Sermon Cloud

A God Who Cares: For the Sick and Afflicted

James 5:13-20

Intro: Earache.  Associate Pastor Hickman.  Anointed me with oil and prayed for my healing – and I was healed.  “There’s got to be a reason.”

Famous TV televangelist.  Only let people go up who could first prove they were healed.  Sent many away.  And most “healings” were easy to attribute to an emotional boost from service.

So most Baptists do safe prayers or simply ignore the sick and afflicted.  And many of the sick and afflicted are left wondering if anyone really cares.

Proposition:  God cares greatly about the sick and afflicted.  And God is a God of healing and expects us to pray for healing and care for the sick and afflicted.

            James gives the sick and the church some lessons about the sick and afflicted.

I.                 If you are sick – go to the church. (13-15)

Prayer times at churches are usually filled with people listing off the sick.  But rarely do people tell of their own sickness.  They don’t want to bother anyone.  But James gives us a command – if you are sick you need to go to the church. 

Let us be prayer warriors for you.

Ex. My mom sharing cancer leads to praises.

One of the things that Christ calls all believers to do is to care for the sick.  I was sick and you looked after me.  Matthew 25:26

If you don’t let us pray for you and care for you – then you rob us of ministering to Christ!

Sometimes people want help, but they don’t want to have to be the one to ask for it.  And some even complain about the pastor or their church members not coming to see them when they are sick or down.  However, the Bible leaves it up to you to tell us.

Verses 14-15 might sound a little odd to some of you, but they are a detailed lesson on how people should go to the church for prayer.

1. The sick person must be the initiator to ask for prayer for healing from the elders.
2. The elders (pastor and deacons) are then to pray over the sick person and anoint them with oil.  And the prayers should be with faith that God will heal.
3. The expected result is healing and restoration according to James.

“Wait a minute – we are Baptist.”  One of the core doctrines of being Baptist is believing that every word in the Bible is the inerrant word of God.  Amen?  The Bible is clear here – if you are sick then you should come and ask the elders to pray for you.  From here on out, I encourage you during the invitation to request prayer for sickness.  And I will ask deacons to come up and pray for you.  And I will anoint you with oil.

I realize many Baptists don’t practice what the book of James says.  I even wrote my old preaching professor from seminary, who has served as President of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and pastors one of the strongest SBC churches in KY; and asked him about the practice of anointing oil.  Here is Dr. Hershael York’s response:

“I do it. The passage clearly puts the burden on the person to ask, but I preach it and practice it at Buck Run.”

It’s time to start believing the Bible and believing God about prayer, sickness, and healing.

II.               Realize the worst sickness and affliction is sin – and we all deal with it. (16, 19-20)

What is the worst sickness of all?  Is it cancer?  Aids?  Alzheimers?  No – it is sin.  Sickness is temporary pain.  But a human who dies in their own sin will pay the price for eternity.  James understands that and reminds people not only to pray about earthly sickness – but also spiritual sickness.  You see Christ died for both our earthly and spiritual sicknesses.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.  Isaiah 53:4-5

He paid the price to make us healed, whole, and restored.  So what is our roll?

1. Confess your sin to God and even to each other. (16)

One of the reasons James links confession with sickness is often people are sick because of unconfessed sin.  Now, it is not true that all sickness comes from sinful living.  Just ask Job.  However sinful living will often lead to sickness.

In 1 Corinthians Paul says some are sick and dying, because they are taking the Lord’s Supper in a sinful way.  And David talked about being sick from sin all through the Psalms.

3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  Psalm 32:3-4

Read all of Psalm 38

God will use sickness and affliction to get our attention so we get back on track.

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. 68 You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees… 71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:67-68, 71

Pain means God wants to teach you something.

The best thing we can do is confess and get right with God.  Confession is healing to the soul.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin.  Psalm 32:5

2. Pray for others to turn away from sin. (16)

The church is too good at gossiping and condemning.  Let’s get good at praying for people in sin.

3. Hold each other accountable with grace. (19-20)

Difference between a Pharisee and a friend:  A Pharisee is looking to bring down – a friend is looking to hold up.

Ex. Walk the Line.  June Carter’s dad has a shotgun to keep away the drug seller.

III.           Believe God wants to heal and will heal. (15-18)

I am amazed at how James so matter-of-factly says that you will be healed.  Why does that amaze us?  Have we forgotten that God is a God of healing?  He wants to heal the sick and comfort the afflicted.

Look at what the Bible says about God and people who are afflicted.

You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry. Psalm 10:17

For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.  Psalm 22:24

Look at the example of Jesus and His ministry of healing.

When evening came, Jesus healed all the sick.  Matthew 8:16

7 As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:7-8

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.  Matthew 14:14

35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.  Matthew 14:35-36

Jesus cared about the sick being healed.  He wanted them healed.  Do we?

Prayer actually works!  Prayers can lead to healings, forgiveness, and restoration.  As Baptists we forget that miracles still happen.  Anti-charismatic turns into anti-healing and anti-miracles.

Prayer works!  Look at the illustration he uses to prove it to you!  Verses 17-18.  He tells us Elijah was just like you and me and he prayed for rain to start and stop and it did.  He is inferring that our prayers have equal ability to be used by God for such miraculous events!

Prayers of faith and belief can lead to miraculous answers.  That means our prayers must be done in faith and with expectation!  Ex. Spurgeon – get what you expect.

Dangers of medical triage.

4 Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their lack of faith.  Mark 6:4-6

Jesus blatantly says that our lack of faith limits all that Christ wants to do!  We can’t limit God, but He chooses to work through our prayers and our faith.  God could heal every person right now – but His chosen plan is to use the prayers of faith of the saints. 

They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.   Mark 6:55

People should be bringing their sick to our church and calling us – because they know we serve a Christ who heals.  God is still in the miracle business!  We become so chafed by TV healing services that we almost have a Deistic view of God.

“Prayer is a touchstone of a man’s religious beliefs.  What he believes about prayer is an indication of what he believes about God.” – Peter Baelz

Ex. SBTS prof – Cancer and ask Pentecostals to pray for him. 

We are supposed to expect God to answer our prayers.  “But he doesn’t always do what we ask.”  What Christ is saying is to expect Him to heal, but then accept if He doesn’t.  Expect and Accept.  Those are the key words for prayer.

Conclusion:  Mark 3 Jesus walks into a synagogue.  All the judgmental types were looking to see Jesus trip up.  There was a man with a shriveled hand.  But the judgmental people thought – he better not heal him on the Sabbath.  Jesus had the man with the shriveled hand stand up in front of everybody.  There he was – on the spot- surrounded my judgmental eyes.  And Jesus posed a question - "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"

Did they all shout out “do good!”?  No.  No one said a word.  The Bible says Jesus was angry and greatly upset by their silence.  And then he told the man with the shriveled up hand.  "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

            It’s time for some of you to stretch out your hand.  Who cares what others around you think.  Stretch out by walking forward to confess sin.  Stretch out by walking forward to ask the elders to pray for you.  Stretch out by deciding you will lift others up.  Will you just sit there and be silent?  Or will you stretch out your hand to a God who is ready to heal?