James 5:13-20 - Christmas Service

Big Idea:

Christmas is God’s plan to heal the world.

Intro:

Good morning! Merry Christmas. [Welcome to The River Church. If you’re new here, and I haven’t had a chance to meet you, my name is George and I’m one of the pastors here. Today is a busy day, but I’d love the chance to meet you after service. Come say hi!]

I’m a huge fan of Christmas. As the old song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” It’s a season when everyone is a little nicer, more patient, and generous. I’ve often thought that the way it feels during Christmas is the way it ought to be all the time.

This thought was reinforced last Sunday. Last week, our church got the chance to participate in the Glastonbury Holiday Light Parade. We had two “floats” in the parade:

My truck with scenes from the Charlie Brown Christmas special on it.

Our worship team playing live Christmas songs on the back of a flatbed.

Let me tell you, it was awesome. Honestly, it was surreal driving down Main Street. Maybe you were there. But if you weren’t, the streets were PACKED with people. I watched hundreds (maybe thousands) of people dancing as our floats went by. People were yelling out, “Merry Christmas!” Joy filled the streets of Glastonbury and I’m thankful we were part of it. Can’t wait until next year.

That being said, being part of the parade made me think, “I wish it was like this way all the time!” But here’s another reality to consider. The reason I’m having that thought during the parade is because it’s not always that way. Meaning, joy isn’t always filling the streets of our community. Truthfully, it’s often brokenness that consumes our lives.

2000 years ago, the apostle James notice the same thing in his community. He looked at what was happening in the church and thought, “It’s not supposed to be this way.” So he wrote a letter. It’s the letter we’ve been going through over the past couple of months here at The River Church. And today, as part of our Christmas service, we’ll be finishing up that letter together.

James actually finishes up his letter this way…

James 5:13–16 ESV

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 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 one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 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.

James writes 4 conditional statements. If you’ve forgotten what those are (or for the students, if you haven’t been paying attention in English class), these are the if/then-statements. If this happens, then this is the response…

If you are suffering, then pray.

If you are cheerful (implying that joy is not the norm… brokenness is), then praise (which is in many ways musical prayer).

If you are sick, then pray.

If your sin is destroying your life, then pray.

We can sum it up this way: If you are experiencing brokenness in your life, then pray.

But why? Why pray?

Because it’s not supposed to be this way. Suffering, brokenness, sickness, sin… this is not the life God intended to for us to experience. And I believe (regardless of how current spiritual experience) can sense this deep in our heart. We experience a broken world and think, “This is not the way it’s supposed to be.” And yet, during Christmas, we get a taste of something radically different and think, “This is the way it’s supposed to be!” Prayer is part of the process of acknowledging the world is broken.

But here’s the second reason we should pray. Prayer changes brokenness.

As verse 16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.”

Prayer is how we get God’s help.

That’s why James goes onto write…

James 5:17–18 CSB

Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.

Maybe you’re not familiar with Elijah. He was a Jewish prophet. Powerful man. Did a lot of miracles. But as James clarifies… he was a normal dude just like us. Meaning, he wasn’t a superhero. He was a man who prayed. And things changed because prayer is how he accessed God’s help.

Now, I want to clarify something real quick. Prayer is not Christian wishing or magic. It’s not a way to get God to do what we want. Prayer is about relationship. It’s talking with God. In the same way that we would talk to our loved ones.

I think this gives us to deal with a difficult truth. Sometimes we pray, and nothing happens, and we think prayer doesn’t work or there is no God. But what if it actually means that we have no relationship?

This is a bigger and deeper subject than we have time for, so hopefully you can relate to this example… I don’t pick up my phone unless I recognize the number - unless there’s a relationship. So, why do we expect God to do anything different?

At the same time, it’s not inappropriate to expect something different from God. Because God is different. You’ve probably heard that God is holy. That’s a religious way of saying God is completely different. And here’s what’s amazing about God.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Because God loves us, He will listen to our prayers, even when our relationship with Him is broken. Again, He’s not a genie. And He answers prayers according to His perfect will, meaning, we might not like His answer. But we can trust His answer because He loves us and wants to help. And maybe not answering some prayers is ultimately leading us to get help with what really matters - what we really need help with: Our relationship with Him.

So, if you’re experiencing brokenness today, pray. Prayer is how we get help with God. And this is where Christmas connects to our passage…

Exegesis:

How do we know that God loves us? How do we know God wants to, and will, help us? The answer is: Christmas.

Let’s read my favorite version of the Christmas story out of the gospel of Luke…

Luke 2:1–20 CSB

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors! When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

2000 years ago, God proved His love for us. And His willingness to help us. By sending His Son, Jesus, to this earth that first Christmas.

As my favorite Christmas song, O Holy Night, says, “Long lay the world, in sin and error pining…” Translation: The world is broken. And it’s been broken. And it’s still broken.

But the song goes onto say, “until He appeared, and the soul felt it’s worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn.” Translation: We have hope because Jesus (God in the flesh) has come to help us! He’s come to make all things new. He’s come to transform the world so that it’s the way it’s supposed to be!

And here’s what I love about the version of the Christmas story we just read. I love that God intentionally made it clear that this divine help was for everyone.

There’s a reason why the angels came to the shepherds. At that time, shepherds were dirty. Many were ex-criminals who couldn’t get any other job. That’s likely why when the “angel of the Lord” showed up, they were afraid. They thought God’s judgment finally caught up to them. And yet, the real message (good news) was, “God’s help has come to you today! As representatives of the people who have continued to make bad choices or looked down upon.”

This is further reinforced by the eternal King of Heaven (Jesus) being born as a baby in a dirty manger. The picture is, God’s help is willing to travel any distance, to help any person, even the lowliest of low.

Finally, it’s not Luke’s version, but Matthew writes this…

Matthew 2:1–12 CSB

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.” After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.

These wisemen were foreigners. They were rich. But they were also lost (literally). And yet, God’s help found in Jesus Christ was for them too!

What does this tell us? The gospel is for everyone. God’s help is for all of us and Christmas proves this. And God’s help is healing our broken world.

And that’s the sense of how James finishes his letter…

James 5:18–20 ESV

Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 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.

God’s help is healing the world (vv. 19-20).

Do you need help?

TRC - invite.

wanderer - I’m a little lost/ very lost. It is your time to say Jesus is Lord.

unbeliever.

Response:

Are you feeling like life shouldn’t be this way? Well James would agree. More than that Jesus would agree. That’s what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown!

God is desiring to bring healing in your life… if you come to Jesus. That’s what James is all about.

Prayer space (God with us - Xmas)

Confess your sins. Brokenness reveals sin.

Shop at Amazon - one stop shop - we like the idea - made in God’s image - the way it’s supposed to be Jn 15:5