James 5:12-20

MPS: Always Go To God

Prayer: Lord, give me pastoral maturity to lead people through this text and to apply it eagerly to their lives. May my faith and the faith of others be strengthened mightily, as you help us to see who you are, the God who call us to himself.

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hello I’m Pastor Taylor

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today, wrapping up James: read the book again this week to cap it off

Have you ever

address verse 12

12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Oaths- what are they?

The Word of God

Promises of God (Gospel):

Trans: so we can trust God when he says, pray. We can always go to him.

P1: Go to God in your suffering

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.

Prayer

What is it? “Going to God”

Prayer can look/sound like:

words

asking, praising, singing, crying, etc.

thoughts/presence

Jesus says to his disciples “Watch with me as I pray” not, watch me pray, just be present with God with me

grumbling of the HS

When we have no words, but come to the LORD, his spirit prays for our spirit.

Because prayer is all the christian has.

And it is everything.

Prayer is powerful not because if the words you have, but the God you have.

The oil in the engine- nothing runs without it

The only tool in the Christian toolbelt

Prayer is how a person comes to faith- as you seek God, consider, wonder and begin to speak to him, this is prayer

Prayer is how your sins are forgiven, when you bring them before him and say, “LORD have mercy”

Prayer is the way you stay in relationship with God

Prayer is how you hear God’s voice and discern his path for your life.

Prayer is how you have the courage, strength and endurance to stick with the calling God has on your life.

Prayer is the only way we can be rescued from powers of darkness when they come against us- there is no earthly weapon or tool that can save from spiritual oppression

Prayer is the only way miracles happen

Prayer is the only thing that can turn a heart to God

“Pray about everything”

Always Go to God

Suffering

Is anyone suffering?

Types of suffering and how to pray

One, deserved suffering. We sin, and we suffer misery for it. Sin always spawns misery. It’s all sin can do. So, deserved suffering is inevitable: “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23). When our sins catch up with us and we feel the pain, let’s humble ourselves and accept it and, as fully as we can, make right the wrong we did.

Everyone experiences this: the consequences of poor decisions, bad attitudes and foolishness

ie:

Two, innocent suffering. We do not sin, we do nothing wrong, but we still suffer. A natural disaster brings innocent suffering. Racial prejudice brings innocent suffering. Abortion brings innocent suffering. “Manasseh shed very much innocent blood” (2 Kings 21:16). We should respond to the innocent sufferings of a natural disaster with whatever help we can provide. And we must courageously oppose the powerful who torment the innocent, as much as we are able.

We also all suffer from this, but to different extents ie:

Innocent suffering is horrible. But our sufferings can be even more intense:

Three, righteous suffering. We not only do not sin, but we do what is right, we stand for Jesus and his gospel, and we suffer for it. Why did Cain murder Abel? “Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s were righteous” (1 John 3:12). Abel’s crime was his integrity, which made Cain look bad, and Cain couldn’t stand it. Abel was persecuted for righteousness’ sake (Matt. 5:10). His death was among “the righteous blood shed on earth” (Matt. 23:35). This world dishes out righteous suffering to us all: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). It happens even in churches.

ie:

Always Go To God

P2: Go to God in your joy

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

How we treat God- aspirin

he is the remedy for suffering and sickness, but he is not just that.

God is the giver of every good thing

the source

Always Go to God-

P3: Go to God in your sickness

14 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.

All you can do is pray

the most important thing you can do is pray

It is the oil in the machine

oil: 9 “Then you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furniture, so that it may become holy. 10 You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, so that the altar may become most holy. 11 You shall also anoint the basin and its stand, and consecrate it. 12 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall wash them with water 13 and put on Aaron the holy garments. And you shall anoint him and consecrate him, that he may serve me as priest. Ex 40:9–13.

P4: Go to God with your sin

And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

P5: Go to God with the lost

19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

MSG: My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.

Communion:

Confession of faith

Application during service

Sing- those who are thankful, sing

Pray- you who suffer, pray and ask for prayer. Prayer team

Confess- come and share and find freedom in just telling a brother or sister, and asking for prayer. They will not give advice, they will simply listen to you, and be there to be a place to release the burden and to receive prayer.

Pursue- You may stay in your seats and pray as a family or alone for the lost people in your life- specifically those who once walked with Christ and now are not.