1 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:08,100 Good morning to you again. I hope you guys had a good 2 00:00:08,100 --> 00:00:09,600 Thanksgiving. Did everybody? 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,400 Get lots of food and eat all the things? 4 00:00:12,500 --> 00:00:16,000 Yeah, I know, I did. It was good, it's good. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,200 Why do I hope you had a good Thanksgiving? 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,400 Just a little something as everybody's getting seated. 7 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,400 Get you laughing this morning. I realized, just a second ago, 8 00:00:24,500 --> 00:00:26,800 standing beside Sherry or singing. 9 00:00:27,300 --> 00:00:30,100 And I look down and realize that my jacket is made out of an old 10 00:00:30,100 --> 00:00:33,000 chair. Apparently, it's made of told 11 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:34,500 Sherry. If I sit down, they will Even 12 00:00:34,500 --> 00:00:36,400 see me we're in camo this morning. 13 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:42,400 It's perfect. So anyway, well, good morning, 14 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:47,400 it's good to see everybody. I know, Thanksgiving is over and 15 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:51,000 it's officially Christmas. Now as you can see from the, the 16 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,800 decorations that looks beautiful in here. 17 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:56,200 Thank you to everybody that did that we're eager to celebrate 18 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:58,400 the month of December and celebrate Christmas with 19 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:00,600 everybody. I know there's been a lot of 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,000 sickness going around too. So thank you all for being here 21 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,200 and And braving the bad weather and everything else to be here. 22 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,800 Thank you for your commitment and your faithfulness. 23 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:14,900 I guess I should have announced before we shook hands to maybe 24 00:01:15,100 --> 00:01:16,900 be careful with that but that's okay. 25 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:21,800 We're good now. So we have been going through 26 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,000 the Book of James and we are going to finish it up today. 27 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,200 So we are going to finish the Book of James finally and it has 28 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:32,800 been a great walkthrough of a very good book. 29 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,900 That is just good practice. Uncle every day Christian 30 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,400 teaching this book has been full of things that we can take and 31 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:45,200 apply and do it's not just thoughts on Christianity, it's 32 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,900 not just the ology, it's not a, just a history of lesson of some 33 00:01:48,900 --> 00:01:52,100 things that were happening. It is a letter of instruction on 34 00:01:52,100 --> 00:01:55,200 how to go and do these things, how to apply these things to 35 00:01:55,208 --> 00:01:56,900 your life. And so it's been very, very 36 00:01:56,900 --> 00:01:58,800 good. I love the Book of James and I'm 37 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:00,300 glad that we've been able to go through it. 38 00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:04,200 So, if you have your Bibles turn to James chapter 5, that's where 39 00:02:04,300 --> 00:02:06,800 Going to be today, finishing it out. 40 00:02:06,900 --> 00:02:10,500 We're going to be starting around verse 13 before we do. 41 00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:16,300 I just want to point out that this book The main theme in the 42 00:02:16,300 --> 00:02:18,900 main point of this book, it's been a couple of things. 43 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:24,600 An amazing thing about it is that it, it challenges us to 44 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,600 take our faith. And what we say that we believe. 45 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,800 And put it into action. So this book is a punch right in 46 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:39,800 the nose saying that if you say you believe in Jesus and you 47 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:45,100 call yourself a Christian, then act like it and go and live your 48 00:02:45,100 --> 00:02:47,600 life in these ways and do these things. 49 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,600 Don't just say you believe do it. 50 00:02:51,300 --> 00:02:56,000 And so the major theme of the book of James is that faith 51 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,300 without works is dead. You say you have faith but prove 52 00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:02,000 it, by the way, you live your life. 53 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,400 Go and act on that Faith. Now, don't just think it. 54 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,500 Don't just say it. Go live it. 55 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:09,900 And so everything. We've looked at through this 56 00:03:09,900 --> 00:03:11,500 book has fallen in line with that. 57 00:03:11,500 --> 00:03:13,600 It's been practical advice on how to live. 58 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,500 So before we jump into this text, let's pray, really quick. 59 00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:18,600 And then we'll take a look at what the ending of the book has 60 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:20,100 to say. Okay, let's pray. 61 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,300 Father. Again we thank you for the 62 00:03:24,300 --> 00:03:28,200 opportunity to be here in the opener word, to study it and to 63 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,100 read from it. God, we are grateful for this 64 00:03:31,100 --> 00:03:34,600 great privilege and this freedom, I pray now, Lord, that 65 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:39,100 you open it up that you open our eyes, and our ears, and our 66 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:41,000 minds and our hearts to receive it. 67 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,100 And to hear it, I pray that you speak through me. 68 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,800 So rightly understand this text so that we can take it and apply 69 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:51,700 it to our lives so that we could walk out of this place and the 70 00:03:51,700 --> 00:03:54,700 full Council of your word, loving it. 71 00:03:55,500 --> 00:03:57,400 So God, we praise you today, we do this. 72 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,900 All for your honor and your glory, may your name. 73 00:03:59,900 --> 00:04:02,600 Be made famous. Please speak to us. 74 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,500 Now through your word in Jesus name, amen. 75 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:12,900 Last week, Kyle did a superb job of walking us through verses 7 76 00:04:12,900 --> 00:04:15,700 through 12. In chapter 5, it was on 77 00:04:15,700 --> 00:04:19,000 suffering with immovable patients. 78 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,700 He did a fantastic job. I know I was glad to hear him 79 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:24,700 preaching. Again, I heard a lot of feedback 80 00:04:24,700 --> 00:04:26,800 from you guys. You were glad that he was back 81 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,500 in the Pulpit. It was wonderful to hear from 82 00:04:28,500 --> 00:04:29,600 him. They've got a sick kid. 83 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:30,700 Oh, that's why they're not here today. 84 00:04:30,700 --> 00:04:35,700 So y'all be praying for them. I know having him back, did us 85 00:04:35,700 --> 00:04:38,900 all good, and I know that getting to hear from him again. 86 00:04:38,900 --> 00:04:41,600 Has just confirmed that you guys are ready for him to be back in 87 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:43,400 the pulpit and quit hearing from us. 88 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,000 So we're ready for that. Very good to hear from Kyle. 89 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,400 But he did a great job of walking us through Suffering 90 00:04:50,700 --> 00:04:54,400 suffering with patience and that is going to transition perfectly 91 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,300 into today's text starting at verse 13. 92 00:04:57,300 --> 00:05:00,500 So if you are able, please stand with me, for the reading of 93 00:05:00,500 --> 00:05:05,100 God's word, I'm going to read our text. 94 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,800 And as we have done in the past, when Kyle preaches, I'm going to 95 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:10,600 read it. And I will tell you, I will say 96 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,300 this is the word of the Lord, and you will respond. 97 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,200 Thanks, be to God. Okay, so let's read it. 98 00:05:17,100 --> 00:05:19,500 James chapter 5, starting at verse 13. 99 00:05:19,900 --> 00:05:24,200 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray, is anyone 100 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,900 cheerful? He is to sing praises. 101 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,000 Is anyone among you sick, then? He must call for the Elders of 102 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:32,900 the church, and they are to pray over him. 103 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:37,300 Anointing him with oil, in the name of the Lord, and the prayer 104 00:05:37,300 --> 00:05:40,500 offered in faith will restore. The one who is sick? 105 00:05:40,500 --> 00:05:43,800 And the Lord will raise him up and if he has committed sins, 106 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,500 they will be forgiven him. Therefore confess your sins to 107 00:05:47,500 --> 00:05:49,600 one another and pray for one another. 108 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,100 So so that you may be healed the effective prayer of a righteous 109 00:05:54,100 --> 00:05:57,800 man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature 110 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:00,900 like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain 111 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:02,300 and it did not rain on the earth. 112 00:06:02,300 --> 00:06:05,800 For three months, three years and six months, then he prayed 113 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,800 again and the sky poured rain and the Earth produced its 114 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,500 fruit. My brethren if any among you 115 00:06:12,500 --> 00:06:15,900 Strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know 116 00:06:15,900 --> 00:06:19,100 that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way, will save 117 00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:21,900 his soul. From death and will cover a 118 00:06:21,900 --> 00:06:26,200 multitude of sins. This is the word of the Lord. 119 00:06:26,900 --> 00:06:29,100 Thanks be to God, you may be seated. 120 00:06:32,500 --> 00:06:37,500 This text, these particular verses as we saw in homegroups 121 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,400 week or so ago when we covered this has been the subject of 122 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:44,300 some debate throughout church history. 123 00:06:45,500 --> 00:06:48,400 We've looked at in these verses we just read about things like 124 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,500 applying oil, anointing with oil and the significance of that, 125 00:06:52,500 --> 00:06:56,500 we've looked at praying in faith for healing and how that works. 126 00:06:57,900 --> 00:07:01,000 So it can be really easy when you start start to study this 127 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,000 text and you start to talk about it to get bogged down in the 128 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:09,100 weeds and miss the overall point of this text, it can be really 129 00:07:09,100 --> 00:07:12,200 easy to miss the big picture to miss the forest for the trees. 130 00:07:13,500 --> 00:07:17,600 What have you? So the main idea the main theme 131 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:22,000 of these verses is prayer. It's all about prayer. 132 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,500 Prayer is mentioned in every single verse of this text. 133 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,700 Every verse mentions prayer. That's what we're talking about 134 00:07:29,700 --> 00:07:30,600 here. Okay. 135 00:07:31,500 --> 00:07:33,000 That is going to be today's Focus. 136 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:34,900 That is what I'm going to talk to you about. 137 00:07:35,300 --> 00:07:37,700 I do not have the time and I don't think you would want me to 138 00:07:37,700 --> 00:07:41,000 try to give you a full theological treatment on 139 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,700 anointing with oil and healing and all of those things as God's 140 00:07:44,700 --> 00:07:48,200 word teaches it and its entirety their entire books written on 141 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:49,900 these things. And I encourage you to go and 142 00:07:49,900 --> 00:07:52,600 read more about that. But I'm not going to waste too 143 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,700 much time. Focusing on the sub points here, 144 00:07:55,700 --> 00:07:57,400 I want us to see the overall picture. 145 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,500 Okay. And I believe that is this This 146 00:08:00,500 --> 00:08:03,900 is my main point for you today. My big idea if you're taking 147 00:08:03,900 --> 00:08:08,900 notes you can write this down The discipline of prayer is one 148 00:08:08,900 --> 00:08:12,300 of the most valuable Assets in the life of a Christian. 149 00:08:13,500 --> 00:08:15,500 Okay, the discipline. Don't miss that. 150 00:08:15,500 --> 00:08:19,100 The discipline of prayer is one of the most valuable Assets in 151 00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:21,500 the life of a Christian. I know I've over overly 152 00:08:21,500 --> 00:08:24,600 simplified it, but I'm going to explain a bit as we move 153 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:26,800 forward. So again last week, Kyle talked 154 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,400 about suffering and how weird to have immovable patients in the 155 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,400 face of suffering. These verses pick up right, 156 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,900 where he left off because it opens up with verse 13. 157 00:08:35,900 --> 00:08:38,600 Is anyone suffering? And he should pray. 158 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:42,400 Is anyone cheerful or happy among you? 159 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,700 He is too. Sing praises, when we think 160 00:08:45,700 --> 00:08:50,300 about singing praises, what we're doing is we're praising. 161 00:08:50,300 --> 00:08:53,200 God, we're singing of his goodness and his excellency's in 162 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,700 his mercy, and we're singing out to him, that, that song. 163 00:08:56,700 --> 00:08:59,400 Our voices are directed to him as we do that. 164 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,300 So, in a way, it's another form of kind of prayer. 165 00:09:02,300 --> 00:09:04,900 It's not quite the same, but we are still talking to God by 166 00:09:04,900 --> 00:09:07,700 praising him through song. And through our, through our 167 00:09:07,700 --> 00:09:10,300 words. So either way, we're to pray 168 00:09:10,300 --> 00:09:15,200 were to praise and then we Get to our text today. 169 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,100 On sickness is anyone among you sick? 170 00:09:19,300 --> 00:09:24,000 He should call the Elders and have them pray and anoint them 171 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,500 with oil as we see in verse 14. So, let's unpack this just a 172 00:09:27,500 --> 00:09:28,500 little bit. Okay? 173 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,000 What is James talking about when he says, is anyone among you 174 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,600 sick? We just got done coming out of a 175 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,800 passage about suffering and about enduring that. 176 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,800 Well, and so some want to take this passage and say, well, he's 177 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:46,300 just talking about spiritual sickness here, not physical, 178 00:09:46,300 --> 00:09:51,300 it's all spiritual, but that is not what the context of this 179 00:09:51,300 --> 00:09:56,100 passage tells us. The context is primarily 180 00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:00,400 physical sickness as you see words and phrases, like, pray 181 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,300 over him, that he may be restored and raised up, and 182 00:10:03,300 --> 00:10:04,900 we're going to touch on that here in a minute. 183 00:10:05,700 --> 00:10:08,000 But there is a spiritual aspect to this. 184 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,000 Because we also see that in doing so he can confess sins and 185 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,800 he may be forgiven. So this is, there is a spiritual 186 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:17,600 undertone to this. It's a little bit of both its 187 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,600 physical sickness, but there's something spiritual at play too, 188 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,900 but it's not just strictly Spiritual either way. 189 00:10:25,300 --> 00:10:28,700 This person is the call for the elders to come and pray for him 190 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:34,200 and anoint with oil. Now why why I call the Elders to 191 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:38,000 come and pray and anoint with oil, we know that the Elders of 192 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,800 the church do not have some sort of superpower, right? 193 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:46,300 When you get when you get placed as an elder, you don't get us a 194 00:10:46,308 --> 00:10:49,200 magic ring that lets you go around just bopping people in 195 00:10:49,208 --> 00:10:51,500 their healed of anything that they might be sick with. 196 00:10:51,500 --> 00:10:54,300 That's not how this works. But we do see in the New 197 00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:58,100 Testament that guys like Paul and Peter were given amazing 198 00:10:58,100 --> 00:11:00,400 abilities to heal that that was even with them. 199 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,900 Never just a twill they couldn't just walk around zapping people 200 00:11:03,900 --> 00:11:06,900 that was always a holy spirit moving thing. 201 00:11:07,900 --> 00:11:13,200 So why call the Elders? It's because prayer was the 202 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:15,600 primary focus here, not the healing. 203 00:11:16,700 --> 00:11:20,500 Prayer was the primary focus and prayer is something that the 204 00:11:20,500 --> 00:11:23,200 Elders of the church should be very good at. 205 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:28,500 We know in Acts chapter 6, when the 12 apostles decided to 206 00:11:28,500 --> 00:11:31,800 appoint seven to take care of the distribution for the 207 00:11:31,808 --> 00:11:34,200 Hellenistic widows. They were being neglected. 208 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:38,400 The reason was because they said it is not good for us to neglect 209 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:40,700 the preaching and teaching of the word and prayer. 210 00:11:41,100 --> 00:11:45,600 Those two things are to be the elders, primary, focus prayer, 211 00:11:46,100 --> 00:11:48,400 and the History of the word that is what a prayer. 212 00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:52,600 An elder is to devote himself to prayer and the word teaching and 213 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:57,200 preaching it. So Elders would have been men of 214 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,400 prayer. They would have been men that 215 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,400 love to pray and of course, they're the, the shepherd's 216 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,300 there, the overseers of the flock. 217 00:12:04,300 --> 00:12:07,100 And so it makes sense that they would want to go to them when 218 00:12:07,100 --> 00:12:09,300 they're sick, and they would want to pray for them and pray 219 00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:13,000 over them. Now, when you see this, this 220 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,300 language of praying over someone the context there. 221 00:12:16,300 --> 00:12:19,300 If you start to read the original languages shows that 222 00:12:19,300 --> 00:12:21,700 it's very much a standing over someone. 223 00:12:21,700 --> 00:12:24,100 So it's implying that this person might have been on their 224 00:12:24,100 --> 00:12:27,100 deathbed, they would have been bedridden and sick and so the 225 00:12:27,100 --> 00:12:30,300 elders come and gather around and pray over that person so 226 00:12:30,300 --> 00:12:34,100 that he might be raised up much like in the resurrection, be 227 00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:37,000 healed and be able to get up out of that bed, at some point. 228 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,600 So again, we see physical sickness, we see these Others 229 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:42,900 coming to pray because they would have been men of prayer. 230 00:12:43,300 --> 00:12:46,600 We see in verse 16 here in a moment that the prayers of a 231 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:48,900 righteous person can accomplish much. 232 00:12:48,900 --> 00:12:53,000 So these were righteous men. The elders would be men of of 233 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,200 the word and Men of prayer to go and pray over these people. 234 00:12:57,100 --> 00:12:59,000 They were also to anoint with oil. 235 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,300 So what does that mean? What does it mean to anoint with 236 00:13:02,300 --> 00:13:04,900 oil and depending on your background and what church you 237 00:13:04,900 --> 00:13:07,900 grew up in this might have been common practice for you or it 238 00:13:07,900 --> 00:13:11,000 might have been it might be very, very foreign to I know it 239 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,200 was to me when I first started to learn about this practice. 240 00:13:15,300 --> 00:13:17,000 So what does it mean to anoint with oil? 241 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,300 What's the what's going on here? What's the significance again? 242 00:13:20,300 --> 00:13:24,200 There's lots and lots of debate about this but we know that the 243 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:29,100 oil is not, this is not a primarily medicinal thing, okay? 244 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:33,000 If it was just about the oil had medicinal properties and all of 245 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:36,000 that, they would have tried that long before calling the elders 246 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,000 to come to visit with them. They would have just kept a jar 247 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:40,300 of whatever, and they would have done that. 248 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,600 So, this is not a case for essential oils, ladies. 249 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:51,200 Just throwing that out there. And also we know that this oil 250 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:53,000 wasn't magic, right? It's not that. 251 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,700 There's something that's not a magic potion that if you rub it 252 00:13:55,700 --> 00:13:58,500 on somebody they're healed instantly we know that's not the 253 00:13:58,500 --> 00:14:00,400 case. If that were the case, I'd be 254 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:02,600 walking around just sprinkling it on everybody. 255 00:14:02,900 --> 00:14:05,900 So what was the point? What was the point of anointing 256 00:14:05,900 --> 00:14:09,500 with oil? We see this in scripture, 257 00:14:09,500 --> 00:14:14,300 especially in the Old Testament. You see Aaron being anointed as 258 00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:17,100 the high priest. This is a consecrating a person 259 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:20,900 to the Lord, it is. Is a setting aside, a person to 260 00:14:20,900 --> 00:14:24,000 the Lord's care to his provision and saying we are dedicating 261 00:14:24,100 --> 00:14:27,700 that person to God. And that's exactly what you see. 262 00:14:27,700 --> 00:14:31,700 When you see people being Anointed with oil, That's you 263 00:14:31,700 --> 00:14:35,600 see the, the example of the lady come in and break in the perfume 264 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:39,000 and putting it on Jesus feet. This is this is what's happening 265 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,800 in that moment that person is being given over to God for his 266 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,300 care. So we see a sick person 267 00:14:45,500 --> 00:14:48,600 desperate, and helpless calling the elders to come and pray over 268 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,500 them, commit them to the Lord, anoint them with oil and entrust 269 00:14:52,500 --> 00:14:56,400 that person to the care of. God, that is what's taking place 270 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:01,800 in these verses. Now, look at verse 15 with The 271 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,400 prayer offered in faith will restore. 272 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:07,700 The one who is sick? And the Lord will raise him up 273 00:15:07,700 --> 00:15:10,600 and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven. 274 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,700 So, what does the prayer of faith or the prayer offered in 275 00:15:15,700 --> 00:15:16,800 faith? What does that mean? 276 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:18,700 What does it mean to pray in faith? 277 00:15:19,700 --> 00:15:21,700 So again, this has been debated a lot. 278 00:15:21,700 --> 00:15:24,200 There's a lot of controversy around praying in faith or a 279 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:28,700 prayer of faith. This is not an example of 280 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:33,300 believe it and receive it. This is also not an example of 281 00:15:33,300 --> 00:15:36,100 just name it and claim it make it yours. 282 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,900 This is not flinging Jesus's name around like a lightsaber to 283 00:15:40,900 --> 00:15:43,600 get whatever you want. That's not what's Happening 284 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:48,200 Here, unfortunately, that does happen a lot, but that's not 285 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:49,600 what the Bible is, commanding here. 286 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,800 Praying in faith is praying in a way that shows we are trusting 287 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,400 into things, okay? If you want to write this down, 288 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:59,700 feel free praying in faith, shows were trusting into things, 289 00:15:59,700 --> 00:16:04,600 God's Ants. In other words, his power and 290 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:09,200 his ability to heal and shows, we are also trusting in God's 291 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:12,000 sovereignty. In other words, we're trusting, 292 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:18,800 his will not wheel. His will his timing and his way, 293 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:22,300 not our own. Don't miss that. 294 00:16:22,300 --> 00:16:24,500 We're trusting in. Not only God's ability were 295 00:16:24,500 --> 00:16:27,900 saying, I know you can. I know you have the power to do 296 00:16:27,900 --> 00:16:31,700 this, and I trust that, but I'm also trusting your way, and your 297 00:16:31,700 --> 00:16:37,400 timing not my own That's what's happening when we pray in faith. 298 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:41,300 We have to understand that we're not praying to coerce God, or 299 00:16:41,300 --> 00:16:46,300 try to change his mind or bend. His will to us, I talked to Kyle 300 00:16:46,300 --> 00:16:48,900 about this this week, and he worded it very well that when we 301 00:16:48,900 --> 00:16:54,600 pray, we are bending ourselves to God's will not him to our 302 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:58,100 will. Prayer is meant to change us, 303 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:02,100 not God. That's what's happening when we 304 00:17:02,100 --> 00:17:06,099 pray in faith. We are trusting in the Lord and 305 00:17:06,099 --> 00:17:09,800 we see that this kind of prayer, this praying in faith will 306 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,599 restore. The one who is sick? 307 00:17:12,700 --> 00:17:16,200 Now, let's talk about that for a moment will restore when I read 308 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:20,500 these verses that sounds upon initial read like a guarantee 309 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:22,500 that if you do this you call the Elders. 310 00:17:22,500 --> 00:17:24,800 They come pray, they come in or low, you'll be healed, hundred 311 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:29,600 percent guaranteed. But we know that's not the case. 312 00:17:29,700 --> 00:17:31,500 We don't see that throughout scripture. 313 00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:35,100 Do we have to take all of God's word into consideration? 314 00:17:35,300 --> 00:17:38,200 The whole context of God's word, we don't want to isolate one 315 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:41,000 verse and build an entire theology on that. 316 00:17:42,300 --> 00:17:45,200 So just because we're having faith and we believe when we 317 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:49,900 pray doesn't guarantee healing. So I quoted you guys last time I 318 00:17:50,300 --> 00:17:52,800 preach from a guy named Douglas new I'm going to quote him 319 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,100 again. He says this, the faith 320 00:17:56,100 --> 00:18:00,300 exercised in prayer is faith in the god, whose sovereignty 321 00:18:00,300 --> 00:18:04,400 accomplishes his will. When we pray our faith 322 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:08,600 recognizes the overruling, providential purposes of God. 323 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,800 A prayer for healing. Then must usually be qualified 324 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:16,400 by a recognition that God's will in the matter is supreme. 325 00:18:16,900 --> 00:18:19,400 And it is clear in the New Testament that God does not 326 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:25,100 always will to heal a believer. Paul's very own prayer for his 327 00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:28,000 healing. Offered three times, was not 328 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,000 answered. God had a purpose in allowing 329 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:35,300 that thorn in the flesh that Paul endured the Faith, with 330 00:18:35,300 --> 00:18:40,200 which we pray is, always, always, always faith in the god, 331 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,900 whose will is supreme and best. And this is exactly the 332 00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:46,000 qualification that is needed to understand. 333 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,300 Jesus, on promised to us in John 14:14. 334 00:18:49,300 --> 00:18:52,700 When he says, you may ask for anything in my name. 335 00:18:52,900 --> 00:18:56,300 Mmmmm and I will do it. To ask in. 336 00:18:56,300 --> 00:18:59,900 Jesus name means not to Simply utter his name, but to take into 337 00:18:59,900 --> 00:19:04,900 account to account, his will also only those requests offered 338 00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:09,100 in that will are granted. I know that was a mouthful but 339 00:19:09,100 --> 00:19:11,700 he worded it more eloquently than I ever could. 340 00:19:11,900 --> 00:19:14,700 When we pray in faith, we were praying, according to God's 341 00:19:14,700 --> 00:19:17,100 will, for his will, to be done, not our own. 342 00:19:17,300 --> 00:19:19,800 We're trusting God, we're trusting his timing and his 343 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,800 sovereignty. So again, it's not just 344 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:27,500 mustering up enough, faith and enough belief to make something 345 00:19:27,500 --> 00:19:30,200 happen. It's not a situation where if we 346 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,300 don't fully believe it, then it's not going to happen. 347 00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:36,400 I've heard that blasphemy uttered in people's lives before 348 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,100 that. Well, you prayed for that person 349 00:19:38,100 --> 00:19:39,800 to be healed and it didn't happen because you didn't have 350 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:44,300 enough faith, that is wrong. If someone's ever told you that, 351 00:19:44,300 --> 00:19:46,300 that is wrong. That is unbiblical. 352 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,800 A great example of this great. Great example of this. 353 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,800 You guys remember the story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego or 354 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,600 if you're a Veggie Tales fan me, she hadn't been here, however, 355 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:05,400 they called it. In that story, those three guys 356 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,700 are fixing to be thrown into a fiery furnace. 357 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,600 This is in Daniel chapter 3 and what do they say to the king 358 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:14,200 whom? They are supposed to Bow before 359 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,200 this golden idol and all that they say our God whom we serve 360 00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:23,200 is able to Deliver Us From The Burning fiery furnace, but if he 361 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:27,800 does not be it known To You. O King, that we will not serve 362 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:30,900 your gods or worship your golden image that you have set up. 363 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:36,400 Our God is able. But if he doesn't, we're still 364 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:37,900 not going to Bow before your Idol. 365 00:20:39,300 --> 00:20:44,300 Look, it is not for us to know, God's mind and know God's will 366 00:20:44,300 --> 00:20:45,700 all of the time. There are things. 367 00:20:45,700 --> 00:20:47,600 He's clearly revealed in his word. 368 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,700 But we can't fully understand the depth of God's knowledge and 369 00:20:51,700 --> 00:20:54,700 his wisdom. We shouldn't try, we will break 370 00:20:54,700 --> 00:21:00,000 our brains if we try this, but we should with everything in us, 371 00:21:00,300 --> 00:21:03,300 try to be submissive and following his will whatever it 372 00:21:03,300 --> 00:21:07,300 may be praying that he gives us wisdom to recognize this. 373 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,000 It could be that sickness has been appointed to you, so that 374 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,700 you could repent of unconfessed sins may be God's using that 375 00:21:15,700 --> 00:21:20,300 sickness or that trial or tribulation in Your life to mold 376 00:21:20,300 --> 00:21:24,500 you and make you into his image. That very trial that you're 377 00:21:24,500 --> 00:21:28,400 going through, might be a Grace in your life from the Lord to 378 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:32,400 help teach you something to help mold you and make you into the 379 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:34,200 man or the woman that he created you to be. 380 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:39,900 Remember what James said back in chapter 4 when he said, you do 381 00:21:39,900 --> 00:21:43,600 not have because you do not ask, and you ask, and you don't 382 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:47,400 receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. 383 00:21:48,700 --> 00:21:51,500 We need to make sure when we pray, when we are praying, 384 00:21:51,500 --> 00:21:54,000 according to Faith, that we were praying for God's will to be 385 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:58,200 done. Not our own We need to be sure 386 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,200 that we are praying that way and that is praying in faith. 387 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,300 Now, I want to throw in a little side note here. 388 00:22:04,300 --> 00:22:06,300 Okay, I'm going to hit pause and jump over here just for a 389 00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:07,100 second. Say this. 390 00:22:07,100 --> 00:22:09,200 And then we'll come right back again. 391 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:13,800 We can't know the mind of God, it is not for us to even to try 392 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:15,900 to Fathom. But there are things again, that 393 00:22:15,900 --> 00:22:20,000 his word clearly commands and Promises things that we can have 394 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:25,000 100% confidence in, for example, again, talking to Kyle this 395 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:28,600 week, he brought this up. God doesn't promise that we will 396 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:32,500 always heal if we ask he doesn't promise that never. 397 00:22:32,500 --> 00:22:36,200 Again will another Christian ever be sick or die, his word 398 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:42,000 doesn't say that, but his word does say that, he promises to 399 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,500 provide a way out of Temptation when were tempted. 400 00:22:45,300 --> 00:22:46,900 We see that in First Corinthians 10. 401 00:22:46,900 --> 00:22:49,800 He also commands us to love our neighbor. 402 00:22:50,100 --> 00:22:55,000 Does he not if God promises these things and tells us in 403 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,600 commands us to do these things? He will equip us to do them. 404 00:22:59,100 --> 00:23:01,300 He's not going to give you a job and I'll give you the tools, you 405 00:23:01,308 --> 00:23:05,000 need to get the job done. So the things that he is clearly 406 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:08,900 commanded in his word that we know are his will we can pray 407 00:23:08,900 --> 00:23:11,500 for those things and rest assured that God will give us 408 00:23:11,500 --> 00:23:14,000 what we need to accomplish that in a follow that will. 409 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,100 Okay? So I wanted to make that very, 410 00:23:17,100 --> 00:23:20,000 very clear. So God commands me to love my 411 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:23,300 neighbor. My neighbor gets on my nerves. 412 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,500 The guy cut down some of my limbs on my tree that were 413 00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:29,500 hanging over his privacy fence. I told him not to do that. 414 00:23:29,700 --> 00:23:31,800 The guy's encroaching on, he throws stuff over. 415 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,700 The fence is just a horrible neighbor. 416 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,700 Maybe God has put that neighbor in my life to teach me how to 417 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:42,100 love my neighbor. Maybe God is saying look you 418 00:23:42,100 --> 00:23:44,600 really need to be a little bit. Merciful you need to be gentle 419 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:46,800 and you need to learn to love people because you are not 420 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,400 perfect either. Those kind of things we can 421 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,700 trust and we can take to the bank, but I digress, let's get 422 00:23:53,700 --> 00:23:55,900 back to the text and let's keep moving through this. 423 00:23:56,300 --> 00:23:59,700 So, by calling the elders, anointing with oil, praying in 424 00:23:59,700 --> 00:24:01,500 faith. We are giving this person over 425 00:24:01,500 --> 00:24:04,000 to God. We're trusting his will, and his 426 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,200 way that's what's happening here. 427 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,900 And then look and verse 16 after he gets done talking about this, 428 00:24:09,900 --> 00:24:14,700 he says therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for 429 00:24:14,700 --> 00:24:17,000 one another so that you may be healed. 430 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,400 Anytime you see a ver Or or a so that in scripture you need to 431 00:24:21,408 --> 00:24:24,300 pay close attention. The author is telling you. 432 00:24:24,300 --> 00:24:27,800 Look, I've been saying all that therefore, and this is his point 433 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:29,200 of what he's trying to drive home. 434 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:33,600 Pray for one another and confess your sins to one another. 435 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:37,100 That is the whole point of what James is trying to get across in 436 00:24:37,100 --> 00:24:40,300 this text. Now, notice something something 437 00:24:40,300 --> 00:24:45,300 really big just happened in these verses, he instructed The 438 00:24:45,300 --> 00:24:47,600 Listener or the reader to call the Elders. 439 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,600 To come and to pray and to anoint with oil, did he not? 440 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:56,200 Now he is saying pray for one another and confess your sins to 441 00:24:56,200 --> 00:25:02,700 one another this command has gone from the elders to now the 442 00:25:02,700 --> 00:25:06,400 whole church, Okay, don't miss this. 443 00:25:06,700 --> 00:25:10,000 Don't miss this. James is saying this is not just 444 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,400 for the elders. The whole church should be 445 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:16,100 praying for one another confessing to one another. 446 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,900 We are all supposed to do this. This isn't something that we 447 00:25:19,900 --> 00:25:22,500 just you know, what prayers, just not for me. 448 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:25,300 I just can't stay focused. When I try to pray, I have a 449 00:25:25,308 --> 00:25:27,100 hard time with it. So I'm just going to call the 450 00:25:27,100 --> 00:25:29,500 Elders and let them do all the pray and all that stuff. 451 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:32,000 We are all called to pray for one another. 452 00:25:33,100 --> 00:25:36,200 This applies to every single Christian and this shows and 453 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:41,500 proves a huge point. The power here is not in the 454 00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:44,800 heat, the, the elders, the power is not in the oil. 455 00:25:45,300 --> 00:25:49,300 The power is in the prayer that is where the power lies in the 456 00:25:49,300 --> 00:25:52,000 power of prayer. For one another, not in some 457 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,900 magical oil, or even some anointed people in the church, 458 00:25:55,900 --> 00:26:01,300 that prayer is powerful. There is amazing. 459 00:26:01,500 --> 00:26:08,200 Amazing power in prayer if we would, but just do it when we go 460 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:12,200 to the Lord on behalf of other people, and we humble ourselves 461 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,100 before the creator of the heavens and the Earth, and we 462 00:26:15,100 --> 00:26:19,100 submit and trust him and cry out on behalf of other people. 463 00:26:19,100 --> 00:26:22,600 Amazing things can happen. I know that. 464 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,400 So many of you in here can testify to that, that you've 465 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,000 seen this happen in people's lives, that you've prayed for 466 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,500 when we see a brother or Or sister or son or a daughter come 467 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:34,200 to faith in Christ that we prayed for four years. 468 00:26:35,300 --> 00:26:38,100 Amazing things can happen through prayer. 469 00:26:38,100 --> 00:26:43,000 It is often through our prayers that God accomplishes his will, 470 00:26:43,100 --> 00:26:47,300 that is his means to bring about his will on Earth, as it is in 471 00:26:47,300 --> 00:26:49,700 heaven, is through the prayers of the Saints. 472 00:26:50,700 --> 00:26:53,700 So we are to be crying out to God, day and night for 473 00:26:53,700 --> 00:26:57,600 ourselves. And for one another The James 474 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:02,000 proves this point in his example that he gives Elijah in verses 475 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,200 17 and 18. He says that he was not a man. 476 00:27:05,500 --> 00:27:07,600 He was a man with a nature like ours. 477 00:27:07,900 --> 00:27:10,900 He was a normal guy, he was a sinner just like us. 478 00:27:10,900 --> 00:27:16,100 He was not Superman. But yet he accomplished amazing 479 00:27:16,100 --> 00:27:21,000 things through his prayers, he prayed that the drought would 480 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,800 end and the rains would come. And they did, it's because he 481 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:26,700 was fully submitted to God's will fully trusting in God's 482 00:27:26,700 --> 00:27:31,600 ability. Oh that that God's people would 483 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:36,900 just humble themselves and pray for one another to just cry out 484 00:27:36,900 --> 00:27:39,800 to God. Our creator that we would do 485 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,600 this. Amazing. 486 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:47,000 Things can happen. If we will pray people and we 487 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,100 have no excuse for not doing it. Is the easiest thing in the 488 00:27:50,100 --> 00:27:52,600 world. We're just talking to God. 489 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:56,500 And I get it, I get it's not always easy. 490 00:27:56,500 --> 00:28:00,300 We lose, we lose our attention and we live in a world where our 491 00:28:00,300 --> 00:28:04,100 attention spans are so short, and we just were so surrounded 492 00:28:04,100 --> 00:28:07,900 by just constant noise and distraction and just stimulus 493 00:28:07,900 --> 00:28:11,200 all the time that it's hard to just get quiet and focus and 494 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,800 just talk to God. But look, we also live in a time 495 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,400 where we have so many tools at our fingertips. 496 00:28:18,300 --> 00:28:21,300 You have reminders on your phone, you have alarms. 497 00:28:21,500 --> 00:28:25,000 You have apps that will keep track of these things and 498 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,600 categorize prayers. You have apps that will read 499 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:32,700 your Bible to you. We have no excuse We need to be 500 00:28:32,700 --> 00:28:36,700 people known for prayer constant prayer. 501 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,400 God's word is clear on this weird, pray without ceasing. 502 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:44,300 Is is not easy. That's why it's called a 503 00:28:44,300 --> 00:28:47,900 spiritual discipline. You know, we used to just about 504 00:28:47,900 --> 00:28:49,800 every year at the beginning of the year, we would do a little 505 00:28:49,800 --> 00:28:52,500 small mini series on just Christian Life. 506 00:28:52,500 --> 00:28:55,300 I kind of start out the new year and it would usually be on the 507 00:28:55,308 --> 00:28:58,500 spiritual disciplines. So I Bible study prayer and 508 00:28:58,500 --> 00:29:01,500 fellowship together, those things are called spiritual 509 00:29:01,500 --> 00:29:04,000 disciplines because they're hard. 510 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:08,200 It takes hard work to gather each week and not get lazy in 511 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:10,800 that and I just want to stay in bed or stay home and it's hard 512 00:29:10,800 --> 00:29:12,200 work to read your Bible every day. 513 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:14,100 It's hard work to pray for one another. 514 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,000 Especially your enemies who were commanded to pray for. 515 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,300 Remember last time I preached, we talked about sins of omission 516 00:29:22,700 --> 00:29:26,400 and sins of commission sins of omission is just not doing 517 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:28,200 something. You know, you're supposed to do, 518 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,000 we know we're to pray for our enemies and pray for one another 519 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:34,100 were commanded to do this. So you need to be diligent in 520 00:29:34,108 --> 00:29:36,900 doing it now. I say all this, I want you guys 521 00:29:36,900 --> 00:29:40,800 to hear me clearly. I'm not trying to guilt trip 522 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,900 you. I'm trying to encourage you that 523 00:29:43,900 --> 00:29:46,700 we have this amazing gift in prayer. 524 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:51,500 This amazing thing that we have in the life of a Christian that 525 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,900 that we just don't utilize. But I'm going to get into that 526 00:29:56,900 --> 00:30:01,300 here in just a moment. Finally, we get to verses 19 and 527 00:30:01,300 --> 00:30:06,700 20 and these verses seemed almost to be just tacked on to 528 00:30:06,700 --> 00:30:08,300 the end. Like they don't go with the rest 529 00:30:08,300 --> 00:30:11,400 of this because it goes from prayer and anointing and 530 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:15,300 sickness to all of a sudden turning back a brother or sister 531 00:30:15,300 --> 00:30:18,700 that has wandered. It says my brethren if any among 532 00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:22,100 you Strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know 533 00:30:22,100 --> 00:30:24,800 that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way, will save 534 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,500 his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. 535 00:30:28,500 --> 00:30:34,200 Now, When we consider the entire letter of James that we've gone 536 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:38,700 through from start to end and all the Practical things, he's 537 00:30:38,700 --> 00:30:41,200 telling us to do in this book. It makes sense. 538 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,200 That at the end he would want his listeners to now, take 539 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:49,200 everything that I've told you to do and go do it and apply it to 540 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:51,300 your life. But also make sure that other 541 00:30:51,300 --> 00:30:55,200 people are doing it to watch out for your brother and your sister 542 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,000 in Christ and make sure they don't Wander from the fold and 543 00:30:58,000 --> 00:30:59,800 make sure they're doing these things too. 544 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:02,600 It's not just for you it's for them also. 545 00:31:02,900 --> 00:31:04,600 Remember, we're supposed to pray for one another. 546 00:31:04,700 --> 00:31:06,900 We're supposed to hold one another accountable as well. 547 00:31:08,900 --> 00:31:16,600 James had a very, very real view of Hell, okay, he's saying that 548 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,900 by bringing back a Wandering brother or sister, you were 549 00:31:19,900 --> 00:31:26,800 saving their soul from death. What is the death of a soul that 550 00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:30,800 is eternal? Hell, it's the unforgivable sin 551 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,900 that you've blasphemed the Holy Spirit, and there is no turning 552 00:31:33,900 --> 00:31:37,300 back now. Eternal death death of not just 553 00:31:37,300 --> 00:31:42,200 the body, but the soul as well. And so that's why we urge 554 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:44,000 brothers and sisters to be in prayer. 555 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,000 That's why we urge brothers and sisters to gather together once 556 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:50,600 a week and and hold one. Another accountable, when we're 557 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:54,100 not reading the word and not praying, and not living as James 558 00:31:54,100 --> 00:31:57,600 has commanded us, because there is a lot at stake here. 559 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:04,000 Again with the Douglas moo commentary, he says not only 560 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,000 should the readers of James do the words that he is written. 561 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,300 They should be deeply concerned to see that. 562 00:32:09,300 --> 00:32:13,100 Others. Do them also, It's by sharing 563 00:32:13,100 --> 00:32:17,100 with James, the conviction that there is indeed an eternal death 564 00:32:17,900 --> 00:32:21,500 to, which the way of sin leads that we should be motivated to 565 00:32:21,500 --> 00:32:24,200 deal with the sin in our lives and in the lives of others. 566 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:30,300 Real Christian faith. If we want to do what James 567 00:32:30,300 --> 00:32:34,000 says, and take everything we believe and everything that we 568 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,300 say we believe and put it into action and actually live it out, 569 00:32:37,500 --> 00:32:40,900 then our faith should be Evangelistic. 570 00:32:41,700 --> 00:32:45,200 It should lead us to want to call out one another, on our 571 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:48,600 sins and hold one, another accountable and say look if 572 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:51,700 you're a Christian let me help you walk through this but we 573 00:32:51,700 --> 00:32:55,900 can't live like non-christians we have to live by God's word. 574 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,900 We need to take these things and apply them because it leads to 575 00:32:59,900 --> 00:33:04,600 life and it will save your soul. And so real Christian faith has 576 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:08,900 to lead us to want to do this. If we have zero desire to want 577 00:33:08,900 --> 00:33:12,700 to bring back a wondering brother or sister in Christ and 578 00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:16,300 zero desire to share our faith that we say we have then that is 579 00:33:16,300 --> 00:33:17,200 not real. Faith. 580 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:19,500 That is a faith. That is dead. 581 00:33:22,300 --> 00:33:27,200 So to sum this up, the Book of James is absolutely packed full 582 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,500 of practical everyday instruction on how to live the 583 00:33:30,500 --> 00:33:34,100 Christian Life, how to walk the Christian walk. 584 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,700 We should read it, we should apply it. 585 00:33:38,100 --> 00:33:41,400 And then we should encourage other brothers and sisters to do 586 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,100 the same. And we should above all. 587 00:33:44,100 --> 00:33:47,500 We should pray for them as we've seen in this text today. 588 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:53,700 So in conclusion, I want to say this to you and this place today 589 00:33:53,700 --> 00:33:56,000 that are my brothers and sisters in Christ. 590 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:00,200 If you are a Christian, if you've placed your faith in 591 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:06,300 Christ because of what he accomplished on the cross for 592 00:34:06,300 --> 00:34:12,600 us, we now have direct access to God almighty. 593 00:34:14,500 --> 00:34:19,100 The veil was torn. We are now adopted into the 594 00:34:19,100 --> 00:34:22,600 royal family. We are co-heirs with Christ to 595 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:28,100 the kingdom. We are Sons and Daughters of God 596 00:34:28,100 --> 00:34:30,900 and the father Delights to hear from his children. 597 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:36,300 Jesus is our high priest in our mediator and he intercedes on 598 00:34:36,300 --> 00:34:39,000 our behalf at the father's right hand. 599 00:34:39,500 --> 00:34:43,500 The holy spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for 600 00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:48,300 words when we don't know what to pray as we ought to This entire 601 00:34:48,300 --> 00:34:51,300 process involves the Trinity and it's beautiful. 602 00:34:52,900 --> 00:34:56,300 This is what we have at our disposal in prayer as 603 00:34:56,300 --> 00:34:59,000 Christians. It is a powerful weapon against 604 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,800 the enemy. We have to use it, we cannot 605 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:05,100 ignore it. So, here's what I want to 606 00:35:05,100 --> 00:35:07,400 encourage you to do today for your Christian in this place. 607 00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:11,500 James tells us in this text to confess our sins, to one another 608 00:35:11,500 --> 00:35:14,300 and pray for one another. So obviously I want you to do 609 00:35:14,300 --> 00:35:16,500 that. Please commit to do that. 610 00:35:16,500 --> 00:35:20,100 But then when you do, when you pray for one another, when you 611 00:35:20,100 --> 00:35:24,300 confess to one another, be sure to be disciplined in your prayer 612 00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:26,600 life. So remember, this is hard work. 613 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:30,000 This is not easy. It doesn't come naturally time. 614 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,500 So be disciplined, but also pray properly. 615 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,800 Pray according to God's will as Jesus did for his will to be 616 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:39,500 done on Earth as it is in heaven. 617 00:35:40,300 --> 00:35:44,100 Not for my will, to be done submit yourself to his 618 00:35:44,100 --> 00:35:48,800 sovereignty and pray for that. Okay, so be disciplined and pray 619 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:52,200 properly. Now if you're in this place and 620 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:55,900 you've never placed your faith in Christ, you say, you know, 621 00:35:56,500 --> 00:35:58,600 maybe I grew up in church or maybe I've heard a lot of this 622 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:02,300 before or maybe I'm brand new to this, but I've just never really 623 00:36:02,300 --> 00:36:06,100 submitted my life to Christ. I've never fully trusted him and 624 00:36:06,100 --> 00:36:11,000 put my faith in My Hope in him. Well then if that's you today, I 625 00:36:11,008 --> 00:36:15,500 want to be very clear that James laid out here in these last. 626 00:36:15,500 --> 00:36:18,700 Couple of verses. What the penalty is from for 627 00:36:18,700 --> 00:36:21,800 wandering, from the truth? And from running from God? 628 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,200 And from straying from that, it's that death of the Soul. 629 00:36:24,700 --> 00:36:30,300 It's eternity in hell, But that does not have to be your fate. 630 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:34,800 Right now. If you will, do what James is 631 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:38,500 talking about here and confess your sins to Christ, repent and 632 00:36:38,500 --> 00:36:42,900 believe in your heart. And trust God, put your faith, 633 00:36:42,900 --> 00:36:45,500 your trust, your hope in him. You can be forgiven for your 634 00:36:45,500 --> 00:36:48,700 sins and you two can have this amazing. 635 00:36:48,900 --> 00:36:54,100 Wonderful gift of Prayer. But you have to start there, you 636 00:36:54,100 --> 00:36:56,600 have to repent, and you have to believe. 637 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:00,700 So if that's you do not waste another moment, don't don't 638 00:37:00,700 --> 00:37:01,500 think that. Okay? 639 00:37:01,500 --> 00:37:04,300 I'm if the holy spirit is kind of moving in your heart, don't 640 00:37:04,300 --> 00:37:06,100 think I can just wait till some other time. 641 00:37:06,100 --> 00:37:07,500 I don't know about all the like act. 642 00:37:07,500 --> 00:37:13,000 Now submit your life to Christ, trust in his will, and his 643 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:17,100 sovereignty and be made new today, be reborn apart from 644 00:37:17,100 --> 00:37:21,200 that, you will be one of the ones, the James talks about it 645 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:23,700 will suffer from this heat. Colonel death of the soul and we 646 00:37:23,700 --> 00:37:26,900 don't want that for anyone. So I plead with you to submit 647 00:37:26,900 --> 00:37:29,400 your life to Christ. If you have questions about 648 00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,700 this, I would love to talk to you as with any of the elders in 649 00:37:32,700 --> 00:37:35,000 this church. So, please come see me if you 650 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:36,700 have questions or need to talk about this. 651 00:37:36,700 --> 00:37:41,100 But, but I encourage you all the Book of James has been amazing. 652 00:37:42,300 --> 00:37:44,600 And now that I've finished these verses I'm going to do a recap 653 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:47,800 of the entire book so let's just kidding. 654 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:54,100 I love you guys. This book is amazing. 655 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:58,500 James is just so applicable for us as Christians. 656 00:37:58,900 --> 00:38:03,400 I want to encourage you today. Be people of prayer be known for 657 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:06,700 it Live, Your Life by go out and start praying for start. 658 00:38:06,700 --> 00:38:10,300 Simple, start with prayer. Pray for your family. 659 00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:15,200 Pray for your family. The people you love more than 660 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:18,900 anything else in the world like lift them up, daily pray, that 661 00:38:18,900 --> 00:38:24,000 you can be a better husband or wife or whatever parent do that. 662 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:27,300 Pray for pray for your family, pray for your church, pray for 663 00:38:27,300 --> 00:38:30,500 one another and Trust God's will in all things. 664 00:38:30,500 --> 00:38:32,900 Amen, I'm afraid for you, father. 665 00:38:33,900 --> 00:38:35,700 We thank you again for your word. 666 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:39,100 We thank you for today and we thank you for all the things 667 00:38:39,100 --> 00:38:41,500 that we have read about in the Book of James God. 668 00:38:41,500 --> 00:38:44,900 We are so grateful to have it. To be able to read it. 669 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:50,900 I pray, Lord that you make us a church in a people known for 670 00:38:50,900 --> 00:38:55,500 prayer. I pray God that you just make it 671 00:38:56,000 --> 00:39:00,700 natural for us to call out to you and I cry out to you through 672 00:39:00,700 --> 00:39:04,100 any trial or any tribulation, but not just in the bad times 673 00:39:04,100 --> 00:39:08,500 and the good times also, Lord help us to be a people marked by 674 00:39:08,500 --> 00:39:12,500 that, by praise for you by praying to you. 675 00:39:14,300 --> 00:39:18,200 Help us to confess to one another, to have the courage to 676 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:22,200 do that, to get out of our comfort zones and confess to one 677 00:39:22,200 --> 00:39:25,600 another. And to pray for one another, God 678 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:27,800 help us in this help our unbelief. 679 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:32,300 We thank you, Lord, for this amazing gift. 680 00:39:33,900 --> 00:39:36,900 We praise you. God please be with us. 681 00:39:36,900 --> 00:39:40,200 Now as we worship you, we pray that you can be glorified and 682 00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:44,100 magnified in this place. Now, pray for anyone in this 683 00:39:44,100 --> 00:39:46,300 place that hasn't given their life to you, that you would 684 00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:49,300 convict them. Now, you would turn their Heart 685 00:39:49,300 --> 00:39:54,100 of Stone into a heart of Flesh. We praise you and we love you in 686 00:39:54,107 --> 00:39:56,400 Jesus name. Amen.