2014 has been a year of listening to God’s Word written in the letter of Pastor James of the 1st Church of Jerusalem to those members of his congregation scattered into a variety of cities by anti-Christian persecution. I began our studies with the series title “Together.” I called it that because, when I read through James’ pastoral letter several times, it struck me that he knew that the only way his people would be faithful through all that was happening to them was by walking together as a unified and loving community committed to following God’s Word. As we came to the Lenten season, I utilized James’ teaching from chapters 2–4 to help us search our hearts both individually and corporately in a series entitled “Examining Our Ways.” I will confess that God has used these Bible passages to do a work in my own heart. I trust that he has in yours as well.
As we come to the end of Pastor James’ letter, we see him returning strongly to the matter of what a community of faith must do when it is committed to Jesus as Lord. This weekend, we will see that a healthy local church must be a community of prayer and healing. In very practical and specific ways, James says that all people in a local church must respond together both to times of joy and sorrow because, in this world, all people will experience both good and bad times (5:13).
In 5:14–18, James takes much more time to tell his people that a community faithful to the Word must care for the sick. And, he tells local churches how we should go about that kind of care. James used very precise language to describe a church’s healing ministry. I imagine that he wrestled with the issues of the relationship of physical healing to God’s eternal healing of our soul as much as people in the 21st century do. Read through this passage carefully this week. May God give us both understanding minds and obedient hearts. I pray that we will become a church committed more and more fully to the ministries of prayer and healing—for our bodies, our emotions, our relationships, and our eternal souls.
Thanks be to God!
To His Glory,
Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor
