5.18.50 11.5.2017 James 5.13-20 Practicing the Life of Faith.
The Secret of Functional Faith • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
There are personal, individual Spiritual Disciplines. AND Public, Communal Spiritual Disciplines. Scripture focuses more on the Public than the Private.
▾ Start:
▾ Start:
Entice: There are personal, individual Spiritual Disciplines. AND Public, Communal Spiritual Disciplines. Scripture focuses more on the Public than the Private.
Entice: There are personal, individual Spiritual Disciplines. AND Public, Communal Spiritual Disciplines. Scripture focuses more on the Public than the Private.
• Entice: There are personal, individual Spiritual Disciplines. AND Public, Communal Spiritual Disciplines. The truth of the matter is that the Scripture focuses
more on the latter than the former.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
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. 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.
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.
•
Our world does not think this way. Forms of eastern spirituality have influenced the church leaving a legacy of increasingly private religious experience. Yoga or Meditation become models for prayer and quite time. Once you know the basic moves of yoga you basically do it by yourself. Eastern concepts of meditation tend to focus on dis-engagement.
• Engage: This is not the way of contemporary society. Forms of eastern spirituality have influenced the church leaving a legacy of increasingly private
religious experience. Yoga or Meditation become models for prayer and quite time. Once you know the basic moves of yoga you basically do it by yourself.
We have largely abandoned the goal of Spiritual disciplines
We have largely abandoned the goal of Spiritual disciplines
Eastern concepts of meditation tend to focus on dis-engagement.
• We have mistaken the goal of Spiritual disciplines
We aim for isolation
We aim for isolation
• We aim for isolation
James recommends integration
James recommends integration
• James recommends integration
Expand: So this man who reportedly prayed so much that his knees were hard like a camels closes his message to us discussing spiritual disciplines which he describes as-
• Expand: So this man who reportedly prayed so much that his knees were hard like a camels closes his message to us discussing spiritual disciplines which
Shared.
Shared.
are shared. Communal. Public. Community-Building.
Communal.
Communal.
Public.
Public.
Community-Building.
Community-Building.
• Excite: I think this church is a praying church but I think we will become even stronger when we recognize that our prayers together are stronger than our
Excite: Our church is a praying church but I think we will become even stronger when we recognize that our prayers together are stronger than our prayers apart. Our Work together is stronger that our work apart. Our Worship together is stronger than our worship apart.
prayers apart.
Spiritual Disciplines unite the body and include us in God's work.
Spiritual Disciplines unite the body and include us in God's work.
• Explore: Spiritual Disciplines unite the body and include us in God's work.
Explain: In closing James invites us to share in three great opportunities offered us as believers…He begins with the opportunity for
• Explain: In closing James invites us to share in three great opportunities offered us as believers.
▾ Body of Sermon:
1 Intercession. 13-15
1 Intercession. 13-15
▾ 1 Intercession. 13-15
1.1 The Community expressing itself in compassion & worship.
1.1 The Community expressing itself in compassion & worship.
• 1.1 The Community expressing itself in compassion & Worship.
1.2 The Community encouraging with trust and responsibility.
1.2 The Community encouraging with trust and responsibility.
• 1.2 The Community encouraging through trust and responsibility.
1.3 The Community engaging suffering & Sin.
1.3 The Community engaging suffering & Sin.
• 1.3 The Community engaging suffering & Sin.
now then...vv 15 & 16 are transitional. These verses are linked by the shared concept of sin. So we find that beyond how we share in God's work through intercessory prayer we also play a role in dealing with our sin and the sin and the sins of others through an ongoing practice of…
• 1.4 vv 15 & 16 are also transitional linked by the shared concept of sin. So we find that beyond how we share in God's work in the lives of others we also
play a role in dealing with our sin and the sin of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Through an ongoing practice of…
2 Confession 15-18
2 Confession 15-18
▾ 2 Confession 15-18
When I think of confession I think of Mrs. Beckman’s favorite TV star. Joe Kenda, the Homicide Hunter. When Joe has his quarry cornered. When He is asking questions and the punk has no good answers-you know that you are about to get the truth. That is not the kind of confession James is talking about, nor is it the kind of confession that even remotely helps bring sinners to the point of grace.
Here is how James understands Christian confession.
here
• 2.1 The Goal of confession is forgiveness and restoration.
2.1 The purpose of confession is forgiveness and restoration.
2.1 The purpose of confession is forgiveness and restoration.
2.2 The power of confession is God working through His people.
2.2 The power of confession is God working through His people.
• Entice: There are personal, individual Spiritual Disciplines. AND Public, Communal Spiritual Disciplines. The truth of the matter is that the Scripture focuses
more on the latter than the former.
•
• Engage: This is not the way of contemporary society. Forms of eastern spirituality have influenced the church leaving a legacy of increasingly private
• 2.2 The power of confession is released through righteous people guiding those who have sinned.
religious experience. Yoga or Meditation become models for prayer and quite time. Once you know the basic moves of yoga you basically do it by yourself.
Eastern concepts of meditation tend to focus on dis-engagement.
• We have mistaken the goal of Spiritual disciplines
• We aim for isolation
• James recommends integration
• Expand: So this man who reportedly prayed so much that his knees were hard like a camels closes his message to us discussing spiritual disciplines which
are shared. Communal. Public. Community-Building.
• Excite: I think this church is a praying church but I think we will become even stronger when we recognize that our prayers together are stronger than our
prayers apart.
• Explore: Spiritual Disciplines unite the body and include us in God's work.
• Explain: In closing James invites us to share in three great opportunities offered us as believers.
▾ Body of Sermon:
▾ 1 Intercession. 13-15
• 1.1 The Community expressing itself in compassion & Worship.
• 1.2 The Community encouraging through trust and responsibility.
• 1.3 The Community engaging suffering & Sin.
• 1.4 vv 15 & 16 are also transitional linked by the shared concept of sin. So we find that beyond how we share in God's work in the lives of others we also
play a role in dealing with our sin and the sin of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Through an ongoing practice of…
▾ 2 Confession 15-18
• 2.1 The Goal of confession is forgiveness and restoration.
• 2.2 The power of confession is released through righteous people guiding those who have sinned.
• 2.3 The process of confession is generally rocky. 1 Kings 186-37
• 2.4 When complete confession of Sin leads to confession of faith.
▾ 3 Restoration 19-20
• 3.1 Opportunity.
• 3.2 Outcome.
▾ James and His Legacy of Service
• 1 He began this epistle by describing himself as a servant. He concludes by giving us an example of service. An example we can (and do) follow. An
example that has focused and will continue to focus the Church on our mission to rescue the perishing.
• 2 James does not understand these spiritual disciplines as some kind of privatized navel-gazing. Intercessory prayer. Interactive confession and Inventive
restoration are spiritual disciplines embraced and taught by the Church; so that individually we can participate and extend the reach of Christ as we serve
as the voice of Christ.
• 3 Maybe you have been intervened for more than you have intervened recently. Maybe you think of confession as therapeutic gossiping-that you would
rather not have your sins exposed lest you be driven to ask forgiveness. And maybe you or someone you know is still far from God, needing rescue,
needing restoration. Maybe you need to echo the very last scriptural voice that James had in his mind when he finished this book. Maybe you need to
make that confession that is the first meager cry of faith-"the Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God." through His people
2.3 The process of confession is messy.
2.3 The process of confession is messy.
• 2.3 The process of confession is generally rocky. 1 Kings 186-37
Elijah’s prayer is a plea for the power of God to convict of sin and to bring about repentance. Before we got to this prayer we have idolatry, rebellion, disobedience, famine, anger and last of all “competition.” This sets the stage for Elijah’s prayer of faith.
36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”
2.4 Then and only then a complete confession of Sin leads to confession of faith.
2.4 Then and only then a complete confession of Sin leads to confession of faith.
• 2.4 When complete confession of Sin leads to confession of faith.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
It did not rain...
It did not rain...
It did not rain because Elijah Prayed for rain...
It did not rain because Elijah Prayed for rain...
...because Elijah Prayed for rain.
...because Elijah Prayed for rain.
It rained because Elijah prayed for repentance
It rained because
It rained because
And the people repented
...Elijah prayed for repentance
...Elijah prayed for repentance
And the people repented
And the people repented
What then? What do I do when I sense that my relationship with God has been restored and my faith is growing? I share the burden of “rescuing the perishing”. I become a part of the ongoing process of
3 Restoration 19-20
3 Restoration 19-20
▾ 3 Restoration 19-20
3.1 Opportunity.
3.1 Opportunity.
• 3.1 Opportunity.
3.2 Outcome.
3.2 Outcome.
• 3.2 Outcome.
James and His Legacy of Service
James and His Legacy of Service
▾ James and His Legacy of Service
1 He began this epistle by describing himself as a servant. He concludes by giving us an example of service. An example we can (and do) follow. An example that has focused and will continue to focus the Church on our mission to rescue the perishing.
• 1 He began this epistle by describing himself as a servant. He concludes by giving us an example of service. An example we can (and do) follow. An
example that has focused and will continue to focus the Church on our mission to rescue the perishing.
2 James does not understand these spiritual disciplines as some kind of privatized navel-gazing. Intercessory prayer. Interactive confession and Inventive restoration are spiritual disciplines embraced and taught by the Church; so that individually we can participate and extend the reach of Christ as we serve as the voice of Christ. 3 Maybe you have been intervened for more than you have intervened recently. Maybe you think of confession as therapeutic gossiping-that you would rather not have your sins exposed lest you be driven to ask forgiveness. And maybe you or someone you know is still far from God, needing rescue, needing restoration. Maybe you need to echo the very last scriptural voice that James had in his mind when he finished this book. Maybe you need to make that confession that is the first meager cry of faith-
• 2 James does not understand these spiritual disciplines as some kind of privatized navel-gazing. Intercessory prayer. Interactive confession and Inventive
"the Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God."
"the Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God."
restoration are spiritual disciplines embraced and taught by the Church; so that individually we can participate and extend the reach of Christ as we serve
as the voice of Christ.
3 Maybe you have been intervened for more than you have intervened recently. Maybe you think of confession as therapeutic gossiping-that you would
rather not have your sins exposed lest you be driven to ask forgiveness. And maybe you or someone you know is still far from God, needing rescue,
needing restoration. Maybe you need to echo the very last scriptural voice that James had in his mind when he finished this book. Maybe you need to
make that confession that is the first meager cry of faith-"the Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God."