There is a sound of the rushing of rain may your ears be blessed to hear it.

Transcription

1 The Elijah Blessing Are you ready for some good news? There is a sound of the rushing of rain may your ears be blessed to hear it. There is a miraculous outpouring on the horizon may your eyes be blessed to see it. If you are in a season of drought, take heart, a small cloud rises from the sea of God s grace. If you are in a season of plenty, praise Him, God s grace knows no bounds. Elijah was just as human as you are and God changed the whole atmosphere through his prayers. Likewise, your prayers are unspeakably powerful and effective because, when you are in Christ, you re clothed with His righteousness. May the Heavens open and miracles rain down this year, bringing glory to God and blessing to many, in Jesus name. Sermon Summary Elijah was just as human as we are and, therefore, we are just as likely candidates for God s miraculous works. In his reference to Elijah, James doesn t invite us into a morbid introspection about our sin but into a healthy, shame-free community so that we can be open with others. God doesn t hold our unconfessed sin against us, punishing us with sickness and disease. But our hidden sins, regrets and fears make room for the accusation and condemnation of the enemy and hinder us from coming boldly to the throne room of God in our time of need. Gospel-centered communities promote healing because a) the environment of grace rather than shame allows deep to call unto deep brothers and sisters walk in the light and, with no inward, gnawing condemnation, they are quick to come to the throne of grace with clean consciences; and b) the ongoing assurance of the Gospel that imputes righteousness to believers causes faith to soar. The one who knows him or herself to be righteous through the gift of Christ resists selfdisqualification and believes that all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ unto him/her. Where there is increased faith, there is increased, miraculous answer to prayer. Getting to Know Each Other 1. As a child, what real-life star or hero or what fictional character did you imagine yourself being? Why? 2. How did you play out this dream, in your activities, or dress, or other ways? 3. At what point did you realize you weren t going to become this figure? What made you realize that fact? How did you feel about it?

2 [Alternate questions for discussion: Some time ago, a study found that there were 25 million U.S. savings bonds that have never been cashed in. If you were to line them up end to end, they would stretch all the way from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. The total value of all those orphan bonds was about $9 billion. 1. Why do you think the owners of those bonds didn t cash them in and get the money that was rightfully theirs? A. They forgot they had those resources B. They didn t think it was worth the effort C. They thought the US government needed it more D. Something else: 2. When it comes to the spiritual riches that belong to you in Christ, do you think you might have neglected to access some of them at various times? Why was this the case? What was the outcome or effect? 3. What Biblical figure strikes you as someone who really did live in the fullness of God s promises, and refused to settle for less? What do you think keeps you from doing the same?] Getting Into the Bible Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 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. 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. (James 5:14-16 ESV) In this message, Pastor Alan described the larger-than-life figure that Elijah was in the life of the people of Israel: - expected to return (according to Malachi 3), seen as the forerunner of the Messiah - seen as the arbiter of matters of most important wisdom for the rabbis, uncertain whether there should be 4 or 5 cups of wine at the Seder meal, so it is left for Elijah to resolve when he returns; so at the Passover, there is an empty chair and empty cup for Elijah - when Jesus said, Eli, Eli, some thought he was calling for Elijah - incredible miracles fed by ravens, called down fire at Mt Carmel,etc.

3 To the Hebrew people, Elijah was a superhero even more than Moses, or Joshua or David. And James, when talking about the power of your prayer life and who you are as a Christian says you are just like Elijah. He then picks out one of the greatest stories of miraculous work of God in Elijah s life - the story of drought and then rain in response to his prayers - and uses it as the example that proves God can use your prayers. In sharing that Elijah was human just like you, and that healing can come through your prayers, James links the ministry of healing to three important factors: confessing sins to one another, seeking the blessing of the elders, and prayer of the righteous person. Consider these key elements: I. Elijah - name means the Lord is my God - the specific miracle that James references is recorded in 1 Kings 18 and 19 - the encouragement from James here is clear don t disqualify yourself for any reason - ie., those people are more spiritual than I am - or, those people are more loved by God and more blessed than I am - in other words, James is saying, start living with an expectancy that God could use your prayers in the same way that he used Elijah s II. Elders Presbyterian gets it name from this word, which refers to spiritual overseers. Does this mean that only the elders should pray for the sick? Of course not. The importance of the elders is that it pictures someone who is connected to the body of Christ in submitted, peaceful way. James is painting a picture here of a Gospel-centered community of people who are connected to one another. Common spiritual oversight and governance means that the one who is seeking healing does not think it comes from being at home alone just me and Jesus but in a community. This is not a legalistic thing it s a community thing! III. Confession of Sin Some have thought that it means that you must itemize all your sin or else! The problem with this line of thinking is who knows all their sin? And what sort of life can you lead if you are always thinking about your sin?

4 If he s not talking about morbid introspection of all your sin, what is James talking about? - the kind of Gospel community that has fostered a shame free environment so that people can receive assurance of love and acceptance and forgiveness - when you keep your fears, failures, and problems locked up inside of you, you give room to all manner of diseases not at ease - when you are able to confess to one another able to share deeply - you are in real relationship - deepest connection makes not only intimacy possible, but releases the very power structure of the universe that God has created. James is describing the beautiful power of a gospel centered fellowship a truly, deeply connected body of believers who are utterly rooted in the Gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus. And he speaks of the righteous person. Consider these verses about faith and righteousness, which underscore how the principles that applied to Abraham apply to us too in Christ: What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, (Romans 4:1 5, ESV) No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness. But the words it was counted to him were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:20 25, ESV) To be in the king s feast means accepting both truths: 1) you are not being condemned though you deserve it; 2) you are being blessed though you don t deserve it. When you deeply believe and accept those deep truths of the Gospel, you begin to intercede boldly you begin to believe that God hears you, honors your petitions Application So all these are related within a true Gospel community: a) there is authentic connection as seen by the submission to the oversight of spiritual leaders;

5 b) there is a shame-free environment where confession is possible; c) there is a growing revelation of imputed righteousness that emboldens the intercession and petition of the believer. Questions for personal reflection and action: 1. Am I truly connected in the church in ways that are helping me grow in my relationship with Christ and also with my brothers and sisters in Christ? 2. When was the last time I shared a personal struggle with someone in the church and asked them to pray with me about it? 3. As I seek to love others around me and share the Gospel with them, am I doing so more as a solo mission or as part of a team/community effort? 4. Recognizing that in Christ I have been made righteous, what will I have faith to pray for someone, believing that God will indeed bring to pass in His way and time whatever we pray in accordance with His character and will?