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[Music] welcome to everyone for our call to worship this evening you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 47 Psalm 47 I'll begin reading in verse 1 to the chief musician a psalm of the sons of korah Oh clap your hands all you peoples shout to God with the voice of triumph for the Lord Most High is awesome he is great a great king over all the earth he will subdue the peoples under us and the nations under our feet he will choose our inheritance for us the excellence of Jacob whom he loves se la God has gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a trumpet sing praises to God sing praises sing praises to our king sing praises for God is the king of all the earth sing praises with understanding God reigns over the nations God sits on his holy throne the princes of the people have gathered together the people of the God of Abraham were the shields of the earth belong to God he is greatly exalted amen well please turn with me in your Trinity Psalter to Psalm 93 Psalm 93 will stand as we sing together [Music] amen well let us pray Our Blessed God and holy father it's a joy to gather again in your house on your day and we come to you father through the mediation of the son and the power of the Holy Spirit we confess that God is most high glorious and wondrous and worthy to be praised worthy to be worshiped we ask tonight that your Holy Spirit would guide us and assist us and aid us to come into your presence with reverence with godly fear with joy and Thanksgiving when we acknowledge the works of your hands Lord God we are led to to consider how majestic you are when we see the created order we know that you made at all by the word of your power in the space of six days and all very good we know that our God is in the heavens he does whatever he pleases and you sustain your creatures you govern all your creatures and all their actions nothing transpires apart from the decree of God Almighty and when we consider redemption through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we common we praise and we celebrate and we worship you really have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ and we pray that as we consider these things it would affect the way that we sing the way that we pray the way that we respond to the Word of God may you frame our hearts our right and may you cause us to worship you in spirit and in truth we confess our sins and our iniquities and transgressions we know Lord God that as blood-bought children of God we are called to pursue holiness and righteousness yet we confess our transgression of your law and we rejoice that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared so we confess that iniquity and that transgression that lack of conformity unto your law even now and we pray that you would cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray for those who have come in among us that are unsaved we pray that they would hear the word of truth tonight and by the power of the Holy Spirit they would believe the gospel they would come unto the Lord Jesus Christ receiving and resting upon him alone for salvation we pray that you'd look with favor upon this congregation look with favor upon those who are struggling with health concerns we pray that you would bless and and sustain and encourage the people of God in the midst of trials and sorrows and hardships we pray for the new Feld's and ask that you would look with favor upon them and guide them and direct them in the midst of these things help them to find their their source of comfort their strength in God Almighty we also pray for Sylvie and for Fran that you would continue to surround them with love and comfort and grace she would cause them to reflect upon the goodness of God even in the midst of loss we ask that you would look with favor upon all of us as we all have spiritual struggles and temptations and the hardships and the difficulties of living in a in a sin cursed world may we always be dependent upon your grace and the power of the Holy Spirit and may you indeed grant us this assistance that we need daily we ask that you would bless other churches here in our city we thank you that we're not alone here we pray for other churches that they would know the presence and the power of the Spirit that the preaching of the word of God would be owned by God to the saving of sinners and the sanctifying of saints we pray that for this nation as a whole that your word would run swiftly and be glorified who had caused this nation to be glad that you had cause your face to shine upon the peoples in this land that there would be a massive outpouring of the Spirit and many many sinners coming to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we pray for the persecuted Church God as we read several letters this morning our hearts were moved we see that the people of God suffer for the cause of God in ways that we can't even imagine here we pray for those in Muslim lands that you would uphold them she would encourage them that you would strengthen them and help them to persevere by the grace of God we ask for those who are in prison we pray for pastor Brunson as he has his hearing tomorrow we pray this man would be not guilty and freed and released we pray that he'd be able to return home to his family and that you would bless him God if it is the case that the the verdict would go the other way we pray that you would sustain him in the midst of the trying trials and difficulties that he will face we ask that you would be merciful to the governing authorities our Lord Jesus taught us to pray that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven we know there's no abortion or euthanasia or sodomy in heaven yet we see it all around in our own land we would pray first and foremost that our civil authorities would kiss the son lest he be angry and they perish in his way when his wrath is kindled but a little that they would heed the the sound counsel of King David and in Israel in Psalm 2 that they would bow the knee and if they do not bow the knee god we pray that you would restrain them from further acts of lawlessness and corruption and wickedness for certainly these days looked like what Isaiah saw when he said woe to those who call good evil and evil good we pray have mercy in your wrath remember mercy and send forth your glory as gospel because ultimately we don't look to politics to change the hearts of men we look to the gospel which is indeed the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek because in that gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith that as it is written the just shall live by faith we pray that the doctor and the treat of the truth of Christ and His Cross would be proclaimed and that a multitude would be turned from their useless idols to the true and living God we pray that you would continue with us now help us as we sing help us as we look to Holy Scripture may we know the power of the Holy Spirit and may we know hearts and minds that are focused upon the the blessed matter at hand and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you may turn with me in your Trinity hymnal to him number 50 hymn number 50 will stand as we sing together [Music] for our scripture reading Amos chapter 7 remember that he was a prophet preaching to the Northern Kingdom of Israel prior to its destruction by Assyria in 722 so we find ourselves in Amos chapter 7 the chapter breaks down into two parts a few visions of judgment and then the complaint against Amos beginning in chapter 7 at verse 1 thus the Lord God showed me behold he foreign locust swarms at the beginning of the lake crop indeed it was the late crop after the Kings mowings and so it was when they had finished eating the grass of the land that I said O Lord God forgive I pray o that Jacob may stand for he is small so the Lord relented concerning this it shall not be said the Lord thus the Lord God showed me behold the Lord God called for conflict by fire and it consumed the great deep and devoured the territory then I said O Lord God cease I pray o that Jacob may stand for he is small so the Lord relented concerning this this also shall not be said the Lord God thus he showed me behold the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line with a plumb line in his hand and the Lord said to me Amos what do you see and I said a plumb line then the Lord said behold I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel I will not pass by them any more the high places of Isaac shall be desolate and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam then a messiah the priests of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel saying Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel the land is not able to bear all his words for thus Amos has said Jeroboam shall die by the sword and Israel shall surely be led away captive from their own land then a messiah said to Amos go you seer to the land of juda there eat bread and there prophesy but never again prophecy at Bethel for it is the king sanctuary and it is the royal residence then anus answered and said to a messiah I was no prophet nor was I a son of a prophet but I was a sheep breeder and a tender of sycamore fruit then the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said to me go prophesy to my people Israel now therefore hear the word of the Lord you say do not prophesy against Israel and do not spout against the house of Isaac therefore thus says the Lord your wife shall be a harlot in the city your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword your land shall be divided by survey line you shall die in a defiled land and Israel shall surely be led away captive from his own land amen well an obvious application from just that simple reading is that we ought to pray for more men like Amos that do not knuckle under when civil authority or when priestly Authority tell them to shape or change or tailor their message or neglect the message here specifically Amon was bringing the the wrath or the the announcement concerning God's wrath upon the northern tribes he is attempting a rather Amaziah here is attempting to silence him and he doesn't not only that not only is he not silent but he continues to prosecute the Lord's lawsuit against the people and he speaks very very severe words to this man as well notice his statement in verse 4 I was no prophet or 14 I was no prophet nor was I a son of a prophet I was a sheep breeder and a tender of sycamore fruit then the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said to me go prophesy to my people Israel a demonstration of the sovereignty of God in taking a man who was gainfully employed elsewhere and putting the message of God's Word into his heart and then sending him into this kind of hostile territory to proclaim the coming of God's holy judgment well let us pray our Father we pray that you would in raise man up that would have this kind of backbone the kind of men like John the Baptist that do not kowtow to the authority but rather maintain consistency faithfulness to the Lord God Almighty we would pray Most High that she would send forth a great multitude of such men to proclaim your truth and to continue to uphold the ethical standards of your truth as we see many compromising in this culture we pray that you would help us not to compromise help us to hold fast to the Word of the Living and the true God and we pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn with me to 5:35 in your Trinity hymnal 535 again will stand as we sing [Music] [Applause] [Music] well you can turn with me in your Bibles to James chapter 5 James chapter 5 I'll begin reading in verse 1 come now you rich weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten your gold and silver are corroded and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire you have heaped up treasure in the last days indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields which you kept back by fraud cry out and the cries of the Reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth you have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury you have fat in your hearts is in a day of slaughter you have condemned you've murdered the just he does not resist you therefore be patient brethren until the coming of the Lord see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain you also be patient establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand do not grumble against one another brethren lest you be condemned behold the judge is standing at the door my brethren take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering in patience indeed we count them blessed to endure you have heard of the perseverance of job and seeing the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful but above all my brethren do not swear either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath but let your yes be yes and your no no lest you fall into judgment is anyone among you suffering let him pray is anyone cheerful let him sing psalms 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 sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven confess your trespasses to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much 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 land for three years and six months and he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruit brethren if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins amen will let us pray father thank you for the written word again we pray for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit we pray that you would indeed cleanse us from our sins grant us grace to receive with thankful hearts the word of truth now and may we by your grace and the power of your Holy Spirit be conformed onto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ and we know that that means obeying what is written in passages such as these grant us help and strength and grace and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well our focus this evening is on verses 13 to 15 and essentially what James does here in verses 13 to 18 is end his epistle where so many other New Testament epistles end as well it is an exhortation to pray that is James's emphasis here in verses 13 to 18 he exhorts to pray with reference to the individual verse 13 with reference to the elders verses 14 and 15 and with reference to the Brethren in the church verse 16 so the emphasis in prayer verses 13 to 16 and then the example of prayer verses 17 and 18 is Elijah the Prophet we're going to just take up verses 13 to 15 tonight as this teaching or this doctrine or this statement concerning the sick will require a bit of time and explanation but I want to remind you that God's Word speaks to us here with reference to every situation in other words this does deal with the gamut of Christian experience it's not the case that believers are always happy and peppy and upbeat there is suffering in the Christian life but it's not the case that it's only ever always suffering there's cheerfulness there is contentedness there is happiness it's not the case that believers in Christ having been redeemed by Christ will never get colds will never get flus will never get cancer will never contract any serious disease that is simply inaccurate the health wealth and prosperity people are simply wrong it is not the case that God has intended for his children to always live in such a condition that everything is only ever wonderful know there are rainy days there are cloudy days there are difficult days and there are a whole host of trials and tribulations that punctuate the lives of the people of God fact aleck mote ear says in a word James urges that all of life should be lived with immediate reference to God bringing its joys to him in praise and it's sorrows to him in prayer the contrasting states of physical ill verses 14 and 15 and spiritual ill verse 16 are undoubtedly meant to embrace every distress which may come our way so James's wisdom is seen in the space or compass of just a few verses he does canvass the entirety of Christian experience so let's look first at this overarching concern the exhortation to pray but in the first place the individual at prayer in verse 13 now we might just as we read this passage think that it's somewhat superfluous I mean why would we be neat or why would we need to be told that if we're suffering we ought to pray and if we're cheerful we ought to praise why in the world would we need to be told that because we are hard-hearted because we oftentimes go astray and when we suffer we are surly or rebellious or we are liners or complainers and instead of praying to God we are murmuring against God the same thing is true with reference to cheerfulness or a contented state what is the tendency for those in such a condition to forget God the the Proverbs tell us give me neither poverty or Rich's there's there's sort of a pitfall on either side if I am poor I'll go out and steal and dishonor got my god but if I am rich then I will forget all about my god so we need to understand that these commands are not superfluous but they are indeed pointed and they are most helpful reminders to us so that as we face the various experience as we do we do so with reference to God so note first the suffering is anyone among you suffering now back in James 1 at verse 2 he spoke of trials my brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials notice in James chapter 5 specifically at verses 10 and 11 my brethren take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as in an example of suffering and patience indeed we count them blessed to endure you have heard of the perseverance of Joe and seen the end intended by the Lord that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful there is suffering there is trial there is difficulty there is hardship that we as God's people go through now note the particular remedy involved is anyone among you suffering let him pray Thomas Manton said prayer is the best remedy for sorrows griefs are eased by groans and utterance quite like that John Gill says times of afflictions are proper times for prayer and if you turn with me back to 2nd Kings will notice and observe how several men in Scripture responded to suffering responded to trials in just this way remember this is given to us because the tendency or the temptation might present itself for us to whine grumble murmur or complain instead of praying when we go through such trials and difficulties 2nd Kings chapter 19 essentially what is happening is that Hezekiah is looking down the barrel of Sennacherib gun Sennacherib king of the armies of Assyria has come to Jerusalem to seize the city and so Hezekiah in trial in this difficulty in this hardship doesn't whine he doesn't complain he doesn't groan he doesn't mumble he doesn't murmur but rather he prays second Kings chapter 19 verses 14 to 19 in it's a splendid prayer and one worthy of your study and meditation turn to the Book of Psalms where we find like we do in James 5 the whole sort of gamut of Christian experience and notice that in Psalms 42 and 43 specifically we see this very mindset in the midst of suffering the psalmist turns himself to prayer the psalmist takes to his God the psalmist lays out his burden before the Lord Most High notice in psalm 42:5 why are you cast down O my soul and why are you disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance verse 11 why are you cast down O my soul and why are you disquieted within me hope in God for I shall yet praise Him the help of my countenance and my god this is what lloyd-jones would say is the psalmist talking to himself this is precisely what we need to do in these times of crisis trial and affliction remember the psalmist example remember Hezekiah as example remember the specific words of James in James 5:13 is anyone among you suffering let him pray and then notice the superscription in Psalm 102 it appears as the superscription in this english version but it's literally verse 1 in the Hebrew Bible Psalm 102 the little words not the italicized words that the that the translators give a title to the psalm but rather those small words before verse 1 that's inspired that's in the Hebrew text and that is verse 1 notice a prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord you see that's what we are supposed to imbibe that's the kind of conduct that is necessary for times of affliction and suffering not whining not murmuring not grumbling not complaining but rather turning unto the Lord notice in Psalm 130 verses 1 & 2 Psalm 130 verses 1 & 2 a song of a sense out of the depths I have cried to you O Lord Lord hear my voice let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications of course the example of our Lord Jesus Christ in Gethsemane what does he say he says my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death so what does he do he turns to the Father in prayer in the teaching of our Lord specifically the parable in Luke 18 at verse 1 we read then he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart you see what the contrast is you see what happens if we do not pray then we will lose heart when the doctor says we have such-and-such disease if we do not pray we will lose heart prayer is the remedy given to us by God to keep us in dependence upon God so that we can weather the storms that we face in this lower world we mustn't neglect this and we must receive James's word if anyone among you is suffering let him pray of course Paul says the same thing in Philippians chapter 4 what are we supposed to do in lieu of being anxious we're supposed to pray we're supposed to take our concerns our burdens our trials our hardships to the Lord Philippians 4:6 be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus dog move comments on James's words in James 5:13 he says James is concerned when he deals with trials elsewhere in chapters 1 and 5 is to encourage believers to endure the suffering with the right spirit and with a divine perspective history presumably then the prayer that he encourages here is for the spiritual strength to endure the trial with a godly spirit now I don't think it's wrong or incorrect or bad to say God could you please lift this affliction God could you please remove this burden God could you please free me up to some degree so that I am not so sorely pressed but if not nevertheless thy will be done and if thy will is that I continue in this state of affliction then grant me the grace and the ability to bear up under it without murmuring without whining without complaining and without dishonouring or besmirching the good name of my God is anyone among you suffering let him pray notice as well in verse 13 the exhortation to prayer with reference to the individual notice he goes on in verse 13 to say is anyone cheerful let him sing songs now the emphasis here is not so much on the circumstances that we find ourselves in but the inner disposition of the heart so we can be cheerful even in the midst of not the greatest of circumstances but notice again that James commands us to when we are cheerful to sing songs to praise God with songs again it's a form of prayer when we sing the Psalms to God Most High when we pray through the Psalms we are praying to God so if you are cheerful what is it that James wants you to do he wants you to give praise to God you see it's too easy for us in a state of non hostility in a state of complacency in a state where everything is calm and mellow to forget God and that is simply unacceptable so the direction is pointed and it is specific because James knows the hearts of men if we are suffering we are tempted not to pray if we are cheerful we are tempted not to sing we are tempted not to praise we are tempted not to adorn and James does not want that to be the case with the people of God John Calvin commenting on the verse including both suffering and cheerful he says he means that there is no time in which God does not invite us to himself that's encouraging isn't it there is no time that God does not invite us to himself if you're suffering God invites you if you are cheerful God invites you Calvin goes on to say four afflictions ought to stimulate us to pray prosperity supplies us with an occasion to praise God but such is the perverseness of men that they cannot rejoice without forgetting God and that when afflicted they are disheartened and driven to despair now this may not sound that important to you but it most certainly is as I guarantee you you're going to face some sort of trial hardship sorrow whoa and forget all about prayer or you're going to get good news at work later on this week your kids are going to be whatever your wife's going to cook you a nice dinner and you're going to forget God motya says trouble can give rise to an attitude of surly rebellion against God and the abandonment of spiritual practices equally times of ease and affluence beget complacency laziness and the assumption that we are able of ourselves to cope with life and God is forgotten I think that's very powerful so whether it's bad times or good times we are to direct ourselves to God in prayer we are to be a people who pray we are to attend prayer meeting we are to attend to the closet we are to have a family altar prayer is most important brethren if we are not praying we are not honoring God prayer doesn't complete God prayer doesn't inform God in terms of what it is specifically that we need but prayer rather is an acknowledgment of our dependence upon God and it is in for the first place an act of worship to God brethren we need to pray now notice secondly in terms of his exhortation to pray he then addresses the elders the elders at prayer in verses 14 and 15 notice he says 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 sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven now there are three things we ought to observe in this statement first the sick and his request secondly the elders and their ministry and then thirdly the prayer of faith and its outcome so a brief map of where we're going for the rest of the sermon now but note the presence of sickness is anyone among you sick again those people that teach that believers will never be sick and if believers are sick it's because they have a lack of faith I'm not making that up these are the the wild-eyed preachers that proclaim God's Word allegedly for truth or for money they are prophets for profit they tell the people what the people want to hear they lie they say there is peace peace when there is no peace they'll say things like if any man needs a doctor it is evidence that he does not have faith throw away your crutches get rid of any of those things because a man of faith will never need such a thing well James demolish is such an idea with this very question is anyone among you said there is sickness in the Christian life redemption through blood does not immunize us from any sort of malady from any sort of disease from any sort of affliction no it is the case that God's people in this world will oftentimes contract sickness illness and at times very serious in fact if we look at this particular instance we see that this man's condition is a bit serious as well so talking about a head cold here he's not talking about a hat you know hangnail notice the olders are called to go to him he doesn't go to them presumably he is unable to go to them as well the elders are the ones to do the praying verse 13 is the emphasis upon individuals at Prayer James doesn't say if anyone among you is sick let him pray no he calls for the elders of the church and they then do the praying over him as well he is weary or worn the particular word here does mean sick but elsewhere it's utilized to present weariness or being worn out as well he is not called upon to exercise faith in order to be healed rather it is the faith of the elders the prayer of faith is that offered up by the elders for any of those persons to somehow accuse the people of God for lacking faith when they are sick is to completely miss read to misunderstand what James is saying yet if anybody has a lack of faith in this transaction it's the elders and not the sick person that is precisely what a sick person doesn't need he's not only sick but then he's got whacked out preachers telling him that he hasn't got faith talk about adding insult to injury and compounding the particular person's problem this is ungodly it is unconscionable and the idea that the health wealth and prosperity gospel is true is simply wrong it is heresy it is to misrepresent the God of heaven and earth and it is to bind the people of God under burdens that they are never were never intended to carry and somehow you got this sickness because your faith was lacking or you've stayed in this sickness because your faith is lacking Manton on sickness he says Christ's worshippers are not exempted from sickness no more than any other affliction God may chastened those whom he loveth it is said John 11 3 hold he whom you lovest is sick those that are dear to God have their share of miseries that's just the reality of it brethren don't be you know job's friend and come to the bed of the sick man and say wow if you just had some more faith if you could just find it in yourselves to trust more and to believe more and to do better then perhaps God would raise you up from this sick bag that is to bind God's people and it is simply wrong now notice he calls for the elders now there are several views with reference to this passage and the best I can do is to be somewhat tentative how's that for a somewhat tentative answer or or you know sort of qualifier there's several views on what does this oil mean I mean no one here has ever read this and thought boy I just know exactly what that means I'm sure every single one of you at least or most of you rather at least have seen this passage and wondered about it some suggest like John Calvin that it has to do with the the the miracle of healing or the gift of healing that was present in the Apostolic Church I think that's the easiest way to deal with this particular text in first Corinthians 12 at verses 9 at 28 and 30 we see the gift of healing and so Calvin says that the gift of healing was in play at that particular time so the sick are directed to call so that they may indeed receive or undergo the benefit of that gift of healing of course has those who believe in the cessation of the sort of super gifts we would say that that has gone with the club that closed the Apostolic period the close of the Canon and therefore it's not extant today so on the one hand that is a very very sort of attractive interpretation because I think it frees you from trying to figure out what's happening in the tax but the fact that he specifies elders he doesn't say apostles he doesn't say healers he says elders what's an abiding office in the church the to abiding office our elders and deacons so the assumption is is that elders are able to do this not all elders were most likely gifted with the gift of healing so I want to just set that in your mind as we proceed but nevertheless that he does or he does rather call for the elders of the church now that brings us to consider the elders and their ministry verse 14 B it says and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord obviously they pray the emphasis in the in the section is on prayer prayer the individual prayer of the elders prayer of the Brethren in verse 16 so obviously they pray now with reference to the healing with or rather the application of oil not the healing with oil it's gonna argue just the opposite notice there are as I said several views there is the gift of healing view 1st Corinthians 12:9 2831 of the spiritual gifts given by the spirit and that early church was the gift of healing the second view or interpretation is that this was medicinal it was medicinal the oil had healing properties so the elders pray but they also apply that oil to the sick man in fact you can see in Luke 10 turn there with me Luke chapter 10 you'll see that that oil did have healing properties specifically at verse 34 it's the parable of the Good Samaritan verse 34 so he went to him and bandaged his wounds pouring on oil and wine and he set him on his own animal brought him to an inn and took care of him now as I said this is one of the views that it was in fact medicinal that the elders apply this in conjunction with their prayer but I suspect or Isis I submit that there are several problems with taking the oil as the medicine view why would it need to be elders Goodin his wife or his children apply oil to him and why would this oil be plied in the name of the Lord could it not be the case that an atheistic doctor could give you a Christian believer morphine he doesn't do it in the name of the Lord but it does work medicine is known for this very thing it works you don't have to believe that it works it just works they do double-blind studies they they take the biblical course never forget that science often operates on sort of Christian assumptions this this idea of two or three witnesses they they test a hypothesis and they examine it and then they come to some conclusions they're not always absolutely infallible but it it follows a particular trajectory so when it said he prays in the name of the Lord or they pray or they anoint him in the name of the Lord could it not be the case that somebody is given a medicinal thing that would nevertheless heal them even if it wasn't given in the name of the Lord and I think the most powerful argument against the the the medicine or the oilers medicine view is that it's not the oil it is rather the prayer of faith that God ears and it's in light of that that he heals him of his sickness and raises him up it has nothing to do with the medicine medicinal properties of the oil it is rather the prayer of faith offered up by these elders that God hears and then God heals and God raises him up there's a sacramental view guess which group finds this particular interpretation very pleasing Roman Catholicism they have derived their doctrine of extreme unction from this particular passage they have derived it they call it now anointing with oil but it was given to those who were about to die it's one of the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church but I guarantee you that is not what James is talking about any more than in verse 16 is he talking about auricular confession with a priest in a booth that has lights to let people know whether someone's in that box or not the Papists are simply wrong in their interpretation of James chapter 5 then there is what position I hold is the symbolic view this oil is utilized as it often is in the scripture anointing someone in such a way as to set them apart to set them apart in this particular instance is a special vehicle of God's mercy that dog mu defines it this way as the elders pray they are to physically anoint the sick man with oil to symbolize that the person is being set apart for God's special attention and care I don't think what's in view is the medicinal view I don't think based on the fact that he speaks of elders doing this but it's the apostolic gift of healing I certainly reject the idea that it's sacramental in nature there are two ordinances or sacraments in the Christian Church and they are baptism and the Lord's Supper not extreme oak and not the anointing of oil not matrimony or the other ones that that the papers tell us are sacraments but it's probably symbolic it's a it's a physical way a physical emblem a physical tangible thing to show this particular person we are setting them apart praying over him and hoping that God will indeed hear him and raise him up from that sick bed there is one other text that I want us to consider the only other place is in Mark's Gospel where such a convention is used marked 613 mark 613 and they cast out many many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them the problem is is that that gives us no more light on the subject then does James chapter 5 so tentatively I would present those positions to you opting for the symbolic view that as the elders pray they are to physically anoint the sick man with oil to symbolize that the person is being set apart for God's special attention and care now notice in James 5:15 the prayer of faith and its outcome and the prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven now the matter a fact nests that God does raise him up that God does heal him from his sickness to me gives weight to the gift of healing position Lords that is a matter-of-fact statement there's no wiggle room there this is done they pray they anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save him and the Lord will raise him up that sort of tips the scales at least in my mind to the gift of healing view the the first Corinthians 12:9 28 and 30 idea however I think we can understand it the way we understand other sort of universal promises given to us by God relative to prayer in other words if you read the gospel narratives Jesus will say things like whatever you ask believing in my name you will receive now that aforementioned group I spoke of they'll ask for cars they'll ask for boats they'll ask for summer homes they'll ask for hair product for their weird wives they will do a whole host of things and believing think that they will receive it we know better than that brethren those statements are not universalized those statements are always qualified by whatever pleases God in other words it is the will of the Lord James needn't repeat it here because the people of God know this prayer isn't a blank check prayer isn't always or it is in terms of us going to God but it's not a blank check that always demands payment according to our desire I've said it before a no answer is as much an answer to prayer as is a yes answer we just don't like it so we say things like God didn't hear me God didn't answer oh no God heard you and God did answer but he happened to say no he didn't do it to be mean he did do it to upbraid you he didn't do it because he's vicious or capricious or unkind remember in light of Romans 8:28 that God causes all things to work for good to those who love him to those who are the called according to his purpose in that context he must meet all bad things he doesn't mean all good things work for good that is tautological we know that good things work for good finding a bag of money is always a good thing isn't it well it might not be well there you go and that's why 99.9% of the time we don't find bags of money because god knows what that bag of money would do to us you see brethren a no response is a response and the same holds true in this particular context we as sick people can't say well I called for the elders they prayed over me they anointed me with oil in the name of the Lord but God didn't answer prayer again he may have answered but in a way or he did answer but in a way that we don't want the the paradigm the supreme example of this is Christ in Gethsemane father if it is possible let this cup pass from you from me Christ according to his humanity is praying to the Father to avert the coming wrath of God he says nevertheless father not my will but thine be done he resolves himself he understands he submits to the Father with reference to this whole situation knowing that God has it all under control so we cannot take this particular passage and any time we are sick or diseased or riddled with some sort of unsavory thing we can't sit there and blame God we can't say wow those elders are terrible people they may be but they may have tried by the grace of God to offer up a prayer in faith and it was the Lord's response to say no but you must believe that God even causes that to work for good to those who love him and to those who are the called according to his purpose we have instance says what does Paul do in 2nd Corinthians 12 he has this thorn in the flesh and what does he do I prayed to the Lord three times for it to be removed what God do he pull the flesh the the thorn out no he did in fact turn there because Paul learned a most valuable lesson second Corinthians chapter 12 and when we see that he prays three times I doubt that meant that you know for a twenty second prayer on a Monday he prayed Lord removed this thorn on Thursday he repeated it Lord removed this thorn and on Friday he repeated it Lord removed this thorn it is probably suggestive of repetitious sessions of prayer wherein he entreated the Lord fervently and earnestly notice in 12:7 and lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations a thorn in the flesh was given to me a messenger of Satan to buff at me lest I be exalted above measure now there's no lack of interpretation as to what this thorn in the flesh was when you get it all figured out you can email me email it to me verse eight concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me and he said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches and needs in persecutions and de-stresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then I am strong you see there was remedial benefit to the Apostle in not having this thorn removed turn over to Philippians chapter 2 Philippians chapter 2 verse 25 yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother fellow worker and fellow soldier but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need since he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick for indeed he was sick almost unto death but God mercy on him and not only on him but on me also lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow therefore I sent him the more eagerly that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less sorrowful receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such man in esteem because for the work of Christ he came close to death not regarding his life to supply what was lacking in your service toward me in this instance God had mercy on him he didn't die you see it's the will of God it's the sovereignty of God beware of universalizing passages to utilize them as a means to simply get what you want we need to pray lay our petitions before the Lord let him know specifically what we want but always be content to say with our Lord Jesus nevertheless not my will but thine be done and then notice with reference to our text in James 5 he says after this healing or saving of the SEC the Lord raises him up and then at the end of verse 15 and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven if he has committed sins he will be forgiven now this doesn't mean he's a sinless specimen of a human being because there's not one there's one sinless person and that's the Lord Jesus it means a sin that he has committed that is causally related to the sickness at hand and we need to make sure we understand the bible does not teach that all sickness is related to a particular sin I mean generally it is if there was no sin there'd be no curse there'd be no sickness but with reference to our text and if he has committed sins he will be forgiven this seems to indicate that it's a sin that he committed and as a result God had afflicted him with this but realize the bible does not teach that every instance of a man a woman a boy or girl getting sick is directly the result of his or her sin job one and to teach us that job wasn't upright man I mean he perhaps didn't deal with everything as as well as he could have once things got going but he wasn't afflicted because he was sick or because he was sinful that is precisely what God says to the devil and that's precisely what we get from that that reading of Scripture as well we get the the reality of John 9 remember the disciples asked Jesus who sin with reference to the blind man was it him or was it his parents he says neither of them sinned again he doesn't mean that they were sinless specimens of human beings he means a sin that is directly related to the blindness that he is now undergoing this happened so that the works of God may be manifested in him and through him so get that the Bible does not connect sin or sickness rather to particular acts of sin however sometimes it does remember gauzy in 2nd Kings chapter 5 he he has greed and he has desires for stuff and the Prophet condemns him and Elijah pronounces judgment upon him and he is stricken with leprosy read Psalm 38 and see how David fared when he kept silent about his sin there were physiological repercussions of David's sin prior to his confession prior to his forgiveness prior to his knowing the grace and mercy and kindness of God so the one hand realized the Bible doesn't say that every sickness is always related to a particular sin the Bible does say however that sometimes in some instances particular sins are the reason why there is judgment or chastening that comes from God 1st Corinthians chapter 11 the way that they had messed up the Lord's Supper what does Paul say for this reason many are sick among you many even sleep in other words you make you know the the supper of the Lord a place for battles with the people of God there are physical repercussions as a result we need to be balanced the Bible isn't saying every sickness is the result of a particular but it does say at times some sickness is the result of sin in fact our text has that that same vibe if I can kind of put it that way it's hypothetical and and if he has committed sins again the issue isn't that he's a sinless person if he has committed sins that are directly connected to this particular disease or sickness then he will be forgiven you see it's a holistic healing it's not only the physical but it's even more important the spiritual he will be forgiven see that's what James emphasizes here in the passage so in conclusion first of all the diversity of experience in the Christian life in short compass I think James pretty well exhausts everything we're gonna face there's going to be suffering I know that we don't like to hear that and I know that we'd rather hear Joel Osteen tell us that every day is going to be a Friday that every day we can live our best lives now for whatever reason well I know what the reasons are that works in North America because that's what people want that's where they're at but there's a subtlety about that that even creeps into people that have good reformed doctrine this idea that you know everything should go my way I work hard I'm diligent on this I'm that why in the world would anything bad ever happen to me because God is sovereign and oftentimes in order to conform us under the image of his son he has to do so in some unsavory ways you know that whole idea in John 15 how does the father tend to the vineyard he does it by pruning the vines I think I mentioned when I preached that text many many years ago my only experience with pruning was some unruly rose bushes in our backyard I didn't have any clue on how to prune so I took a chainsaw and I just mowed them down now there's probably better ways to prune quote Tony's going man you never work for qala tree you know you see the lady with the bonnet and she's got the cup of tea on her table and she's got a little snippers and she's out there just doing a delicate job of it and then there's a guy who hasn't got a clue and he takes a chainsaw and he mows down rosebushes now that may seem a bit odd but I think that is Yahweh's way there are times it's the gentle snipper there's other times it may be a chainsaw because we have grown unruly and there is a need for the Lord God Most High to put us back in our places and thank him that he does it there will be suffering brethren jesus promised this in the Upper Room John 16:33 in this world you will have tribulation I think passages like those are probably more powerful to those in situations like Sudan or like North Korea or like you know Iran I'm sure those persons can can Amen Jesus in John 16:33 in a way that you know with our first world problems you know I mean what are the the biggest sort of challenges that we have you know my my coffee maker didn't work just the way I like it there was a line at Starbucks we're just suffering for the cause aren't we I saw recently where chick-fil-a is apparently has you know four places now and in New York and it's just freaking out the Liberals i chick-fil-a and they're they're Christians sort of you know mindset is it's coming to the city of New York now I think it's good that chick-fil-a does what they're supposed to do but brethren that's not the kind of suffering that Andrew Brunson is facing it's just not you see we are going to if we have not yet I always think I'm a great salesman for the Christian faith and sermons like these you're gonna have trouble well sign me up typically no that's not what we want I'm not going to lie to you there will be tribulation but he underlies it underscores it bold faces it with the reality but be of good cheer I have overcome the world when you're suffering don't whine don't grumble don't murmur don't complain but pray when you're cheerful don't forget God sing praises to him take the Psalter I looked at 42 and 43 those Psalms of lament are among the Psalms of lament take out Psalm 47 and rejoice and triumph in your God when you are cheerful brethren seize the opportunity whatever the particular instance you're in to worship to praise in to adore God Almighty the diversity of the experiences in the Christian life call for consistency of response in the Christian life engage with God in prayer Thomas Manton said this this is the perfection of Christianity to carry an equal pious mind in unequal conditions Paul had learned to walk uphill and downhill with the same spirit and base I know both how to be abased and how to abound Philippians 4:12 the prophet saith of Ephraim that he was as a cake not turned Hosea 7 8 baked of one side but dough of the other most men are fit but for one condition some cannot carry a cup a full cup without spilling others cannot bear a full load without breaking sudden alterations perplex both body and mind it is the mighty power of grace to keep the soul in an equal temper fool I may just email that to everybody because I think it's so important it's the mighty power of grace to keep the soul in an equal temper you see when you're cheerful when you're praising and then you fall into suffering it's not all bets are off compose yourself discipline yourself control yourself and respond to God the way that he says you never have the right you never have the liberty or the license to fall apart you need to maintain it you need to hold it together me too I'm not saying you but when things suffer when we suffer it's not the case that it's okay to be surly it's okay to be miserable it's okay to whine to moan to grumble and complain because you just don't know the hardships that I'm undergoing Christ knows doesn't he say that to Pergamos I know where you dwell where Satan's throne is he knows the conditions of his Saints he knows the hardships of his people he is there with us in the fire David said though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me you ever consider what a confession of faith that is I will walk through it I'm not going to get bogged down in it I'm not going to be destroyed there and I will walk through it by the grace of God by the presence of the Good Shepherd who is there to sustain me so brethren good times bad times all call for dependence upon God mighty grace is necessary to keep the soul in an equal temper do not flip out do not freak out do not have an emotional meltdown and if you do pray to God to help you through it as I'm saying this I know that I've had meltdowns in this very room and I've fallen on my face and prayed to God to help me so it's going to happen I'm not up here saying okay brethren here's you know psychology major Jim and here's a no no no it's going to happen but this counsel is most necessary from Manton and finally with reference to sickness in the church the text does not teach that sickness is always a result of sin the text does not teach that medicine has no place in the Christian life that's another one that's just absolute folly Jesus assumes the utility of physicians in through Chapter nine he says the the healthy have no need of a physician what's the opposite of that the sick do Jesus doesn't say you know physicians are bad never go to that Luke was the beloved physician first Timothy chapter five Paul tells Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach the fact is is that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift and one of those gifts are well-educated doctors are orthopedic surgeons our oncologists are a whole host of things aspirin you know that many of our children have survived and in a simple application of tylenol when they would have died any other time in the history of the world instead of saying no medicine we ought to praise God that he has given the general revelation and the ability of men to actually exercise dominion over the creation and and and help people the text is not anti medicine as well that if the sick person this is what the text does not teach that if the sick person is not healed his faith is lacking as I said it's the elders prayer that's in view and it does not teach that God is always obligated to heal sick people Douglas mu again says the faith exercised in prayer is faith in the God who sovereignly accomplishes his will when we pray our faith recognizes explicitly or implicitly the overruling providential purposes of God a prayer for healing then must usually be qualified by a recognition that God's will in the matter is supreme and it is clear in the New Testament that God does not always heal the believer and the text does teach so we see what it doesn't teach we need to understand what it does it does teach that sickness is a reality for the people of God I don't think it's wrong when you get sick or when you're afflicted with something to search your heart to examine your heart because James does say and if he has committed sins they will be forgiven of him they're forgiven him but if by the grace of God you examine your heart you say you know I'm seeking to maintain short accounts with God with others I'm seeking a deal with my sin and you can't see a particular sin that this might be directly causally related to then submit to the will of God obviously if you do see that repent forsake your sin but sickness is a reality for the people of God secondly we learn that the tax teaches us that the church shows concern for the sick the church shows concern for the sick at times the sicker marginalized at times the sick of forgotten at times the sick out of sight or out of mine and this text calls us to consider the fact that the sick are part of the church and the church shows concern for that and I think thirdly and most importantly the tax teaches us that God is concerned for the sick God is concerned for the sick never conclude wow I'm afflicted with this particular disease or or malady or low or whatever God has forgotten me brethren God never forgets you God never will leave you nor forsake you God has always got you whether you're suffering whether you're cheerful or whether you're sick you are in the palm of his hand and you can rest in that you can trust in him and you can realize that whatever my God ordains is right well let us close and a word of Prayer father we thank you for this your word and we thank you that James does address us in the various circumstances we find ourselves in life give us grace to heed these words give us grace and times of suffering to be a people of prayer give us grace and times of cheerfulness to be a people of prayer give us grace with reference to sickness to be a people of prayer grant us help in this God we confess our laziness and we confess our inattentiveness to our spiritual condition we confess so often sliding the various means that you have given for the good of your people grant us grace to receive with Thanksgiving these simple means that you've ordained for your glory and for our well-being and help us to be a people who pray go with us and help us in this coming week to bring honor and glory and praise unto you and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen we'll close with the brief time of meditation and then be dismissed you