The Muchness Of God Series

The Muchness of God

James 5:13-16

August 20, 2023

Here’s the bad news! Last Sunday most of us admitted our sinful predisposition to be impatient people. Hopefully, by the time we finish, you’ll see the good news! Today, in many respects we’re looking at patience again, but from an entirely different angle. Today we’re looking at perseverance or patience in prayer.

Let me ask you this - - At this very moment, do you believe, God is ready to pour out upon you — from the lavish abundance and overflow of His grace and love – blessings upon blessings that will strengthen you in every aspect of your life?

You might be thinking, where did you come up with that? James 5.

As I was thinking about this last message in the series on James, looking at practical ways to live life so we can bring honor and glory to God, there were so many directions to go in this message.

But when I stopped, paused, I heard something in this passage that’s a bit different . . . and I’m going to try to combine two different thoughts into this message.

Let’s look at what James wrote in James 5:13-20 - - - -

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 / deacons 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. - James 5:13-20

There’s a lot in this passage. And one of the things I hear James telling us about God, is that God is the God of Muchness!

Isn’t the word MUCH, a fun word! We love going to restaurants and see food piled on our plates. I like to get in a car and feel the muchness of the horsepower. I love the loud roar of trains and planes. I love the fact that I have an amazing hope from God that tells me I can love a life of muchness.

This text indicates to me that God is the God of much — of lavish, abundant, overflowing reserves. He is a generous God. Do the Bible math with me. Wasn't it God who said in Psalm 84:11 - - - -

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. NO GOOD THING DOES HE WITHHOLD FROM THOSE WHO WALK UPRIGHTLY. - Psalm 84:11

Do you hear that? God doesn’t withhold the good things for those who walk uprightly. He wants to give to us. He offers us an abundant life in this world, as well as in eternity. He offers us muchness as He forgives us. And that list goes on and on for who God is.

Even satan recognized God’s generosity and used it on Eve. Remember how satan tempted Eve? He wanted Eve to think God was stingy and withholding from her and Adam.

In Genesis 3:1, satan said to Eve - - -

1 Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” - Genesis 3:1

Actually what God said to her was: You can eat of every tree in the garden … except for one. There's just one where you can prove your love to me by obeying and avoiding the danger of it. Don't ever let satan whisper in your ear and persuade you that God is stingy, that God wants to hold back, or doesn’t want to give you what you need.

And this is where prayer comes in. We can access God’s "muchness" through prayer. In 5:16, James said - - - -

16 The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

The word for prayer in James 5:16 means "to call out in the time of need." This is a specific prayer of a heart in great need. Think of the contrast. There is the God of muchness and here I am in my need and emptiness. This verse invites us to come into the world of God who gives over-abundantly.