December 8, 2019

Humility and Healing

Anthony Gammage ~ James 5:13-20

Sermon Quotes

James 5:13–20
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him 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 a 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, and the earth bore its fruit.  My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him 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.

Ephesians 6:18
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

1 Thessalonians 5:16–17
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,

James 1:5–8
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;  he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

That’s the prayer of faith… Prayer that relies on the character of God. Generous, to all, without finding fault.

James 4:15
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Psalm 32:3–5
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah   I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

1 Corinthians 11:28–30
Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died

2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Romans 8:34–35
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword

These final thoughts of James unite several themes in this epistle: To pursue a sinner in order to win him to Christ is a proper response to trial (1:2-12). It is a form of kindness to a brother (2:14-16), a proper use of speech (3:1-12), and it leads people to humble themselves before the Lord (4:6-10). James summons us to do the word and reap the blessings (1:22-25). One more time, James reminds us that sin leads to death, and that the gospel, the word of truth, saves the soul (1:15, 21)

James 1:15, 21
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death… Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.