Sermon Tone Analysis

Pray With Power

Purposeful Words

As we transition from how we go about our lives in James 4.13-5.11,

being confronted with how short life is and the need to Plan with God and not be independent, arrogant braggarts, James transitions to today's text with a simple verse on the words we use.

James again brings this topic to the forefront, but this time his concern has to do with you being a reliable and trustworthy person.

James picks up on OT commands not to swear falsely (Lev 19.12; Jer 5.2; Hos 4.2; Mal 3.5) and argues that you should use your words wisely.

If you are a trustworthy person you do not need to try and bolster yourself by adding reasons why your words must be true.

Instead James argues, you should use your words to pray rather than trying to build trust in yourself.

Pray with Power

Here the temptations of life move into a very personal space with suffering.

James had first mentioned personal hardships back in Jas 1.2 and just recently in Jas 5.7-11 he had more fully discussed the need for strong faith and perseverance, enduring through the persecution that could occur at the hands of the rich (or the poor).

Here, the suffering in life could be from just about anything.

There is a temptation to live individualistically, apart from God.

This is one of those temptations that arises from our own, unchecked desires.

Pursue God

James says rather than going it alone or just manning up you should call out to God, you should pursue God (not just doctors, etc.) in trust, faith, believing that He can sustain you and even alter your circumstances if it is His will (which back to Jas 1.1 we have submitted to as servants/slaves/doulos) with James himself if we are truly Christians.

James next discusses those who are able to deal with their suffering in a biblical way in verse 13b.

Here he instructs that if you are one of the people who are not consumed with self pity and self focus in your suffering - if you are able to recognize and remain steadfast in your faith, then let this peace of mind be evident by using your words purposefully as well, this time to sing praises.

James says demonstrate it with

Praise with Passion

In Acts 27.22-25 the Apostle Paul is able to offer comfort in the midst of a ship wreck because he KNOWS all will be safe.

Throughout the Psalms we often see something called Lament Psalms.

These are Psalms in which the writer cries out to God due to their situation, often oppression, and yet the Psalm normally ends in praise as the Psalmist is reminded and tells others that God is still in control.

The praise at the end demonstrates that though things look bleak on the outside, there is steadfast trust on the inside and thus you can praise God.

Ps 22 is a well known lament that Jesus quotes on the cross.

Most are familiar with the first part "MY God, My God, why have you forsaken me? but the Psalm ends in praise starting in Ps 22.22 where he says I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise you in the congregation, continuing through the last verse in Ps 22.31 which ends with telling future generations about what God has done!

James the moves to

Pastoral Participation

As he picks up on a particular type of suffering, sickness.

Christians should deal with suffering, sickness, and sin by intercession with God and intervention in the lives of fellow believers.

Sometimes sin will be one of the direct causes of suffering or sickness and sometimes it will not.

When it is, confession becomes crucial.

In all situations, prayer proves powerful.

Blomberg, Craig L., and Mariam J. Kamell.

James.

Vol.

16.

Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.

Print.

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament.

Here James instructs the following to occur

A Call for Help

Confession of Sin

Anointing with Oil

Prayer for Healing

In the NT iaomai is used in a spiritual sense only in quotations from these OT texts.

When used independently, as here, it always is applied to a physical malady (Matt.

8:8, 13; 15:28; Mark 5:29; Luke 5:17; 6:18, 19; 7:7; 8:47; 9:2, 11, 42; 14:4; 17:15; 22:51; John 4:47; 5:13; 12:40; Acts 9:34; 10:38; 28:8; the only exception is Heb.

12:13, where sin has already been compared to a sickness).

Douglas J. Moo, The Pillar New Testament Commentary – The Letter of James, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2000), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 246-245.

Pastoral Participation involves the same principles that the individual who Prays with Power should demonstrate, this is simply a community situation.

Now, when you study the Prayer of God's people in Scripture you will see that quite likely our prayers are often weak, anemic, unbelieving.

In the pages of Scripture we see people who have great, bold faith, who don't doubt but rather Pursue, Petition, and even Provoke God in prayer.

Pursue God - go to him, call out, cry out (Ps etc).

Crying out to God is a common theme throughout the Bible.

The phrase is used (at least in English) of wickedness that cries out to God to be judged (Sodom)

It is used of those who are oppressed who cry out to God and he will act on their behalf.

It is used of God's people who cry out to Him in anticipation of His acting - they cried out in Egypt and God heard and sent Moses to deliver.

Here the sick, suffering cry out to God and He will hear as well.

The cries of His people do not go unheard.

Petition God - Abe, Elijah, Hezekiah, Jesus (Lazarus/Garden), Psalms

Elijah "like us", human (1 Ki 17-18), widows son raised in 1 Ki 17.20-24; fire from heaven in 1 Ki 18.36-37.

Paul and Barnabas "like us" in Acts 14.15

Provoke God - Abe, Job

In Gen 18.22-33 Walter Brueggeman argues that Abraham is more or less provoking God to not destroy Sodom without first considering the righteous who live there, Furthermore, Abe argues it would be unjust of God to do so.

Thus the bargaining begins - a bargaining that God never objects to and in fact seems to readily agree to - alas there is not even 10 righteous in Sodom.

Penitent with God - Confess to Community, Call Community

Maybe we would have less sickness if we hold more familial relationships in our churches, more confession, more transparency, more forgiveness, more prayer.

James concludes with the thought that just as the prayer of the righteous Elijah resulted in the refreshing of the earth, so the prayer of the righteous believer can result in the refreshing and healing of a Christian afflicted by sickness caused by sin.

Pursue With Purpose

1 Cor 5.4-7 also supports this.

Abraham pursued Lot when he was taken by enemy kings.

Abraham interceded for Lot.

Moses interceded for the Israelites.

The righteous life mitigates and limits the effects of sin.

When all Christians are removed from the world, it will get much worse than it is.

As Jesus leaves the 99 to pursue the 1 that lost his way so too should we pursue brothers and sisters who wander off into the world, the ways of earthly wisdom or any other way that is not of God.