http://www.mediafire.com/file/wgqnxrku6in4151/Powerful%20Faith%20edited.mp3
“Powerful Faith”
Brimfield Faith UMC / September 5, 2010
James 5:12-20
INTROBrimfield Faith UMC / September 5, 2010
James 5:12-20
This week we finish our summer journey through the letter of James. James’ writing style has been interesting… at times it reads like stream of consciousness filled with nuggets of godly wisdom. James wrote this letter with a true pastor’s heart. It addresses real life issues for the original recipients of the letter. James’ goal is to empower people to live out their faith in meaningful ways. James has tried to correct wrong thinking and bad practice. This final section reflects James’ heart for his people one last time. In it he touches on a couple of important themes. The two main themes that he wants us to ponder on are prayer and spiritual community.
These two themes are just as relevant today as they have ever been. In fact, they are two things that many churches in America lack. As products of the Enlightenment, we struggle with the reality of the supernatural and the effectiveness of prayer. For many of us, prayer is the last resort back up plan that we turn to when all else fails. Prayer is for the weak not the strong. Prayer means we have to admit weakness and seek the support and reliance of someone else. Prayer doesn’t fit in with the rugged individualism many of us were raised on. A lack of prayer is a significant reason we find our churches empty and our faith out of touch.
PRAYER
With all that said, James believes in the power of prayer. James began his letter talking about prayer. In James 1:6 he writes, “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James’ letter expressed the desire for Christians to live out their faith with action and trust in the Lord. After all, faith cannot be put into action without a full reliance in the Almighty God. Faith translates into action through a deep, abiding relationship with God rooted in prayer. While James encourages the believer to rely upon God through prayer, he hasn’t actually used the word prayer until this final section. Then, in verses 13-18 he mentions prayer in every single verse for a total of seven times. Where he has once hinted at prayer, he now boldly advocates for it.
We hear a litany of reasons why we should turn to God in prayer. When we are in trouble, turn to God in prayer. When we are happy, turn to God in songs of praise which is another form of prayer. Sick, prayer. Sinful, prayer. Prayer is the answer to the problems of the world, because it demonstrates a total reliance upon the Lord Almighty. Prayer is a proactive way to tap into the power of God. The power of faith originates in the place of prayer.
James illustrates the power of prayer in 5:17-18. The prophet Elijah was a man known for his speaking powerful in times of national crisis, wages battles against false religion, and resisting pagan pressures. James doesn’t mention these things, instead he talks about Elijah’s prayer life. Elijah is a prime example of the power we can harness when we pray. He was able to pray for it not to rain and God caused a three and a half year drought. Then he prayed for rain and it came. Prayers for weather are some powerful prayers, because we know humans cannot control the weather. As a reminder, pray for good weather for the “Cruise-In” next Sunday. Elijah then provides the proof that powerful prayers are possible.
As James looks at Christians around him, he is tired of people living powerless Christianity. He understands hardship and suffering that they are experiencing, but he wants them to discover the abundant faith that God desires for each of his children. I believe that James would be equally as frustrated with the way many Christians live out their faith today. For many people, Christianity is an irrelevant and dead religion. James and God want each of us to discover a deeper, more powerful faith in Christ. Prayer is the key that opens up the door to that reality.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY
Prayer is not only about discover power but it is about opening up relationships. Loving, right relationships are the way of the kingdom of God. Prayer then becomes the vehicle to establishing rich relationships rooted in God. This brings us to the second theme of this final section of the letter: spiritual community.
James passionately illustrates the importance of the local church in this passage. Powerful, life transforming prayer does not exist independent of spiritual community. The instances of prayer that James gives are in the context of community. For example, in verse 14, James tells the sick to go to the elders of the church for healing. In verse 16, we are encouraged to confess our sings to one another. Finally, in verse 19, we are exhorted to help each other stay on the path of truth. James promotes spiritual community because life-transforming faith cannot be discovered in isolation.
There seems to be a natural human inclination to turn faith inward. The early church struggled with this, especially as followers meet persecution and discrimination. In Hebrews 10:25 they are reminded: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.” While we aren’t typically persecuted because of our faith, many Christians have given up the habit of meeting together. Recent studies indication that average worship attendance these days is twice a month. We list a number of excuses for such sporadic attendance. While going to church isn’t mandated by Scripture, and it doesn’t make you a good person, a Christian, or even get you into heaven, there are many benefits to regular attendance. Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians are true “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial.” Skipping church is allowed, but it isn’t beneficial.
Now some of you are sitting there thinking one of two things. One, I tried coming regularly for awhile and didn’t get the results I wanted. Two, Curt’s just trying to get more people to come to church: true. To the first thought, you might not have committed long enough. To the second thought, yes I do want you to come to church regularly because I think there is something invaluable to be gained from regular attendance. We are going to spend our last few minutes in James, talking about how to get the most out of church and of Christianity.
In order to discover meaningful, rich Christianity, the Church needs to be a spiritual community rooted in prayer. The church needs to be a spiritual community with relationships rooted in faith. James understands that we are going to have moments in life that will be made easier and better if we have others to share them with. In times of trouble, there is nothing more comforting than having people to pray for you. When I’m happy, I always want to share that joy with others. When I’m sick, there is nothing greater than having someone to care for you.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is why what the DEEPEN component of our vision is all about. We are seeking to create relationships that DEEPEN our faith in God. Christianity holds its transformative power when we share life with others along the journey of faith. The DIG Small Groups are designed to put into practice the very things James talks about in this passage. It becomes hard to share all of our joys and concerns, to talk through life struggles during Sunday worship. Yet, if we gather in smaller more intimate groups on a regular basis, we can readily do the things James talks about. Your small group leaders have been trained to guide you in the pursuit of God. In the television series Lost, the characters are stranded on this strange island. One of the themes of the series was “Live together, die alone.” This is the reality of spiritual community – live together, die alone.
When true spiritual community is formed, it is life giving and transformative. Christianity gets is teeth when practiced in genuine spiritual community. Yet, the reality of spiritual community is that it only works when you invest into it. Leeches do not exist in spiritual community. You cannot grow in your faith if you are looking only to receive. Many people choose their church based on what it can provide for them. They want children’s programs, adults Sunday school, mission trips, etc… The Church as spiritual community is not consumer driven; it is service based. You will only get out of church, what you put into it. Sometimes you will be the person receiving pray, anointing, healing and correction. Many times you will be the one providing the support. To receive the benefits of spiritual community you have to full invest in it.
CONCLUSION
One of the first ways we need to invest in spiritual community is in a life of prayer. Prayer is more powerful in spiritual community. As we have already talked about the power of prayer, it is important to know that spiritual community helps us tap into the power of prayer. Jesus teaches this truth in Matthew. “Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” When we join together and pray for one another’s needs, there is greater power than when we pray on our own. Together we discover the reality that “all things are possible with God.” We discover a rich, full faith in ways we never dreamed possible. Churches that learn to regain the efficacy of prayer are churches that transform people’s lives.
This spring we had several Sundays when we broke up into small groups and prayed for one another. I heard more reports of answered prayer as a result of that few minutes than I heard in the previous year. There truly is power when a true spiritual community bonds together to pay for a uniformed cause.
Starting next week, we are starting a five week series on prayer and in three weeks we are starting the fall quarter of DIG small groups. Prayer and spiritual community are the vehicles for us as a church and you as individuals to go deeper in our walk with God. We are just scratching the surface of what God has for us. There is more love, more joy, peace and patience available. There is more healing, hope and salvation waiting for us. There are many people far from God that are waiting to meet God in this place. We have places to go in God, but we need to draw together as a spiritual community of prayer if we are going to get there. God has provided the vehicles by which to be transported. We must decide to drive them deeper with God.
Let’s pray.
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