Priesthood of Believer - James 5:13-18
James - Essential Wisdom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
The Priesthood of the Believer
The Priesthood of the Believer
Names and labels help us identify and understand functional purpose of something.
confusing names of things: buffalo wings. cat burgurlar. coat of arms..funny bone.
SNL & Nate Bartgetzy
One thing we are called, as people of God, is a Priest.
Isaiah 61:6 (NLT)
6 You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches.
1 Peter 2:5 (NLT) — 5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
Primary role of a priest is to minister.
Your primary purpose as a believers is to engage in ministry.
Your primary purpose as a believers is to engage in ministry.
(1) Ministry received personally by Holy Spirit in communing prayer.
(1) Ministry received personally by Holy Spirit in communing prayer.
prayer is a primary avenue to which we engage with God. prayer is engaging in face-to-face, heart-to-heart, spirit-to-spirit, relationship with God.
Asking God is a matter of prayer that leads us to abide in His presence…The response we should have to trouble and pressure? Prayer
Elijah was a normal dude, commited to abiding with God and moving at God’s pace. Elijah prayed in step with God. Why wait three years? Elijah was not looking at results but at abiding with God. He was earnest in seeking God.
Learning to talk and listen to God’s voice is crucial.
Read the word to grow in learning of God.
pray out loud.
linger as you listen.
write down what you think you are hearing/seeing
check with someone spiritually mature
illus: first Wednesday prayer in Sept (what is god saying about himself, about me, about others?)
(2) Ministry to the Father in our worship.
(2) Ministry to the Father in our worship.
There is an action of faith in Jesus for every scenario in our life.
troubled? pray and commune with God.
Happy? sing (like Jesus who danced and sang)
to sing praise (accompanied and exuberant)
Romans 15:9 “9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.””
1 Corinthians 14:15 “15 Well then, what shall I do? I will pray in the spirit, and I will also pray in words I understand. I will sing in the spirit, and I will also sing in words I understand.”
Ephesians 5:19 “19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.”
Luke 10:21 “21 At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.”
(3) Ministry to Christ’s body through tangible embodied acts.
(3) Ministry to Christ’s body through tangible embodied acts.
Priestly acts of prayer or intercessory ministry...
Lay Hands & Anoint with oil
Confess Sin, releasing forgiveness
Restore the fallen (next week)
Sick? receive ministry of hand laid on you.
Why lay hands on each other with oil?
…Jesus continually touched or laid hands on sick.
…Jesus tells us to lay hands on the infirmed. (Mark 6:13 & Mark 16:15-18)
…they were convinced, to touch another in the name of Jesus was to be touched by Jesus. They truly believed we are His body.
…the people of God get to redeem hands laid on, as the world has used hands to bring pain, we bring love.
…oil represents holy spirit.
…according to Paul, there is an impartation of the spirit that occurs when we lay hands on, anoint with oil, and pray.
God always gives us practical or physical components so our faith can be tangible. We use oil so that others don’t just hear our prayers, they feel them physically - our faith, even in prayer is an embodied act of trust in God.
there ought to be a longer line for prayer than there is for coffee.
epitome of the individualism that has corroded our spiritual life.
spent an hour after our normal 2 hour elder meeting, ministering to each other in this manner
A. Why Confess sins? You will be forgiven. So, why not confess it?
We don’t publicly offer sacrifices anymore. Jesus was the final blood sacrifice needed. But we still kill our pride as an embodied act of surrender to God, by confessing our sin. We always participate.
B. How do we respond when someone confesses a sin?
“Thank you for your bravery in sharing. You are loved and forgiven. You are a son/daughter of God. This is under Christ’s blood. There is no condemnation for those in Christ. You are free in Jesus. We bless you with Grace & Peace.”
C. Why does confession get linked to healing?
Sickness is not always a result of sin.
Sometimes sin (missed mark of relationship with God) can cause illness. The majority of NT examples of this have to do with people to people sins (ie - bitter envy & selfish ambition). Mistreating Body of christ (1 cor 11), bitter unforgiveness (Mt 18), and resentment or jealousy that exists. Perhaps that is why James talks about confession to each other, so we reengage clean heart before people.
Jesus, like James, also links power of prayer with forgiveness of sins.
Mark 11:22–25 — “22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”
when it’s bad..seek God. when it’s good..seek God (not yourself)
when your sick…seek the healing presence of Christ’s body and spirit’s anointing.
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PRACTICING THE WAY
As disciples of Jesus, we know our allegiance to Him as King is expressed in our daily practice. We are not pursuing perfection but want to practice our faith each day. These practices will point you toward spiritual formation as an apprentice (disciple) to Jesus.
(1) Start the Bible Recap reading plan.
(2) Recite this prayer/liturgy daily: “Jesus, you are my LORD and Savior. I submit my life to You today. Lead me. Guide me. Protect me. I choose to cling to hope. And when I face hardships, may I keep eagerly waiting for the promise of Your return. And when painful moments come, may I pursue Your presence and tender mercies. Amen.”
(3) Talk it Over (with friends, a spouse, or your Group)
The message was about becoming priests who minister in Jesus’ name. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?
Read James 5:13-18. What does this passage reveal about God? What are some other things you observe in the text?
What example does James give to illustrate the power of earnest prayer?
According to the sermon, what are three avenues of ministry as a believer?
In what ways can singing praises impact your relationship with God and others?
What does it mean to you to confess sins to one another, and how might that help in healing?
