MIRACLES IN THE CHURCH?
JAMES 5:14
Read James 5: 13 16 We've been talking a great deal lately about miracles. We've begun to see God work in some pretty awesome ways...in church and also in homes and other places as well. But I don't think we've really grasped the reality of God's power...and how He wants to do the miraculous in our lives...especially when it comes to physical healing.
The Churches of God have not been known as a denomination that works and moves in the power of the Holy Spirit...but it wasn't that way at the start. I believe with all my heart that God is bringing us to the place where we can finally understand, believe and receive everything He's provided for us in His word...even the miraculous and the supernatural.
Miracles are found throughout the Bible...miracles of all kinds. In the gospels we can find at least 38 miracles that Jesus Himself performed, not to mention all the many the diciples did when they were sent out on their short term missions trips, like we find in Mark 6. Most of the miracles recorded in the N.T. are physical healings or deliverances.
Miracles in the early church were not quite so rare as we find they are today and yet I think we would love to see such things happen much more often, right? Amen? So why aren't we experiencing the same things that are taking place throughout the world...in South America, Africa, Asia?
Jesus said in Mark 16 that certain signs would follow those who believe...and one of those was that healings would take place. Infact, turn to Mark 16 and make sure its in your Bibles too. Read Mark 16:17 18
These signs will accompany those who believe...they will place their hands of the sick and they will get well. Is that in your Bible? Do you really believe it? I don't see anywhere that it says only certain people will do this...that you have to be on T.V. or be famous...these signs shall follow them that believe!
As we begin to wind up our study of James, we come to this very difficult and controversial passage about praying for the healing of the sick. There are many misunderstandings revolving around these verses, but over the next 2 messages I hope to clear up much of the confusion surrounding this subject.
Now, when it comes to healing, we often think of going to some service to hear some person with a so called healing ministry. And I'm not saying that's not legitimate...but we notice that James associates the healing ministry of prayer and anointing with the local church leaders.
From the very earliest apostolic times, it was customary to appoint elders in every church. (appoint not elect!) Overseer is actually a more functional word because it means 'caring for'...'watching out for the welfare of.' In Acts 20 the work of the elders is described as guarding and feeding God's flock. Elsewhere the emphasis is on their work as preachers and teachers.
But the important thing to see here is that James places this ministry of prayer, anointing and healing in the ongoing life of the church. James doesn't know anything about a "one man ministry." For him, it's the elders who are to be ready to answer the call of the sick. This ministry to the sick does not belong to any specially gifted person such as one who claims to have the gift of healing mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:30
And we can't limit the presence and availability of this ministry to the sick by making it depend on the fact that a person with the gift of healing happens to be present. This is a ministry exercised by those that James saw as always being at the helm of the local church...the elders.
One thing we want to make note of...James is assuming that healing and restoration will follow the prayer of faith and the anointing in the name of the Lord. But we must be careful not to over value the miraculous at the expense of the ordinary working of God.
There is enough in the New Testament to direct us to accept as a divine gift the work of our medical doctors...and to thank God for providing such healing services. But what James does in these verses is refer all of life's experiences to God. Even when we go to the doctor our eyes should be focused on the Lord, because He alone can heal.
There is no such thing as a non spiritual healing. When the aspirin works, its only because God made it work. When a doctor sets a broken bone and it heals...its the Lord who made it knit together and heal. There is always a spiritual dimension in healing.
And there should never be an occasion where a Christian should approach the doctor without first approaching God...but there are times when a special approach to God will seem right...and it's for this that James makes this great provision.
Let's look first at the sick person and his request. There are indications in the passage that a fair degree of illness is present...and there is enough evidence to suggest that minor problems don't offer grounds for calling the elders to special prayer.
And it's also important to note that the elders are called to the sick person rather than them going of their own initiative. As sick as the person is, he is well enough to take the step of calling for the elders. Another thing to be aware of is that James isn't talking about public "healing services." In the situations he refers to here, it's the sick person who calls the elders for private ministry probably in the home.
Now...when the elders arrive, what is their ministry? Only 2 things are specified...pray over the sick and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. As to anointing with oil, we can see in Mark 6:13 that when Jesus sent out the twelve disciples this was a great part of their ministry. They would preach the gospel and anoint many with oil for healing.
Now, the oil itself has no real power, but it speaks of soothing and healing and by linking it with the name of the Lord, it becomes a token of the coming of the healing authority and power of Jesus name. When the elders pronounced the name of the Lord over the sick, it was in the faith that there was power in the name of Jesus to heal. The power of the ministry of healing resides in the prayer. The Lord promises His healing and restoring power in response to the prayer of faith.
In every miracle there must be the belief that God is a God of unlimited power and authority. You must believe that God is...and that He's able to do the miraculous! And both elements power and authority are necessary.
(Illustration of farmer who had land where a highway was coming through...)
You may have the authority to pray for the sick because of your status as a Christian...but if you don't have the power...if you don't have the faith to believe that God is a God of the miraculous...a God of healing and restoration...then your exercise is futile.
But what about the many cases where the ministry of the elders is carried out faithfully and no healing takes place? Does that mean we don't have enough faith? If that's the case then it's the elders lack of faith preventing the healing...because the faith of the sick person is not mentioned at all in this context.
That may come as a shock to some, but look at it. In verse 14 who do we find praying?....the elders. And verse 15 says it's the prayer of faith that brings about the healing, right? So whose faith is it that sparks this event? The sick man has to have enough faith to call the elders...but it's their prayers...prayed in faith, that will make the difference.
But before we go too far we need to look deeper at the prayer of faith. It's no accident that when James speaks of the prayer of faith, he uses an expression not found anywhere else in all of Scripture. And besides that, he doesn't use the usual Greek word for prayer but instead uses a word rarely used with this meaning.
Now, James is solid in his abilities with the Greek language, so he must have intended to signal to his readers that he was bringing something special to them. In 1:5 8 James was stressing that the faith that expresses itself in effective prayer comes from a clear and absolute commitment to the Lord...from total loyalty to God.
He also talks in that passage about having a faith that doesn't waver, that's not double minded. And this passage in chapter 5 about prayer has its main truth centered in a deliberate, unwavering but peaceful acceptance of God's will. When he writes about the prayer of faith, he doesn't focus on the hearts of the praying elders...the focus is on what such a prayer will produce...it will heal the sick man and the Lord will raise him up!
Prayer is a commitment to the will of God...and all true prayer shows the depth of it's faith by patiently waiting to see what He has determined to do. The unqualified statement that the prayer of faith will save the sick stands right alongside the many other truths about prayer. In fact, it's the standard way the Bible makes prayer promises.
For example, Matthew 18:19 says, "If two of you agree as touching anything you ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." Or John 14:13 "Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it." Promises like this are intended to bring us with confidence into the place of prayer. They speak to us of a God who can do all things...who is so generous that He won't hold back anything good from those who are open to His Word and His will.
But the one thing the promises do not encourage or allow is that we should come to the place of prayer with a stubborn insistence that we've got it right and that our will must be done. We never come demanding that God act a certain way or do a certain thing.
Verse 13 teaches us that the very heart of prayer is "not my will, but thine be done." In the prayer of faith, our faith is not that "the promises" will be fulfilled just like that. It's the faith that trusts completely in the will of a sovereign, faithful and loving God.
Neither the sick person nor any of the elders are there to insist that his will or her will be done...but to put the sick person within the total security of the unchangeable and gracious will of God. The perfect will of God may be done in the lesser benefit of a return to physical health...or in the supreme benefit of fullness of life in the presence of Jesus. For this reason we must always pray for His will to be done.
