals. He wants healing for them, but he wants spiritual healing for them as well, too. This leads us to our next point. I would we must confess.

And pray for one another as James is now ending that section is but yet he's talking he's just finished talking about forgiveness and confession. James takes this therefore and in first to the next section. In the previous passage as he addresses the congregation how they are to deal with sin.

James is telling Believers in the church that they can allow sin to go unchecked in tonight even allow the possibility of physical and spiritual sickness to rise. Instead they should confess their sins pray for another so they may be healed. Notice that James has moved us from the individual of praying for your self in the midst of suffering and in the midst of cheerfulness, and then he's gone to the elders and the role of Elders and praying for the sick and now he

moves us to the corporate picture of the church in their confession and prayer life. James calls the church to be a confessing Church a church that confesses to one another. that our confession should not only be private but there's a place where we should have those around us Brothers and Sisters in Christ who we can confess our sins who can confess our struggles to And these brothers and sisters can pray over US minister to

us and help us. Oftentimes this is hard. And it's tough because it's uncomfortable to go to someone to say here's my struggles. Here's my sins. Here's ways in which I have failed and where I've sinned against the Lord. It can be embarrassing. Oftentimes it's easier to ask for prayers for our needs than to confess. But guys we must not neglect one of the great privilege of being part of the church and the ability to gather and fellowship

one another. It's a reminder that the Christian walk is not a walk alone, but it's a walk with others. It's a corporate reality not an individual reality to be lived out. And it needs to be done within the church body. We are neglecting an important aspect of fellowship with Brothers and Sisters in Christ. When we neglect our confession to one another and we neglect that time for them to minister to us in prayer. Again, we see here what James is bring out here

is that we need to have a concern and care for the souls of our brothers and sisters. Are we willing to listen are we willing to create an environment to listen to their struggles to listen to their confessions to listen to the ways in which they send against the Lord and are we willing to pray on their behalf as well, too? And yet we as well, so we willing to go to others and not neglect this Fellowship opportunity that we have in

which we can share with one another. or sins And what has happened because often times I believe that if we make it all about private confession. We make it all about just ourselves and to the Lord at times we miss out on the ability of others to be a ministering Spirit to be a ministering person. So it's to be a ministering person want to invest in our lives one to pray for us. And often times when there are sins in our lives in which we love these sins. We don't have brothers

to challenge us and sisters to challenge us. And oftentimes what that happens what it can lead to is people wandering from the truth. wandering from the Lord

There is this one another here. that James speaks about we willing to go and put ourselves out to others in the church. Do we see this body of Believers here as are truly Brothers and Sisters in Christ. And we are willing to share our deepest sins to them and ask for them to be praying for us.

And James leads us. This next point that your prayers are effective. James tells us at the end of verse 16 that the prayer of the righteous. That's great power. As it is working. Daniel doriani reminds us and he tells us that the prayer the righteous have power yet. God gives us that righteousness by faith and by the Holy Spirit We have been made righteous by our Lord and as such the prayer of God's people are powerful and effective.

That our prayers make an actual difference. Our prayers make an actual difference. I think this is why right after that James goes right into Elijah the prophets. He mentioned the specific point in Elijah's ministry as a prophet. He mentions the Elijah pray for the rain to stop it stopped and then he prayed for the rain to begin at three and a half years later. That is when the rain began. One would think that as we look to Elijah?

It was a pretty special guy. Contextually Elijah is a big figure his miracles were spectacular. He denounced sin courageously his departure from this world is quite unique. And he even challenged the false. God Baal itself. But what James focuses on what James celebrates? Is not the Miracles it's not the large things that Elijah did but James says he's an ordinary guy with the nature just like ours. It's in his ordinaryness that he prayed the

prayer of faith the prayer of a righteous one. And things happen Elijah speaks to the whole of this passage and he sets before the church an example of the power of Prayer of the power of the ordinary man and his prayer. Whether it's you praying in the midst of your sufferings or whether it's you praying in the midst of cheerfulness, or if it's the elders praying for the sick. Or it is praying for those who have confessed.

Change the saying that it is effective. They are effective prayers. The truth is that sometimes we don't believe that our prayers are effective. We don't believe our prayers make a difference. Sometimes we think that we're just offering up words to the wind and there's nothing that is going to happen. But James here is saying no no, look at Elisha in ordinary man. Nothing special about this guy and he prayed and it stopped raining and

he prayed and it started raining again. Because again guys prayer is not about us. We don't do anything here Elijah sets before us that it is about the Lord. That's where we go to him and everything. He is the one that does everything we go to him in faith.

That is it. Elijah's prayer, we're not extraordinary. He was ordinary it is your ordinary prayers that are effective. There's no special chance. You need to make there's no special thing. You need to do this you and Faith you who are righteous in Christ's blood you who pray in your prayers are effective because it's about the lord. It's about home alone. It's a focus upon the Lord in the midst of Prayer.

for some of us we need this reminder that Elijah is ordinary. We are ordinary. so as such pray as the truth is that some of you is may not be gifted to teach. Some of you may acknowledge that you can't play an instrument and you personally be up here singing. Some of you may say I'm not great in evangelism. I don't have certain gifts and talents to do certain tasks for the church and you may be wondering what where can I serve this congregation

then I have no place to serve. Let me tell you this that one the great tasks one of the great needs of the church today more than ever is we need prayer Warrior? We need ordinary men and women praying day and night for this church men and women pray for the for the denomination men and women pray for those are hurting and those who are sick because it is the ordinary men and women's prayer that are effective.

You have a place to serve.

as prayer warriors it is really mad and woman to be praying for this church because they need to be praying. They are the engine. They are the power for this church for everything that happens here. You have a place. In this congregation to serve and one of the greatest place that anyone and everyone should and could serve. is in prayer

as James ends there he brings us to our last points. That we must prayfully intervene. verse 19 and 20 calls us to intervene to those who are wandering. I do believe that James is beginning to close out the book here in these last two verses. The reason I say that is that he recalls this my brothers and it serves as a book and Tahoe even began this book. But even though this is James starting this closing section, I still believe it's connected and does not depart

from what has been the main thread in this text on prayer and even on Elijah and the focus on Elijah. because as we look to Elijah we can ask what was the point of Elijah's prayer for that drought? It was God's chastisement upon the nation of Israel for their double-mindedness. They wanted bail and they wanted God. They were people that wavered. And the goal of Elijah's prayer was bringing back a double-minded people to their God to confess

their sins to confess their wrongs and to bring the back to rightful worship to restore them. That is what stood behind Elijah's prayer and what stood behind this drought was restoration of the nation.

Elijah stands here to remind us the the power of prayer to bring back double-minded Sinners to God. And it is here and James that we have his final call for the Saints of God's Church to not slander those who are wandering from the faith. But to chase after them to restore them. Places my brothers go out to them to those who are wanting to those who are walking away. Because we have to see this that oftentimes we can look

to those who are wondering we're saying well, they need to figure out they just need to figure out they just need to do it and they need to come back. But James here saying it's not just that they problem. That you problem. The church problem to those who are wanting to those who are walking away to those who are seemingly having a foot out the door. Not a vey it's a U2. It's your problem. It's your issue. You should be concerned for

your brother's hearts for your sister's Hearts who have begun to wander. These again are Brothers and Sisters in Christ part of this Covenant membership part of this Covenant family. And for us to say that they just need to figure out is to show an unlove for them. And in a sense one of the worst things we can do that in James wants us about slandering those within the body. Yeah, James says no. Go to your brothers. Go to your sisters.

chase after them because again this mention of those are wandering it's not a mention of those who have committed apostasy yet. He's mentioning those have begun to drift away from the Lord. These are people who are still connected to the body, but are beginning to take a step outside the doors. They are beginning to be double-minded and oftentimes. This looks like retreat from regular Gathering of the fellowship of Believers. Maybe it's moving

away from from their regular gathering with a growth Group. Whatever it is. It could be that there's priorities and their lives that seem to contradict their Christian worldview. There may be that they are beginning to compromise on theological concerns on biblical understandings, whatever it may be They're wandering and slowly walking away from the truth. of Our Lord James is saying you need to go after them. The love what Sam Albury says here. He

says we need to be humble. It is only by God's grace that we are not in that situation ourselves. And we may have well been so on other occasions, there's a need for gentleness and self-examination. It needs to be done carefully prayerfully and lovingly. But it does need to be done. And The Wonder of the Gospel is that it can be done. It may risk the friendship, even if done with love and may cause offense even if done with care.

But it is worth doing. You may end up saving a life for the death of Jesus the Lord Jesus of the glory can and does cover over a multitude of sins. You know that because you know, it covers yours. If you call someone back from wandering away from the cross and towards hell. You're literally saving their eternal life. There's always a way back because the cross. Because at the cross there's always hope for the double-minded.

We go to our brothers. We know that we are part of this Covenant family. There will be some who will wander. Son who will begin to drift away. What will you do with those? Will you show brotherly love and Christian love to your members of the church and bring them back to share the truth what they need now more than ever. It's not slander. It's not they'll figure it out. But what they need now more than ever is to be turned to the Lord to see the Glorious grace of

our God who is willing to forgive who is willing to bring them back that all the cross. He died for his people.

Don't close them out. Because at the cross there is always hope. for the double-minded

as we close out this sermon

we see that James here focuses on prayer and all situations. because our prayer again brings the people of God back and focus upon the Lord of this to our Lord alone that we go to Oftentimes when there's a lack of Prayer in all situation Our Lives, there's revelatory of one's spiritual life. And there may be some of you today whose prayer life is lacking. Maybe it doesn't exist at all.

And the answer to that is not me calling you again wanna make sure that's not me you understanding me saying I just need to go pray more. I just need to go do more.

But I think first you need to ask yourself why. Am I not going to the Lord in all situations? Because I don't trust him in All situations because I trust myself more because I don't believe prayer actually works is because prayer is not a priority. in my life Or maybe it could be why am I not willing to confess and have others pray for me is also the reality that I like my sins that I am delving into and I don't want to bring that up before the Lord.

Search deep within yourself. And ask yourself. Why are you neglecting one of the great gifts? That we have in approaching our Lord. Let's pray.

Our great God we thank you. This time to gather. It's time to hear your word Lord in the centrality of Prayer in our lives. Or remind us lord of the goodness of prayer Lord for there is a lack of Prayer in our lives. We're convicts us. For the reasons why we are not praying Lord and builds within us. Holy habits Lord in which we find joy and prayer in which we believe and trust Lord that you answer prayers Lord. Lord I want to pray for those within the body

who have wandered in our wandering our beginning to wander Lord. May you convict a Hearts tonight Lord and may you have done fine brothers and sisters to again restore them or to find brothers and sisters to pray for them to care for them to invest in them. Or great God we want to just lift this time up to you. To praise you and thank you for good your goodness the love and your mercy upon us. amen