How to react when you are sick!

James 5:14-18

I.   When we are sick we are first of all to seek God! II Chronicles 16:12. Prayer and the Lord should be your first thought not your last straw!

a.      The Instructions

                                                              i.      Call for the elders of the church (elders are the pastors and spiritual leaders of the church)

1.      They sent for the elders

2.      The elders came

3.      So probably not a public service

                                                            ii.      The elders pray over the person

                                                          iii.      They anoint with oil in the name of the Lord—this oil is not magic but most likely a symbol of the Holy Spirit and His ministry. It is His power. The miraculous gifts of the apostles given to a person seemed to have ceased with the apostles II Corinthians 12:12, I Corinthians 13:10

                                                           iv.      We are to believe that God is going to work—our willingness to believe Him affects how much He will do in our lives Matthew 13:58, Mark 6:5-6

b.      This anointing was a time of confessing sin. There are many Bible examples of people being sick or hurt due to sin in their lives.

                                                              i.      Faults were to be confessed—confess means to openly acknowledge your error and repent of it

                                                            ii.      It appears that this sin might be the result of sin in the life of this believer.

                                                          iii.      Both from the one being anointed and those do the praying

                                                           iv.      They were to pray after they had confessed their faults

II. Why do we get sick?

a.      Much sickness is caused by a violation of Biblical teaching on cleanliness and separation

                                                              i.      God gave specific health instructions about cleanliness Deuteronomy 23:13

                                                            ii.      They were taught not to eat flesh of an animal that died of natural causes Leviticus 7:24

                                                          iii.      They were to separate contagious diseases like the lepers--unclean

                                                           iv.      God blesses the marriage bed so sacred sex is far more blessed and healthy than safe sex and its false protection Hebrews 13:4

                                                             v.      God hates and therefore curses sex with animals or the same sex Leviticus 18:22-23

                                                           vi.      The abuse of strong drink and wine can cause sickness “without cause” Proverbs 23:29-35

b.      Some sickness comes due to our sin I Corinthians 11:30, Psalms 38:1-8

c.      Some sickness is for the glory of God John 11:4, 9:3

d.      Some sickness is to cause us to die and go on to Heaven

III.                  Is it Biblically wrong to go to the doctor or take medicine? No!

a.      Luke was a doctor and traveled with Paul Colossians 4:14

b.      Jesus realized that sick people sick out doctors Luke 5:31 and didn’t say one negative word about that

c.      Doctors can’t handle every case. Luke 8:43

d.      Godly people used medicines per instructions II Kings 20:7, I Timothy 5:23

IV.               God has determined to hear and answer our prayers

a.      Learn to pray about your needs James 4:2

b.      Be careful that you know that it is what God wants James 4:3

c.      God doesn’t hear you because you are a certain person –subject to like passions James 5:17-18