2. Healthy Christians
make
Healthy Churches
The Church Re-Imagined

3. James 5:13-20
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is
anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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.

4. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he
prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three
years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18
Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and
the earth bore its fruit. 19 My brothers, if anyone
among you wanders from the truth and someone
brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever
brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his
soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

6. Is Anyone Suffering?
Let Him Pray

7. Quick Tour of Paul
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
2 Corinthians 4:7-12
2 Corinthians 11:24-27
2 Corinthians 12:7-10

8. Suffering Has Purpose
1 Peter 4:1 Since
therefore Christ suffered in the flesh,
arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for
whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from
sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the
flesh no longer for human passions but for the will
of God.

9. Suffering Has Purpose
James 1:2 Countit all joy, my brothers, when you meet
trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the
testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And
let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

11. Is Anyone Cheerful?
Let Him Sing Praise

12. Praise to God for His Comfort
2 Cor. 1:3 Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all
comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so
that we may be able to comfort those who are in
any affliction, with the comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share
abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ
we share abundantly in comfort too.

13. Rejoice Because Christ is Coming
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved,
do not be surprised at the fiery
trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though
something strange were happening to you. 13 But
rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that
you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is
revealed.

14. Healthy Christians
Pray to God and
Praise Him in All Things

16. Is Anyone Sick?
Let them Call the Elders

17. James 5:14
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.
Suffering is External Trouble
Sickness is Internal Suffering
1. The Sickness May Be Physical or Spiritual
2. The Ill Person Calls the Elders to Pray
3. The Elders Pray/Anoint in the Lord’s name
Two Types of Anointing were Practiced –
Medical and Sacramental

18. James 5:14
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.
James Admits the Need for Medicine
James Acknowledges the Need for God
The Physical and the Spiritual are Inseparable
Sacramental Anointing = Being set apart for the
specific plan of God’s work and glory
God’s New Purpose comes with Healing

19. Healthy Christians
Pray for God’s
New Purpose

20. James 5:15 And
the prayer (vow) 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.
Some Sickness is Related to Sin
1 Cor. 11:29 For
anyone who eats and drinks without
discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on
himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and
ill, and some have died.

21. • Adam and Eve’s Spiritual Sin had Immediate
Physical and Spiritual Consequences
• Cain’s Sin Had Physical and Spiritual
Consequences
Calling to God for Rescue and Healing is a
Repentant Prayer for a New Purpose for God’s Glory.
A New Lease on Life Comes with New Attention on
God and His Will.

22. James 1:6 But
let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for
the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is
driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person
must not suppose that he will receive anything from
the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man,
unstable in all his ways.
Prayer in faith = praying with absolute trust that
God has the answer and that He will answer. It is
not “expecting” what we hope, but “expecting” God
to hear and answer.

23. Healthy Christians
Repent to Live for God

24. James 5:16 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.
Confession = lit. continually admit your sins to one
another – means to agree and admit sin and guilt.
Prayer = Not just the elders – everyone
Healing from Sin and Illness can be Connected to
the Actions of Confession and Prayer

25. 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. 2 Bear one another’s
burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if
anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing,
he deceives himself.

26. What Would Have to Happen in Our Church for
Confession to Start Happening?
What Would Our Meetings, Small Groups, and Visits
Sound and Look Like?
What Kind of Love and Trust Would Our Church
Have to Have for This To Happen?
What Kind of Influence and Impact Would Our
Church Have if It Practiced James 5:16?

27. Healthy Christians
Confess Sin and Pray for
One Another

28. James 5:16 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. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like
ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain,
and for three years and six months it did not rain on
the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven
gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

29. Prayer is the Main Point
- Prayer of the suffering
- Praise of the comforted
- Prayer of the Elders for the weak
- Prayer of faith
- Prayer of the righteous
Righteousness – or people committed to obedience
to the Word of God are effective in prayer.
Should unrighteousness be an excuse not to pray?
Prayer may be the start of a renewed obedience.

30. Elijah – “My God is The Lord”
Ordinary Man – even suffered depression, fear,
anxiety, weakness, poverty, persecution, loneliness,
and even some faithless days.
Man of Faith Most of the Time – even raised a child
from the dead
Obedient, Righteous and Faithful to God – this
made him effective for God’s Glory

31. Healthy Christians are
Used by God to
Exalt His Name

32. Healthy Christians
Concentrate on Obedience
and God’s Glory