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Dumbstruck (Shadows of Bethlehem #1) (CCD)

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INTRODUCTION

The incarnation of Christ was indeed the most wonderful of God’s wondrous works. But it was the most unsurprising surprise. God’s hand had guided the story of redemption to this culmination. Like a lovely symphony the OT introduces certain motifs, which are picked up and expanded in the Incarnation of Christ. So, it would be wise for us to listen to those themes from the OT that anticipated the events surrounding Christ’s birth in order to better sing the Gospel song.

THE TEXT

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. … Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied.

Luke 1:5-22, 57-67

THE DUMBSTRUCK PROPHET

Zacharias’ loss of speech is usually interpreted one-dimensionally. It is seen simply as a judgment on his lack of faith. But I think to stop there with interpreting his story is to miss the bigger picture being painted. This is not the first time that God has used this sort of miracle. If we look to some of the other instances where a man of God was struck dumb we get a fuller picture of the story of Zacharias.

Moses

Some commentators an instance of Moses being dumbstruck in the strange episode when the Lord comes against Moses for not having circumcised his son (Ex 4). His wife quickly does the deed, satisfying the Lord’s anger. While this might be a display of the flexibility of some commentators, this episode is followed by Aaron arriving to be Moses’ spokesman. Moses is mute in his interactions with Pharaoh. God’s judgement upon hardened Pharaoh is displayed in a prophet who uses others to speak on his behalf.

Ezekiel

More explicitly there are several instances in Ezekiel’s ministry where he’s left dumbstruck. When he is first called to ministry by receiving a vision of God’s glory, he’s left speechless for seven days (Ez. 3:15). The Lord then tells him: “And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house (Eze 3:26).” Later on in the book of Ezekiel we have this statement from the Lord: “In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD (Eze 24:27).” So, this sign of a prophet being struck silent and then his tongue being loosed would be a recognizable sign to the house Israel. The closing & opening indicates two things. First, the prophet being struck silent is a warning to the house of Israel that the Word of the Lord is withheld from them because of their rebellion. Second, the loosing of the prophet’s tongue compels them to acknowledge their God and return to faithfulness.

Daniel

When an angel appeared to Daniel (after his three week period of fasting and prayer) we read this: And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb (Dan 10:15). Daniel is then strengthened when “one like the appearance of a man” touched him (Dan. 10:19), and Daniel is hailed as a man greatly beloved (Dan. 10:20). At the end of the book of Daniel he is told: But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased (Dan 12:4). The angelic messenger, Gabriel, that meets Zacharias draws us back to the story of Daniel’s visions (8:16, 9:21). When this sort of thing happened in the OT it demonstrated that God was making ready to answer His people’s prayers for deliverance and overthrow wicked nations.

Zacharias becomes a symbol of the entire prophetic tradition. God seals and unseals His Word as He sees fit. The hiding of His Word is a judgement. But God’s favor is found when He lets loose His Word.

THE PROPHET & THE SON OF MAN

God calls Ezekiel “Son of Man” ninety times, and this becomes a favorite title for Jesus in the Gospels. It also comes up in Daniel’s awesome vision of the Son of Man (Dan. 7:13, Cf. Ps. 80:17). In regards to Ezekiel, most commentators take it to be a term of humility. This is a half picture though. God summons Ezekiel to unfurl His mysterious & dark purposes to an apostate people; this term is humbling, but not because of its lowliness but because of its loftiness. 

This Son of Man is calling Israel back to faithfulness, to take up the dominion of the earth by faith in Yahweh’s promises. In other words, Jesus is the “one like the Son of Man” described in Daniel, taking up judgement upon the world, and he is the True Prophet (likened to Ezekiel) summoning us to the New Humanity which His Kingdom is inaugurating. This also explains all the cherubic imagery throughout Ezekiel; the administration of angels is coming to a close as God will send a Man to be the mediator between mankind and Yahweh. Zacharias becomes a clear sign that the prophetic ministry is being resumed, and this means that the Son of Man shall soon be raised up to replace the angelic mediation with an eternal Mediator.

HIS NAME IS JOHN

We should also take a longer look at what was going on with why the name John was selected for this Lord’s forerunner. We’re told that the friends & relatives were surprised at Elizabeth informing them that the boy’s name was John (vv59-62). This name was not a family name, and so they were perplexed by this selection. However, once Zacharias writes down the name John His tongue is loosed.

But why John? His name means “Yahweh is Gracious” or “Yahweh has shown favor”. The Hebrew word for favor is (chen). Luke is wanting his audience to see that God has not forgotten His promise of setting His favor on Israel. Though there has been prophetic silence (symbolized by Zacharias’ own silence), God has not forgotten them. Indeed God has remembered His covenant promise to be unto them a gracious God. Zacharias’ name means “God has remembered”. Remembered what? To be gracious. To show favor. 

This whole passage puts us in mind of the first of the great OT prophets: Samuel. His mother’s name, Hannah, is the feminine form of the same root word for gracious/favor found in John’s name.

God did not forget the barrenness of Hannah, and now we see Him remembering the barrenness of Elizabeth. The profound glory of all this is that when God shows His favor (chen) He does so by making His Word abundant. With Hannah, the text explicitly tells us that the word of the Lord was rare in those days (1 Sam. 3:1), and so God raised up the prophet Samuel. But now, in the fullness of time, God brings the prophetic office to a great crescendo in this father and son duo. Yahweh has remembered to be gracious, and now He brings to us the Word made flesh.

THE PROPHETS BLADE

The Lord promised that before the coming of Messiah a prophetic messenger would come to clear the way for the Prince to come into His kingdom. The prophetic ministry was used by God to do spiritual surgery. Imagine you have a splinter go so deep that you can’t easily grab it to remove it with just your fingers. You could just leave it alone, and adjust to life with it in your skin, hoping it just goes away. But the prophetic ministry was given to God’s people in order to point out the deep sin in our hearts. The only way to remove the tumor is to pierce the skin, harm the surrounding flesh, blood, and bone. But this is the only way to save the life.

In the story of John’s birth, the clear imagery for us is to see that the prophetic ministry had not passed away, but was coming to its greatest crescendo. Zacharias is a sort of OT prophet (Lk. 1:67), who raises up the greatest prophet Israel had ever known (Mt. 11:11), who himself gave way, in due time, to the final Prophet: Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:30).

All the words of the OT prophets from Moses down to John were Christ’s Words. He speaks to us in the preaching of His Word. Christ is speaking to you now in His prophetic ministry of preaching. He warns that rebellious people will be given dumbstruck prophets.

He calls you to humble yourself and heed his call to cast aside the chains that have tangled you up. The prophet calls to you to prepare Him room.

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The Demise of the Water-Spewing Christmas Dragon (Troy)

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Sermon Text – Revelation 12

THE WELCOMING PARTY

Having heard the Christmas story many times, it stirs up familiar images in our mind’s eye. The Lord Jesus is welcomed into the world by his mother and father. A young couple, just getting started, stare down at the baby boy wrapped in swaddling clothes. They smile with delight and have all of the normal reactions that come with being a first time parent, “He has your nose. Look at all that hair.” But in addition to the delight one experiences in taking the child in, finally being able to see after nine months what this kid looks like, they have other thoughts to contend with, thoughts that none of us as parents have ever had to deal with, thoughts like, “What is to become of this child? I hold the messiah in my hands. I am a virgin mother. The angel said to me, ‘He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ And it is my job to raise Him. God help me.”

 

SATAN’S PLAN THWARTED

First, regarding the derailment of Satan’s plan, we must ask, “Who is this regal woman, clothed with the sun, standing atop the moon, with a crown of twelve stars?” Like so many other images in the book of Revelation, this is a reference to an Old Testament passage. In Genesis 37, Joseph fell asleep, enveloped in the multi-colored cloak made special for him by his father Israel. He dreams of the sun, the moon, and eleven stars all bowing to him in reverence. The dream was prophetic, foretelling of a time when his mother and father, and his eleven brothers would all bow down to him. So on the surface, this woman would appear to represent the nation of Israel. With lineage spanning back to Jacob (who had his name changed to Israel) she is the chosen one to bring the messiah into the world.

But similar to the world of dreams, images in the book of Revelation present themselves in this wispy, ethereal manner. The apostle John uses creative license.

 

SATAN DEFEATED

Secondly, not only is Satan’s plan thwarted, but he is defeated. Do you believe that there is a connection between our physical world and the spiritual world? When I speak to Mormons, there are certain subjects that make them a bit squeamish. The quickest way to get them to change the subject is to ask them if God the Father lives on a planet circled by a star named Kolob. But we as Christians must not only recognize some of the more esoteric doctrines (like angels) but we must affirm them. The Christmas story is full of them. Gabriel informs Mary about the virgin birth. An angel tells Joseph, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary home as your wife.” We have a whole host of angels revealed to the shepherds. Another angel warns them about Herod’s plan to kill the baby Jesus so they escape to Egypt. Angels are peppered throughout scripture including our passage for this morning. So a few quick observations. First, they seem to know about our thought life. How did the angel know that Joseph had plans to divorce Mary? Either this is a benefit of existing in the spiritual realm, or I think more likely the omniscient God informs them of things. Secondly, their angelic actions have repercussions in the real world. If the angels didn’t reveal themselves to the shepherds, then they wouldn’t be a part of the nativity. Seems simple enough. So the question is, this war that takes place in heaven between Michael and Lucifer, how are we to take it?

 

SATAN ENRAGED

Similar to Hercules in Greek mythology, Irish mythology has a warrior hero called Cú Chulainn. Armed with a spear he is known for his terrifying battle frenzy called Riastrad. When Cú Chulainn is mortally wounded he enters a mode called Geasa which is a berserker state. When Geasa manifests itself, he becomes incredibly strong and is able to fight for days without tiring. He becomes fearless and is able to kill his enemies without mercy. But it also drives him to the brink of madness. In the end, Geasa is his undoing, as he ultimately succumbs to his wounds. Satan is like a mortally wounded animal. He is rabid, but his time is short. And so he uses what strength remains to harass the saints. But his pursuit ends in failure once again.

 

THE ALREADY AND THE NOT YET

There is a theological concept called “The Already and the Not Yet.” In one way, we already have peace. In one way, the war is already over. Jesus Christ secured victory for us on the cross. There are different nations represented in this room right now and you all walk by the light of Jesus. Yes, there’s sin in our midst, but we forgive each other, because Christ forgave us. This day you said to your family, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” And so in one sense, we are already enjoying the New Jerusalem. But there are some things that are not yet. We still struggle with sin and with temptation; we forget that we are dead to sin and alive to God. Satan prowls around with a chain around his neck, and there are more people out there who still need the gospel. The enraged snake would like nothing more to get another chance at that infant, to devour the young child. But one day, the “not yet,” will be “the now.” And when that day comes, the infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. Amen.

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The Politics of Christmas (Advent Grab Bag #1) (King’s Cross)

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INTRODUCTION 

As is our custom, we began using the Definition of Chalcedon this morning for our Creed, which was adopted and published in 451 A.D. The purpose of the Definition was to further defend the full divinity and humanity of Christ from several heresies, while preserving the Creator-creature distinction. 

All non-Christian societies are fundamentally what Peter Jones calls “oneist.” Oneism teaches that everything is essentially one, part of the same basic substance, and therefore oneism is pantheistic. Christianity is the lone religion in the world that teaches “twoism,” that there are fundamentally two different realities: God and everything else. This has profound implications for all of life, including how we think about politics and power. 

The Texts: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things” (Rom. 1:21-23).

“Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end” (Ps. 102:25-27). 

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). 

SUMMARY OF THE TEXTS

The center of human rebellion is the refusal to acknowledge God as He truly is and that is “uncorruptible” and utterly unlike anything in creation, all of which is “corruptible,” and refusing to be thankful for this reality, people become foolish idolaters (Rom. 1:21-23). Likewise, Psalm 102 describes God as the Creator of all things in heaven and on earth, and the difference between the Creator and His creation is that creation perishes, wears out, and changes, but the Creator endures, remains the same, and has no end (Ps. 102:25-27). Finally, the Bible says there is only one God and one mediator between God and man: Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). 

THE COUNCILS & HERESIES

Leading up to the Council of Nicaea in 325, a pastor named Arius taught that Jesus was not fully God, but rather was a man who was very much like God. Arius taught that there was “a time” (so to speak) when the Son was not. He said, the Son had a beginning. Athanasius and others argued that Christ was fully God and was therefore of the “same substance” with the Father (“homoousias”). The later Arians would say that Christ had a “similar substance” with the Father (“homoiousias”). This really is a watershed issue. If Jesus is merely the highest created being, the most exalted creature, right next to God, then the Creator-creature divide has collapsed. Instead of the infinite chasm between God and His creation that the Bible teaches, there is a ladder, a hierarchy or gradation of “being” that may ascend to Godhead. 

The Council of Nicaea concluded that Athanasius was correct and published the Nicene Creed which affirms that Christ is fully God and fully man, eternally begotten, “not made,” and of the same substance with the Father. The Council of Chalcedon came along in 451 and further nailed the coffin shut on Arianism (and other Christological heresies), insisting that the Divine and human natures come together in Christ “without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.” While this might seem esoteric or pedantic, it really is glorious. It is saying that the Creator-creation distinction remains intact even in the one mediator between God and man. There is no hierarchy of being ascending and merging into God. There is only God and everything else, and Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and everything else, and in His person, those two natures are united “without confusion, without change, without division, without separation, the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union.”

CHALCEDONIAN POLITICS

The political ramifications for this are enormous. The tendency of all cultures dedicated to “oneism” is toward the Tower of Babel: consolidating global resources and power in an effort to ascend to Heaven, whether literally or simply by achieving heaven/utopia. This process always includes leaders claiming the authority of God/gods. In the ancient world, Pharaoh was the human representative of the sun god, Ra, and in Rome, Caesar was hailed as the divine “lord” and son of Jupiter. When the early Christians acclaimed Jesus as “Lord” and “Son of God,” this was in direct defiance of the emperor cult. Later, when the Roman Pope claimed to be the universal pontiff and exercised massive political power, it was somewhat based on the supposed authority to change bread and wine into the flesh and blood of God. Political power has often been exercised under the guise of unlimited divine power. But the Biblical religion has always insisted that all authority comes from God and is therefore “under God” and limited by God and His Word. While modern governments have not yet had the audacity to openly claim this divinity, this hasn’t stopped them from acting like it in their totalitarian claims on our property, income, children, and healthcare. 

APPLICATIONS

What we are celebrating at Christmas is not only our eternal salvation but also freedom from every kind of tyranny, beginning with death itself, but also sin, the Devil, and all Satanic manipulation, oppression, and power grabs. The state is not God, nor is it the mediator between God and man. And no one can ascend to God or Heaven. The One born in Bethlehem, He is the eternal Son of God, the Lord and only mediator between God and Man. All earthly authorities answer to Him. Christmas means limited government. 

And this is why the Kingdom goes forth as proclamation, baptism, communion, and worship. There is nothing that we can do to ascend to God in Heaven. There is no way for us to cross that chasm, and our sin only makes the distance greater. Only God can come to us, and so He has.

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The Authority of Gratitude

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INTRODUCTION

As we have all enjoyed the blessings of a Thanksgiving holiday just a few days ago, I thought it appropriate to spend some time on a little understood aspect of gratitude or thanksgiving. We of course understand how pleasant gratitude is. In addition, we readily grasp the duty of expressing our thanksgiving to God. We grasp that gratitude is something that is critical in keeping our faith renewing and constantly growing. The spiritual food we partake of every Lord’s Day is called the Eucharist, from the Greek word for giving thanks, which is eucharisto. But what I want to focus on this morning is what might be called the authority of gratitude. 

THE TEXT

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain” (Philippians 2:14–16). 

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The opposite of thanksgiving is grumbling or complaining. The carping, critical voice is one that repeatedly came under the judgment of God in Scripture, and being under the heavy hand of God is the opposite of entering into an authoritative position. Paul here instructs believers to do everything without complaining (v. 14) The result of this is that it will not be possible to assign blame or fault to such a one—“blameless and harmless” (v. 15). It is fitting that there be no blame or rebuke because we are the sons of God, and we are to contrast sharply against the backdrop of a crooked and perverse generation. It is as though they are the pitch black sky, and we are the stars arrayed across that sky. Such non-complaining Christians are privileged to hold forth the word of life, and this is a cause of great rejoicing for Paul. His race was not run in vain, and his work was not conducted in vain (v. 16). 

WITHOUT COMPLAINING

Paul requires that we do everything without complaining or grumbling. That word everything encompasses quite a lot, realize. No complaints about the weather, or the food, or the traffic, or the husband, or the wife, or the children, or the economy, or the administration, or the tool that just broke. 

Now there is a tightrope to walk here. This is a very imperfect world, and many things in it require correction. Many professions are correcting professions, and they are lawful professions—coaches, teachers, copyeditors, judges, policemen, reformers, guitar instructors, driving instructors, pastors, parents, and so on. Now with so much correction being required, what we to do with this requirement to do everything without complaining or grumbling? We are to enter into the task of helping others without exuding the sense that we are personally aggrieved. Those in positions of authority over others must banish from their lives all traces of self interest. 

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). 

THREE MARKERS OF AUTHORITY

In this short passage, Paul gives us three phrases that we can tie into the gift of authority. Those phrases are sons of God, lights in the world, and holding forth the word of life.

Sons of God: There is authority involved in becoming a son of God. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power [authority, exousia] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). There is authority in putting to death the sins of the flesh. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14). And there is an authority that is building to a crescendo. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). 

Lights in the world: Shining as lights in the world is something that the world knows how to link back to the Father in heaven. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16). 

Holding forth the word of life: A messenger or a sent one always brings with him the authority of the sender. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; That bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; That saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth!” (Isaiah 52:7). 

When our lives are characterized by gratitude, and we are freed from the whining spirit that affects us so easily, what does this do? It proclaims that we are living out the message that we are holding in our hands. It means that we shine like an array of stars against a very dark night. It means that we are the adopted sons of God, and that when the world comes into its rights, we will be manifested as the sons of God. And all of this, taken together, means that authority will come to you naturally. It is not something you will need to raise your voice in order to get. In fact, just the opposite.

Gratitude is one of the basic foundation stones of all true authority.  

THE THANKFUL CHRIST

In this, as in everything else, our task is to look to Christ. We look to Him first as our Savior, and then, having received the gift of a full and complete salvation, we look to Him as our example. If you look to Him as your example first, there will be nothing for you there but despair. You can’t jump that high. 

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

We look to His suffering first. And then, after that, we follow in His steps. And what does Christ do after His great triumph. He praises God in the midst of the congregation (Ps. 22:22, 25). He sees the travail of His soul, and is satisfied (Is. 53:11). He did what He did because of the joy set before Him (Heb. 12:2). And He, with the most gratitude, has been granted all authority (Matt. 28:18-20). 

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Fervent Prayer (Troy)

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INTRODUCTION

Prayer is a tricky thing. You know that God is sovereign, that He has predestined all things, and knows the words that you will speak even before you speak them. In light of this truth, you may develop an attitude that thinks prayer is irrelevant. Then, when a trial arises and you begin to fear, and prayer will become an exercise in worrying before God. Both of these attitudes are disobedient and result in disobedience because they flow from doubt and unbelief. The reality is that believing, fervent prayer is potent and necessary for obedience. It is a wonderful privilege. 

TEXT 

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. (James 5:16-18 KJV).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

A wooden translation of the beginning of verse 16 would be, “confess to one another the trespasses.” Which trespasses? The sense here is to confess to your brother the specific trespasses which you committed against him. The second thing we are to do, is pray for each other, so that we might be healed or cured. Prayer can do that? Yes, a righteous man’s effective prayer makes great things happen (v. 16). For example, Elijah, who had fingers, toes, and a human nature just like you, prayed earnestly, and his prayer changed the weather: it stopped the rain for three and a half years (v. 17). Then he prayed again, and rain and crops returned (v. 18).

A NATURE LIKE OURS

James knows that it is difficult to believe that prayer can accomplish things like healing, so he uses Elijah as example to increase your faith. Elijah was special. He did a variety of miracles which you have only ever seen repeated on a flannel board. He was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. And yet, James cites Elijah as an example you can and must imitate when it comes to prayer. Elijah was righteous in Christ, you are righteous in Christ. Elijah was human, and you are just as human. Elijah’s prayers caused things to happen that are impossible for us to do on our own, and James’ says you have that same privilege with God. If you have God’s ear just as Elijah did—and he changed the weather—is God able and willing to answer your prayers?

This is all very exciting, except that what James says may not match your experience. Perhaps you have tried the whole Elijah thing, and you have decided that it was just one of those interesting Bible times phenomena. If this is the case, consider a more modern example. Many know George Müller as the orphanage guy, but actually, one of the chief reasons Müller started the orphanage was to encourage men to trust in God. So often, believers would hesitate to be obedient because they were afraid of the consequences, and they didn’t believe their prayers availed much. In an effort, strengthen their faith and trust in God, Müller started an orphanage which grew to an immense size and neither he nor his staff ever asked for even so much as a penny from anyone except God. God faithfully provided for the orphanage year after year, decade after decade. He heard the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man. 

In the upper room discourse on the night before Jesus died, Jesus says that prayer is the means by which we will bring glory to the Father, bear lasting fruit, and have our joy made full (John 14:13, 15:16, 16:24). Jesus doesn’t just give instruction on the blessing and privilege of prayer, Jesus commands His disciples to ask. You are commanded to pray and to trust; this privilege is God’s gift to you.

EFFECTIVE PRAYER

What does an effective, earnest, fervent prayer look like? Effective means it really changes things, earnest means serious, and fervent means burning.  Prayers that would not fit into this category are prayers forgotten the moment the words leave your lips, or spoken without your mind engaged; prayers made with a doubting heart; and prayers offered up along with unrepentant sin.

No, an effective and burning prayer seeks God’s glory and as such it is directly connected to obedience. Elijah’s prayer for a drought showed that YHWH’s power was greater than that of Baal, the storm god. When Elijah told Ahab the rain was going to come, he was showing that YHWH is the God who brings rain and fruitfulness. 

Ernest prayer is persistent, and overflows from a lifestyle of prayer.  Elijah prayed three times to raise the widow’s son, and he prayed seven times for the rain to start and each time, he checked for the answer with expectation. (1 Kings 17:21, 18:43). This isn’t vain repetition—this is fervency—this is waiting for God like the watchman waits for the morning. Elijah prayed one short simple prayer when God answered with fire from heaven on the sacrifice (1 Kings 18:36). 

Effective and fervent prayer also includes risk and moves to action. Elijah’s prayers were specific and put both his and God’s reputation on the line. Elijah’s obedience was tied directly to his prayers. He poured water on the sacrifice and predicted the rain before he prayed. He had skin in the game.

OBEDIENT PRAYER

You have been given the gift of prayer. You have a general understanding of what it should look like. But how do you get started? What if you mess it up? What if God still says no? Imagine for a moment that God just gives you what you ask like the wishes given by a genie. This by itself could be a really scary thing. Thankfully, God knows that you might ask for bad things, and He loves you enough not to give it to you. So, don’t worry if you pray badly. God will say no. Then you learn something! At least what not to ask for, and what to ask for next time. 

Practically, start by praying specifically, do what is in your power to further your request, check your motives, ask God to show you any sin that needs to be confessed and forsaken, and then look with expectant hope for the answer. For example, we are commanded to love our enemies and pray for them (Matt 5:44). It is wildly easier to love someone you are bitter toward if you have been praying for him. 

 

Ask for things you have been promised in the Scriptures. Look for what God would have in a specific situation and pray that. If there is a Scriptural promise (like the prayer for wisdom in James 1) pray it with confidence. Pray the Psalms. Pray the Lord’s Prayer. Once you start looking, you will find that there are so many wonderful things that you are given to pray. Know that you will have what you asked for. Praying the Scriptures is so helpful as you get started because they include the most important things to pray for. But what about things that are not in the Scriptures? Like recovery from a grievous illness? In this case, pray for things that are both consistent with God’s character and which He has put on your heart—for things He has given you the faith to ask for. Here it is especially important to pray specifically so that you can actually tell if they were answered. This is part of learning to pray.

Prayer is like any other spiritual discipline in that it takes practice to do it well. Babies are limited in their abilities to give thanks well. Grow up in the discipline of prayer that you may thank and praise your God better each day. Don’t be discouraged or give up. James used the example of Elijah to inspire you. God does not tell us when or how He will answer, but trust that you have His ear. Trust that He has commanded you to ask, and that He is faithful. If you ever tempted to doubt God’s power to be able to perform your prayer, remember that He raised Jesus from the dead. If you are ever tempted to doubt His willingness, remember that He sent Jesus to die for your sins. “…they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.” (Ps 34:10). 

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