Persevering Together
James 5:13-20
Main Idea: The church showcases the gospel through a deep interconnectedness, faith-filled prayers, and loving pursuit of those wandering.
I. A Connected Church
James assumes that his audience is connected in a meaningful way to a community of faith in the church. The church among you ought to know:
If anyone is suffering, cheerful, or sick (5:13)
The elders of the church who are spiritual shepherds for the flock (5:14)
If someone is wandering away from the truth (5:19-20)
“The church is one of the God-ordained means God uses to keep us faithful. God is sovereign, and He does the preserving, but He does it through the church looking out for, caring for, and loving one another to keep one another from sin. This is yet another reason we ought to be involved in the lives of others in the church. God has ordained brothers and sisters who will share life with you to keep you close to Him, to keep you obedient to His commands, and to persevere you until the Lord comes back.” ~ David Platt
II. A Praying Church (5:13-18)
A few categories that James gives us regarding prayer & the church:
1. Pray in Every Circumstance (5:13)
1 Thessalonians 5:16–19: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.
2. Pray for the Sick (5:14-15a)
The anointing of oil is likely symbolic (not medicinal or sacramental), reminiscent of “consecration” ceremonies in the Old Testament (cf. 1 Sam. 10:1); this was done to set apart the sick person for special attention from the Lord, asking that they might be healed.
The assurance that the “Lord will raise him up” likely has a double meaning; it could refer to physical healing in this life from sickness or a reference to the “raising up” of the saints at the day of resurrection.
3. Pray for Sin (5:15b-16a)
What is the connection between sickness & sin? On the one hand, not every sickness is a direct result of sin (cf. John 9). On the other hand - sin can indeed lead to sickness, and in an ultimate sense sin is the reason why sickness is in this world. Sickness has a way of helping us see our spiritual state clearly.
“Sickness is very humbling. Sickness knocks you down. So often you will be able to see sins, you’ll be able to admit flaws you couldn’t any other time. Sometimes the spiritual healing and confessing and getting right with God actually causes physical healing, but other times the physical sickness actually causes the spiritual healing. The Bible is saying here you must always do them together. You must always use physical sickness as a time for spiritual renewal. You must always make sure you’re working on spiritual healing as well as physical healing at the very same time.” ~ Tim Keller
4. The Power of Prayer (5:16b-18)
“Many of us do not pray as we should, and one of the reasons for this is that we do not believe our prayers will make much of a difference. Deep down, we don’t think they will change anything. And so prayer can become just a token thing, a gesture to others, a way of checking in with God without really expecting anything major to happen.” ~ Sam Allberry
III. A Pursuing Church (5:19-20)
To “wander from the truth” is a lifestyle pattern of a proclaiming Christian that leads them away from God, away from faith & obedience, and away from the community of believers.
Where the sick person is to call the elders, it is every Christian’s responsibility to proactively look out for those who wander from our own community. We must pursue those who are wandering from the truth with love and gentleness.
Galatians 6:1: Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
A church that embodies this ethic of persevering together will be a community that is marked by the power and presence of Jesus himself, the one who “came to seek and save the lost” (Lk. 19:10).
