"Healing"

Scripture: James 5:13-20
Preacher: Rev. Ross Purdy
Date: October 1, 2006

Today is Worldwide Communion Sunday.   All over the world churches are celebrating the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.   We join with them today, remembering our unity with the Body of Christ.   It is a special honor to have our brothers and sisters from the Korean Disciples' Community Church joining us in worship

The most important part of the worship is coming together around the Lord's table.   For that reason, I am encouraged to give only a brief meditation that prepares us to receive the elements.   Listen to the passage that was just read.

James concludes his letter to the Church by instructing them in three things.   They are: Prayer, Confession and Healing.   They are acts that people in the Church all share in common. Let me begin with his words on prayer.   Prayer works.   It is the most powerful tool we have been given to change our lives and the world around us.  

Watchman Nee became a Christian in the 1920s.   In the years that followed, Nee preached to millions and saw the conversion of many Chinese to the faith.   By the 1950s Watchman Nee, the great missionary, found himself in prison.   He would die there 30 years later in 1972.  

In one of his books, Sit, Walk, Stand , Nee recounts a story of a very powerful experience of prayer.   It happened on one of the islands off the coast of China.   Nee led missionaries there and found a young man named Brother Wu, a convert to the faith.   Brother Wu had a young but large faith in God.  

The people of the island, about six thousand in number, were strongly devoted to a god named Ta-wang.   The preaching of the Gospel was not very effective and the missionaries knew that if they were to make an impact, they would have to show how Ta-wang was false and their God was real.   But the people of the island were especially convinced of Ta-wang's power because every feast day in their history was sunny and clear.   Ta-wang had power over the rain and history had proven his power.

Brother Wu, sixteen years of age, found himself preaching to the people and in the midst of the message, claimed that on the next feast day of Ta-wang, it would rain.   The people laughed to themselves and said, "Fine.   We know Ta-wang's power.   It won't rain.   But if it does then your God is God."

That was a mighty promise Brother Wu made and when Watchman Nee and the other missionaries heard about it they were a bit concerned.   There was nothing to do but pray.   They knew that it had never rained on Ta-wang's feast day.   The idol was always powerful and well-worshipped as he was paraded around town every year.

The feast day fell on January 11 th .   There was no sign of rain.   As they brought the idol out before the people the clouds opened and sprinkles began to descend upon the people.   Within a few moments, the sprinkles turned into a heavy downpour.   Then someone slipped and the idol Ta-Wang crashed to the ground, breaking its jaw and left-arm.  

The wise men of the village consulted one another and practiced divinization.   They came to the conclusion that there was a mistake.   The elders had pronounced this day Ta-wang's feast.   But, in reality, it was actually three days too early.   They notified the people and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Brother Wu, the sixteen year-old boldly proclaimed, "Go ahead.   Have your feast day three days from now.   It will rain then too."   The Christians began praying once again.   But this time they wanted the people of the village to know that God answers prayer.   So they prayed that the days leading up to the feast would be clear and sunny.   January 12 th and 13 th were very sunny and clear days.

Three days later - January 14 th - the festivities began. Just like the first day, the weather was perfect.   When it was time for the feast, the Christians gathered together to remind God of what needed to take place.   Immediately, on the hour, just as Ta-wang was about to be brought outside, the heavens opened and the torrential rain fell.   The people came to know the God of Watchman Nee, the great missionary, and the God of Brother Wu, the sixteen year-old man of faith.   The island was converted.

Prayer works.   James tells us that Elijah was a man of faith.   He prayed that the sky would not rain for three and a half years.   It did not.   Then Elijah prayed after the three and a half years.   The sky opened and rain fell.  

"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (vs. 16)

"But I thought God always answers prayers...from everyone."   God answers prayers.   But the person who has decided to live in righteousness is powerful in prayer.   Jesus' disciples had poured their hearts out to God time and time again.   I believe many of them were frustrated time and time again in prayer.   Are you?   But when Jesus' friends saw the answer to Jesus' prayers, they knew that He walked close with His heavenly Father.   This was the key to praying; a life surrendered to God.   Prayer isn't easy.   It takes work.   It takes sacrifice.   It takes a yielded life.   When you find a person who knows how to pray, don't let them go.   But better yet I hope you have a desire to be that person!   It requires righteousness.

That's another aspect that James' assumes about his readers; they will desire righteousness in their lives.   Do you?   If so, Confession is a key part. We all fall short of the people God made us to be.   God forgives.   But we are not forgiven just by assuming that God just forgives.   We need to confess our sins to God so we may be forgiven.   Otherwise we sweep our sins under the carpet instead of honestly dealing with them.   Otherwise we hold onto our sins and walk around with weights hanging over us.   God wants us to be free.

Do you need to confess your sins?   I used to go backpacking when I was a teenager quite often, once a month and two weeks in the summer.   When you carry a backpack several miles it becomes heavy.   But there are times after having the backpack on for many hours that you don't notice the weight anymore.   You're just used to it.   However, when the backpack comes off, there is the most incredible experience of weightlessness on earth.

Do you need to drop your backpack?   Have you become used to it?   Confess your sins.   I guarantee you will not regret it.   Experience the grace God gives when we let our weights go.   Listen to the Psalmist (and if you would like to let them go, pray these words):

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.  
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;

you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

(Psalm 51:1-12)

Do you feel cleansed?   Jesus died so you could be forgiven.   Let it go.   And if you prayed this Psalm, then it's gone...even regardless if you felt it go or not.

The last part of James is the one we're going to share together in just a moment.   "Is anyone of you sick?   Let the elders pray over you, anointing you with oil."   Every six weeks we call you forward for a blessing, for healing.   Today we're going to do the same.   As we prepare to receive communion, if you need a healing; whether it be a physical sickness or a spiritual or emotional one, come forward and receive a blessing.   Since we've been doing these blessings, I've heard from some of you that physical pain in your life has diminished greatly.   Others have shared similar instances of physical healing, while others have shared the release from guilt, the closeness to God, the giving of their life to Jesus Christ.   I'd like to invite you forward right now for that.  

If there is anything, this morning, in the way of preparing to receive the Lord's Supper with gratitude to God for what He has done in giving His Son for you, then bring that problem up here and let it go....leave it here.   You don't have to share with me what it is.   God knows.   Maybe you need to confess a sin, come forward as an act of confession.   But if you've wronged someone, make certain that you go and ask their forgiveness.    

Maybe your need is for a physical or emotional healing - come forward as a request to God.   Let Him meet you here.  

Maybe it's an affirmation, a healing of the mind that you need.   Maybe someone hurt you and damaged the image of God within you.   You are God's child and God would like to affirm that in you.

Whatever it is that will set you free, come forward.