Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
JAMES 5:1-20 TEXT: v13 [IS ANY AFFLICTED…LET HIM PRAY]
James here uses the present tense, but that should not rule out the
fact that we who are not afflicted now may be afflicted the future
However, it does appear here in the present tense because James was writing to real people in the midst of their real problems
As he wrote, there were people working in the fields of rich men being
defrauded of their wages and crying aloud to the Lord/Hosts
Let them pray, said James
They are not wasting their time, so do not forbid/discourage them
But let them pray
Maybe some were being afflicted, but had not prayed
Let them start praying
Maybe some had other kinds of afflictions
James does not name any particular problem in this exhortation
The secret: Let them pray
This is the immediate remedy to their problem
It is already at hand - no need to wait for the remedy to come
This is a 24/7 365 day a year remedy
This beats the Western Union for bringing help to inaccessible spots
There are no limits whatsoever on this remedy
Is any afflicted? Can't get wider than that!
Same answer for all: Let him pray
Before I steal more of my own thunder…4 things/text:
1) AFFLICTION IS THE LOT OF EVERY SON OF ADAM:
A/ We need to be careful when we speak about afflictions and sin
But we must link the two here
We are not to think, as some did/Gospels, that individual afflictions
are linked to individual sins and therefore people in wheelchairs or
suffering from great disease are greater sinners than everyone else
[i] Our Lord blew that one out of the water in John 9:2-3/Luke 13:1-5
[ii] Job is the greatest example of a good man (1:1) suffering great affliction and yet maintaining a holy walk with God
[iii] Jeremiah is another: (Lamentation 3:1)
[iv] Trophimus was a companion/Paul and was left sick (2 Timothy 4:20)
[v] Other side/coin: David struggled: the prosperity/wicked (Psalm 73)
B/ However, it is true to say that had sin never entered into the
world, then there would be no sickness or any affliction in the world
Still be in the Garden of Eden walking with God/cool of the evening
This is why I referred to us all as sons/daughters of Adam
By one man, sin (and therefore affliction) entered into the world
How many afflictions have there been since that fatal day?
When God said to Adam: Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of
thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee,
saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in
sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; (Genesis 3:17)
In sorrow all the days of thy life
C/ Perhaps you have never experienced any deep affliction
Sun always shine in your sky and the clouds are few/far between
Let me not cast dark shadows across your present joy
But write this text down and keep it safe somewhere
You'll probably need it someday and be glad that you did
D/ If you know someone who is afflicted (any among you)
Then pass it on to them as well - Get the news out!
It is a message for every last child/Adam's sinful and afflicted race
2) WHAT MANY DO WHEN THEY ARE SO AFFLICTED:
Even though the command is so short/simple, yet it is studiously avoided even by some who profess faith in Christ
A/Some get annoyed with God and blame Him for their predicament
Key word is the word "blame" - they blame God for their predicament
Needs to be examined since it is so serious, as seen by their response
[i] How can they blame God if they are reaping what they have sown?
While it is true that you can automatically equate sin with affliction
(For reasons already given) yet it stands to reason that if we abuse
our bodies by whatever - indulging in particular sins or
insensible use of our bodies e.g. overwork - "burning/candle at both
ends" that we will reap affliction - like burnout and nervous breakdown
etc.,
How can we blame God for that? God gives us a brain. Use it.
[ii] Even though they might not abuse their body, they see every affliction they are asked by God to undergo as being unjust
therefore they blame Him as if He were guilty/crime
Not so! Yes…God may send some affliction to us
He can do so for many reasons and every one of them pure/snow
Perhaps we need chastened - a sure sign we are in His family
Perhaps we need to be equipped for future/better service
Every soldier goes through the wars before he ever sees the enemy
They toughen you up before they send you into battle
The men are already separated from the boys
Perhaps it is endured because we are Christians
I remind you of the struggles/early Apostolic church
And to him they agreed: and when they
had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they
should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they
departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. (Acts 5:40-41)
[iii] Whatever the cause/reason…we may be sure that Romans
8:28 comes into play and that there is absolutely no sin involved
Therefore we cannot blame God for there is no guilt attached
What do others do when they are so afflicted?
B/ They try and bear the burden themselves without divine help
It is as if God never existed
They do not blame Him nor query His ways
They might still go to church and sing His praises and serve Him
But they make no link between God and their affliction
Their sickroom or theatre/trouble is a God-free zone
Their spirit/endurance etc., is praiseworthy, for they tackle the matter head on, but (alas) all in their own strength
That's not what our text is telling us to do
Yes, we are called to fortitude - the moaning spirit is not commended -
but we are not called to grit/our teeth bear the affliction on our own
C/ Others who just go into denial about their affliction
They tell no one else - neither God or their family or whoever
Ancient name for such folk: Stoics
Again…this is not the Bible way
We are not to deny any reality
Christianity is a muscular thing too
Some of the greatest soldiers who lived were Christians
They were in the forefront of every battle with the rest
Our text does not call us to live in any denial
3) WHAT WE SHOULD DO WHEN WE ARE SO AFFLICTED:
What saith the text? Let him pray…
A/ Prayer at its very basic is an acknowledgement that God is
You cannot pray to an non entity
But it's much more than that
B/ It is an acknowledgement that God can do something for you
That God is not merely greater than you but greater than your affliction
It recognises all the attributes of God
As said: [i] His greatness
[ii] His wisdom - We would hardly pray to a fool
[iii] His love and mercy
[iv] His faithfulness - to His word (e.g. our text)
His faithfulness - to His people as in Romans 8:28
[v] His justice - He will not step over the line "and cause a needless tear"
C/ Prayer is yet more than all this: It is an act of worship
It is Abraham building his altar and Jacob building his pillar
We retire to our closets and we get alone with God
Even in our affliction which God has sent our direction
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord
Not only the high valley's but also the dark caverns/dales
In prayer, we do not complain to God about the way He has led us
Rather, we worship and say: Thy will be done on earth as in Heaven
D/ Maybe you say: But can I pray for the removal of my affliction?
Yes - that is a very natural thing to do
Paul prayed three times for his thorn/flesh to be removed
The Church sought the release of Peter from prison (Acts 12)
If I was afflicted by a life threatening disease, I would pray for it to be removed: it is lawful to save life (Luke 6:9)
If anything threatened my life/family or the work/God etc.,
I would pray for it to be removed and that passionately
E/ But there's something also inherent in every prayer:
That God can answer it according as He will
If God refuses our requests, He does something better than answering them: He gives us grace to bear the affliction:
Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He will sustain thee (Psalm 55:22)
My grace is sufficient for thee… (2 Corinthians 12:9)
And that lifts us into a whole level with God, whereby we serve Him in the place of affliction to His glory
Daniel's three friends saw that coming:
If it be so, our God whom we serve is
able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver
us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O
king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image
which thou hast set up. (Daniel 3:17-18)
There were believers ready to serve God in suffering, but we do not doubt that like Daniel (later on) they prayed
4) WHAT IS NOT SAID, BUT IS IMPLIED IN THE VERSE:
A/ If we are afflicted, while we should pray to God, let us not make fail to make use of human means also
Some extreme Christian groups teach that prayer alone will heal and frown on going to doctors or taking medicine: Dangerous!
God encourages us to pray that He will use the means we seek out
Guiding star: Psalm 127:1-2 but note both the use of builders/watchmen
B/ A word/unsaved: Yes…you can pray to God in your affliction, but do remember that your sins stand between you and him
I would failing in my duty as a gospel preacher if I did not urge you y
to be reconciled to Him. Let your affliction be the means that brought
you to the Saviour for salvation
THE END