HOFC Sermon Archive: Book of James Part 17: A Call to Prayer and Praise

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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction to the Book of James

2. Trials and Temptation

3. Gaining Wisdom

4. Poverty & Wealth

5. Dealing with Temptation

6. Slow to Anger

7. The Implanted Word

8. Pure & Undefiled Religion

9. Sin of Partiality

10. Three Kinds of Faith

11. A Warning about Teaching

12. Heavenly & Earthly Wisdom

13. How to End Wars

14. Our Plans & God's Will

15. When God Gets Angry at the Rich

16. When You Are Oppressed

17. A Call to Prayer and Praise

INTRODUCTION

Today is Sunday. September 8^th, 2024

Today, we look at the call for prayer and praise. One of the most essential tools in our toolbox in living a faithful life in the name of the Lord.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

James 5:13-18

"Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray.

Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.

The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

I. IN TIMES OF SUFFERING, LET US PRAY (James 5:13)

a. What kind of suffering does James refer to?

i. The word used refers to suffering of any kind.

ii. Sickness, bereavement, disappointment, persecution, loss of health or property

iii. Later, James will deal specifically with sickness.

b. What should we pray?

i. We pray for the REMOVAL of the suffering if it be the Lord’s will.

1. 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 “…there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions and hardships, for the sake of Christ, for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

2. Or Luke 22:41a-44 “He knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me, yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.”

a. Do we pray like Jesus?

i. Father, if you are willing…

ii. Not my will, but Yours be done.

3. Matthew 14:9b-14 “…he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

- It was not God’s will to save John the Baptist.

- It was God’s will for Jesus to heal the sick in the next verse.

4. For Paul, God said no to removal, God’s grace was sufficient.

a. But what God did not remove actually created a condition where Paul was STRONGER because the power of Christ could THEN dwell in him and made perfect in his weakness.

b. Paul said he was quite content with being stronger in Christ at the cost of his afflictions.

5. For Jesus, God said no, the cup was not removed, but an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him.

We DO pray for the removal of our suffering, if it be God’s will. If removal is not God’s will, then we pray for STRENGTH to ENDURE, trusting God’s will, and that our suffering serves a higher purpose!

I will choose God’s will, and strength of Christ through my affliction over comfort, as the prophets and apostles, even the Lord Jesus Himself, did.

ii. We pray for STRENGTH to endure the suffering, for it may be to our ultimate good, and it MAY NOT BE FOREVER!

1. Scripture states that sometimes our afflictions are only for a time, not forever.

a. We’ve read this in James

2. God may not always remove the source of our suffering, because it may be for our good. But sometimes, it serves its purpose, and is removed.

a. Psalm 119:67 “Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.”

b. Psalm 119:71 “It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.”

c. Psalm 119:75-76a “I know, O Yahweh, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. 76 Oh may Your lovingkindness comfort me…”

i. Often we see bad things happen to good people

3. If it does not serve a good purpose, and it be God’s will, He WILL remove your suffering, otherwise, He WILL strengthen you to endure it!

I have known some very faithful Christians who have suffering and afflictions in their lives which they endured, even unto death.

c. Are we praying for God’s will, or our own?

i. “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.”

1. Elijah prayed, and God’s will was done. No rain for 3 years and 6 months.

a. Was Elijah the only godly man at that time? No

b. Do you think other godly men and farmers prayed for rain during this drought? More than likely, yes

c. Yet, their prayers, though godly, were not answered. Why?

d. Because it was God’s will to wait 3 years and 6 months until Elijah prayed for rain, THEN, God’s will was done, it rained and crops were restored.

ii. “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

1. So, what does a righteous man of God pray for? God’s will.

a. Job wanted God’s will

b. Paul, John the Baptist, and Jesus, wanted God’s will

c. Some, even unto death.

d. That is what a righteous man prays for, God’s will.

i. Jesus said, when teaching the disciples how to pray, “Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10b

e. Jesus, the most righteous of all, prayed in Luke 22:42, “…not My will, but Yours be done.”

It is easy to serve God if everything is going your way, said satan to God about Job.

Job 1:10-11 “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But send forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”

If we truly serve the Lord, we will remain faithful regardless of our outward circumstances!

Nothing reveals the true spiritual state of a child of God more than the storms coming into your life.

So, in times of suffering, let us pray for God’s will as Jesus instructs, and did. We pray for removal of suffering, or strength to endure for His Will be done.

II. IN TIMES OF CHEER, LET US SING PRAISES

a. The word “cheerful”

i. Is contrary to what James just spoke about.

ii. As opposed to suffering, cheerful is the opposite of affliction

1. So, instead of Sickness, bereavement, disappointment, persecutions, loss of health or property, it speaks to;

2. Health, happiness, achievement, blessings, joy, healing

b. In such as state of happiness, one should sing praises

i. Singing praises should be natural for God’s people

1. Consider the attitude of David, one of the greatest singers in Israel

ii. Psalm 92:1-2 “It is good to give thanks to Yahweh

And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning

And Your faithfulness by night,”

1. Psalm 96:1-2

2. Psalm 101:1

3. Psalm 111:1

4. Psalm 113:1-3

5. Psalm 146:1-2

6. Psalm 147:1

7. Psalm 149:1

iii. David was a man after God’s own heart, shouldn’t we be also?

iv. Singing praises makes a good situation better!

1. Ephesians 5:18

2. Colossians 3:16

c. Why don’t some Christians sing praises more often?

i. Are they that afflicted?

1. My friend Gale sang and praised God unto death with his affliction

2. My friend Don, who recently passed, sang and praised and he and I shared communion together oe last time before his death.

ii. I believe God has done more than enough in each of our lives to praise Him no matter our situation

1. Is forgiving your sins not enough?

2. Is blessing you daily with life not enough?

iii. There are probably a hundred things each day God does for each of us to protect and preserve us, encourage us, lift us, strengthen us, bless us, prepare us, use us, more than a mortal can count.

1. Isn’t only fitting we live in continuous praise of Him?

Singing praises to God is just as important as praying to God!

How do I know? Heaven is described by John in the Book of Revelation as a place where singing praises to God and Christ is an on-going activity.

We should desire to be part of that. If you do not praise Him on earth, what makes you think you’ll praise Him in heaven? And if you won’t praise Him in heaven, why would you even be there?

III. IN TIMES OF SICKNESS, LET US PRAY (James 5:14-18)

a. This passage is difficult, is this concerning physical or spiritual sickness?

i. I believe the sickness referred to in this passage is physical sickness, but spiritual needs are being taken into consideration.

1. You cannot say it’s only spiritual, this negates physical healing which we know to be true

2. You cannot say it’s physical only, because it speaks of spiritual matters of sin and forgiveness

ii. The conditional phrase used is “and IF he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

1. Implying the sickness is physical, though it “MAY” be accompanied with spiritual sickness as well.

2. However, the conditional “IF” makes it clear, the illness may not have anything to do with sin at all. Making it physical, not spiritual.

b. Remember what Jesus said

i. Luke 13:4-5 “do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse offenders than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

1. Jesus telling the apostles, those eighteen did not die because they sinned. They died because a tower fell on them. We do not know when our time will come, so we must repent, and be ready!

ii. Matthew 5:44-45 “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

iii. This is a fallen world, filled with sin. We are called to be “set apart” while living in it. Called to have a “mind like Christ” and understand, we are not promised tomorrow.

iv. Bad things do happen to good people all the time.

v. But this is not our home, and our hope is on Christ, and our treasures in heaven, and only there will we finally have the fulfillment of all of God’s promises!

vi. We should repent today!

c. With understanding and reason, this is the application

i. In times of sickness, call on the elders of the church!

1. Get the prayers of the righteous working on your behalf

ii. Pray in faith, trusting in the Lord’s power to heal and God’s will

d. And do NOT discount or deny the people medical aid!

i. Some of the medicines in the bible are

1. Mandrakes – Genesis 30:14

2. Fig Poultice – 2 Kings 20:7; Isaiah 38:21

3. Balm of Gilead – Jeremiah 8:22; 51:8

4. Oil and wine – John 10:34; multiple others

ii. When Timothy was ill, Paul told him to take wine as medicine for his stomach and frequent ailments in 1 Timothy 5:23

iii. Isaiah had said, “Let them take a cake of figs and apply it to the boil, that he may recover.” Isaiah 38:21

iv. Jesus said in Luke 10:34 “He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.”

1. Even though we understand oil and wine to be symbolic of the Holy Spirit, it was used as medicine in Jesus’ day.

v. Proverbs 31:6 “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;”

vi. Remember, the Lord chose Luke, the beloved physician, to be an apostle.

Sometimes we can forget that the creator of the universe created provisional substances upon this earth for our use.

God’s provision gives us educated physicians, discovered medicines from the substances and materials of this earth He created, and these things, in no way, negate, remove or nullify God’s healing power, or miracles, but give us as frail people in a fallen world tools for our health and survival.

This is why we pray for the doctors involved in treating us for wisdom from God.

CONCLUSION

Praise Him, Pray to Him, trust in Him, that God’s ways are above our own, and that through His strength, we continue to serve Him, no matter our circumstances.

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