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Empowering multimedia ministry for bold Christian living: Weekend Messages, Deep End Podcast, Deep Dive Bible Study. Tim Hatch, Lead Pastor, Waters Church, 26 years of pastoral ministry, book author.
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0:00 You are listening to Waters Church podcast. Waters Church is a multisite, multigeneration community of faith on the East Coast of America. Now for a message from our pastor.0:13 I wanna talk to you about how I need the church, let me count the ways. How I need the church, let me count the ways. I love the0:25 truth, and I love the church. I love the church of Jesus. The church is the only organization that Jesus ever started. By the way, it's the only organization that Jesus is0:36 still building, and it's the only organization that Jesus is coming back for to claim for himself. Amen. When I say the church and listen to me first time0:48 or second time visitors or guests, I am not talking about only this church. This is a small c church that is part of the big c,1:00 capital c church that the Lord Jesus is building in America, and in Africa, and in Australia and in Europe and all corners of the earth.1:12 The bible ends with a beautiful picture where the Lord Jesus is sitting upon the throne, and around that throne are the 24 elders and the 4 living creatures and every person that the Lord has called1:24 himself from every tongue, nation, tribe, and clan. And they are all singing praise to the lamb who was slain and purchased for himself men and1:36 women back to God. We are the redeemed of the Lord. And I used to sing a song. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. If you're redeemed, shout1:48 so. Amen. I'm excited about the church. I'm excited about what you're gonna do with me and our elders in establishing new churches and1:59 reaching new people groups with the church. And I am I owe everything that I have and everything that I am to the church. I do. I found my wife in church. Well, she2:11 found me. Amen, somebody. I I had my 3 children in this church dedicated in this church. My best friends for life are in this2:23 church. I thank God for the people that God has surrounded me with in this church. In every generation of the church, there's gonna be trouble. Somebody say trouble.2:35 There's gonna be trials. And that's what James has been talking about. It starts right off with that topic, doesn't it? James chapter 1. If anyone's going through a trial, don't be surprised when you experience many2:47 trials of various kind. This is normal. This is regular programming to be troubled in life. Here's why the church is such an important aspect2:59 to your trouble. The church provides resource to your struggle. The church provides resource to your struggle. It's the place where you can3:10 get healing. It's the place where you can get ministry. It's the place where you can find community, where you can stop allowing the devil to have his way with you3:22 alone out there during the week roaming through life, living on your terms. It's where you can reorient your life, your mind, your thoughts around heaven, around the purposes of3:33 God. And so today, I wanna talk to you about the church because, there is a pandemic that is still happening in the modern world, especially in America. Actually, primarily in America3:45 and in the Christianized West. We have lost our love for the church. Americans go to church on average 20 percent of the3:57 population. 20 percent of the American population goes to church on a regular basis. That is down from 50 percent just a few decades4:09 ago. That's a 30 percent cut in church attendance. What, I ask you, has gone up as church attendance has gone down?4:21 I will tell you, anxiety, depression, suicide, and listen, mental illness are all on the4:33 bell curve rise as church attendance goes down. And don't think for 1 moment that those statistics are not linked.4:46 The less we know the father, the more we know stress. The less we know the lord Jesus, the more4:58 we know depression. The less we know the truth of God's word about us, the more of confusion about who5:10 we are and what we are, we will experience. I have no qualms in telling you that literally, the church can5:21 save your life. Harvard Research, Harvard University, sometimes they get it right. And they found through their own survey that church5:33 attendance amongst Americans significantly lowered rates of depression, suicide, and listen to this parents, substance abuse. You5:45 want your kids off drugs? Get them into the house of God. You want your family healthy in mind and body? Make church a non negotiable for your5:56 home. God give us some Joshua's in this generation who will stand boldly and proudly and say, as for me and my house, we6:08 will serve the Lord. No more no more sissy footed men maybe going to church and then acting6:19 like animals after church during the NFL football game of their choice. No men who are more dedicated to the Lord than to any sports team or any money6:31 making scheme or any ambition of life I guarantee, will change our country and change our world for the better. Jesus said, my church will be6:43 built and the gates of hell will not prevail against the church. It's a winning organization, and I'm proud to be part of it. And as I just told you a few moments6:55 ago, even I need it. So I'm gonna give you 6 benefits of the church. 6 benefits of the church for you. From James chapter 5 12 to7:07 20, write number 1 down. The church is a place of truth. We speak honestly. The church is a place of truth. Where can you find truth today?7:19 We're living in the times that Isaiah prophesied about. Truth will be cast into the streets. We have, absolute confusion amongst our young people about their identity, about,7:31 their gender, about their sexuality, about, what it means to be human. Why? Because truth has been, demonized. This has been a grand7:43 failed experiment of postmodernism to believe that everything is relative and what you feel inside is your truth. I can't7:55 stand that statement. When anybody on television or on the radio or on a podcast tells you, this is my truth. Please ignore it8:06 because there is no such thing as my truth, and there is no such thing as your truth. There is simply the truth. Jesus said, you8:18 shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. It's very possible that people are in bondage to mental illness today because they're8:30 so wrapped up in their truth, they don't give their hearts to the truth when the truth would set them free from all of that nonsense. This is not8:42 up for debate. No. This is what Jesus said about himself. He said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No 1 comes to the father outside of me.8:54 And people will argue about 1 way to God and how exclusive that is and intolerant that is. And and I just wanna say very care very clearly, it's the most9:06 inclusive exclusive way to the father you can possibly find. It's the most inclusive, exclusive way to the father anyone can talk about. Because Jesus said it doesn't9:18 matter if you're Muslim. It doesn't matter if you're an agnostic. It doesn't matter if you've been a a terrible human being. All can come freely through his shed blood at the9:29 cross into a right relationship with the father. There's hope for everybody who's hearing me today. It doesn't matter where you come from. It doesn't matter what your background is. It doesn't matter if9:41 you were raised in the church, if you were a choir boy or an altar girl. It doesn't matter where you are and what you are. We all have equal access to the father through the gate that is the flesh9:53 of the Lord Jesus Christ that was torn in part on the cross so that we could come into the heavenly temple and meet with our father. That's the truth that sets men and women free,10:05 And the church must speak truth. The church must share truth, and the church must be honest. When you speak10:17 the truth, people might not like it. That's not your responsibility. Amen. Your responsibility is to be a person of the truth. And when we talk to each other, we must learn10:29 the value of speaking honestly. Here's what James says. Let's let's unpack verse 12. He says, but above all, just underline in your notes, above all. Above all, my brothers do not10:40 swear. When he talks about swearing, he's not talking about cursing. There are other biblical passages I could give you that talk about swearing or cursing. This is not 1 of them. He's10:52 talking about taking an oath. That's why he says either by heaven or by earth. He says, just say yes or just say no. And do this so that you will not be judged. Now,11:04 when he talks about do not swear here, it's kind of interesting because we're at the end of James' letter, and James is actually practicing what he's preaching in this text. In ancient Greek text, letters,11:16 they would end the letter with a solemn oath that what they shared in the letter was true. And I love this because James just ignores that. And he says, I don't need11:28 to tell tell you that. In fact, I'm gonna take the normal place in ancient letters where they would swear what I said was truthful, and I'm gonna tell you, let's not be people like that. Here's the11:40 problem with taking oaths. It creates divided speech. There's a speech that people don't have to listen to, and there's a speech that people do have to11:52 listen to. Now, we automatically do this even as children. Raise your hand if you've ever said, I swear to God. Or how12:04 about this? I cross my and hope to and stick a needle. Why? Do you know how many12:16 people need a needle in their eye? Or they say things like, on my mother's grave or on my children's lives.12:28 This is creating divided speech. God's people must not be divided speech people. Just say12:40 what you mean and mean what you say. By the way, the Pharisees had this problem. In Jesus' day, the most religious group amongst the Jude the religion of Judaism in the first12:52 century. And Jesus excoriates them over this in Matthew 23. This is not on the screen, but he says, woe to you. This is verse 16. Blind guys, you say if anyone swears by the temple, it's nothing. But if he swears by the13:04 gold of the temple, he's bound by his oath. Then he says later, you say if anyone swears by the altar, it's nothing. But if they swear by the gift on the altar, he is bound by his own. What happens with divided speech is13:14 we start to play games with our mouths. We start to act inauthentic. We start to suggest to people that we're not trustworthy. Maybe the reason13:26 why you find yourself constantly having to up the ante with your speech is because people are used to not having to believe you. And that's13:38 what James is talking about here. You've got to speak truthfully to 1 another. And sometimes it hurts to say truthful things, not even about13:49 them. Sometimes it hurts to say things about yourself. And even in marriage, we need to learn to speak truthfully. When anybody tells me that they don't fight14:01 in marriage, I gotta be honest with you. I don't believe them. I think somebody's not telling the truth. There's no way you could take 2 people from 2 different14:13 families who are raised in different environments, put them together for life, and they never have an argument, a fuss, or a fight. You must fight not14:25 each other, but fight out the differences and the issues that you are wrestling with in your home. I like to tell men, you don't fight in marriage.14:36 You fight for the marriage. You work it out, but you've got to tell the truth. You've got to say what's real. You've got to you've got to speak in a way14:48 that's honest with each other so that you're trustworthy, so that our friendships and our relationships are real. And we have a conversation that is believable.15:00 James says, this is what the world needs. I I always get a little bit frustrated when when I hear the songs on the radio. They talk about love. What the world needs now is love, sweet15:12 love. Look, what the world needs now is truth. Sweet truth. We've tried the all you need is love experiment for 60 plus years in this country. It hasn't worked. We15:24 need truth. We need honest speech. We need truthfulness in our confession when we've failed As I hope I have modeled for you today. Look, we're15:36 humans. We will mess up. We will get it wrong. There's nothing wrong with you telling the truth about your faults, about who you are, about15:47 sharing where you failed. I believe that people will will appreciate it. I I I think that there is a, a sense that comes over the church, and and this is particular15:59 to the church where we have to fake like we're all together. Like, we have to fake like we don't sin, and we don't wrestle with sin, and we16:11 don't struggle through sometimes besetting sins and and repetitive sins. And we have to put on a face and act spiritual. And and and here's what that does. It actually16:23 hurts people because they don't feel like they can belong to a place because they know they're not all together. And let us not be a church like that. Let us be a church that is freely admitting that we don't have it all16:35 together. That we're still a work in progress. That we fail God a number of times every single week. But in spite of our sins, his grace is still sufficient.16:47 This is a place for failures. This is a place for those who don't have it all together. And if you're here for the first time and you're looking for the perfect church, can I tell you, keep looking because you haven't16:59 found 1 in Waters Church? And if you are perfect, don't come. We'll mess you up. Amen somebody. It's alright to speak honestly. And what James wants is a17:11 community where we just say what we mean. That's what's gonna help people. That's what's going to bring us together. Number 2, the church is a place of17:23 power. We pray earnestly. Somebody say, earnestly. Earnestly. And this is where James takes us in verse 13. We find our17:34 power in prayer. Look what he says, verse 13, is anyone suffering? What do we do when we suffer? Pray. Now, notice that he didn't say, complain.17:48 Sometimes, I don't think people understand this, you're actually not praying to the Lord. You're just complaining to the Lord. You're just telling him all your problems. And I have really18:00 no problem with that. In fact, some of the Psalms is David complaining. In fact, he actually says, here's my complaint. Oh, there's nothing wrong with that. But sometimes I think all we do is complain.18:12 And if you're suffering and everyone suffers somewhere in life, the answer is prayer. He says in verse 14, is anyone sick? Call for the others. We'll get to that. And he18:24 says, then in verse 16, the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Some of you gotta hear me today.18:35 You're lacking spiritual power. Do you know why? Because you do everything other than pray. You get counseling. You get therapy. You get advice.18:48 You get money, and all of those things can come and go. But only prayer leads to spiritual power. Jesus said you Jesus said you18:59 ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find knock and the door will be open. Now the text is actually in the present perfect, which means Jesus is saying, keep19:11 on asking and you will receive. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on. Come on somebody. Knock and the door will be open. Some of you have given19:23 up just short of the miracle coming to pass. I was in my own biblical, devotional bible reading today, and I stumbled upon19:34 Daniel chapter 10. And I saw the text that reminded me of Daniel's time in Persia when he was in exile and estranged to his neighbors and his community. The Bible says that19:46 he gave himself to fasting and prayer for 21 days. And for 21 days of fasting and prayer, Daniel saw nothing change. 21 days of19:59 I don't know about you, but after about a week of fasting and prayer, I expect something to happen. I think that that's, you know, that's a little bit of what God owes me. Now that's a dangerous20:10 mindset. But Daniel saw nothing happen for 3 weeks of fasting and prayer. And then on 3 weeks, the Bible says the angel showed up and said, greetings, Daniel. And I wanna20:22 tell you, you are greatly loved by the Lord. I don't know about you, but sometimes I just need to hear that from my father. I just need to hear that I'm still loved. Amen. If I know20:34 I'm loved, I can do all things. Amen. But then he says, I wanna tell you, that from the moment you started praying, I went to work for20:46 you. I went to work from the moment 3 weeks ago when you started praying in fact, I started work. This is the angel of the Lord. And he says, but the prince of the of Persia, the the the spiritual force of20:57 wickedness, fought against me and resisted me. Some of you gotta get this picture from that text in your mind. When you pray, you are entering into an unseen spiritual21:09 battle that is real in the heavenly realm. If you just offer up, you know, the hail Mary prayer, not the literal hail Mary. I mean, the, you know, big great big wish prayer or21:21 or a prayer that is just kinda like, you know, spur of the moment or off the you know, you gotta understand. There is something called fervent prayer where you're where you realize you're entering21:33 into battle, where you realize you're entering into a stronghold situation in the unseen realm, and you start to take authority in Jesus' name. You lift your21:45 voice. You call on heaven and know this from the moment you start, angels go to work. Angels go to work. Can I ask you, are you putting your angels to21:57 work? Are you making them busy over your home, over your children? I want my angels assigned. Anybody with me on that? I assign them regularly to my children, to my children's22:09 cars Cause once your kids start driving, then you really start praying. Amen, somebody. I want them over. I've been praying over my children's spouses, and my children don't even have girlfriends and boyfriends yet.22:21 Why should I wait until the wrong 1 shows up before I start praying? Amen, someone. Start praying before the wrong 1 shows up. Keep that sucker away from your22:33 child in Jesus name. Look at verse 17. Elijah, he says, was a man with a nature like he was just like us. We look at Elijah, we say, oh, I could never. He was22:45 just like you. He's not more special. It's just that he prayed what? Fervently. I I I think that's basically the the way James is putting it22:57 here. Don't don't think that these people were any more special than you. There is an Elijah sitting among us right now. You've just gotta activate your prayer23:09 life. You're an Elijah in the making. He says he prayed fervently my mind rain, and then he prayed again, and the Lord and the heavens gave rain. By the way,23:21 the word prayed fervently in the Greek text is in praying, he prayed. I love that because what it means is he didn't just speak. He actually called out to God. There is a difference. There's a difference between23:32 rote and routine and organized religion prayers and real from the heart cries out to God. Amen. Some of you have been23:44 there. I've been there. I've been through moments where I'm just dried up spiritually. I don't feel it and I still pray. But I've been in those moments where I just get to that end of my23:56 rope moment with the Lord and I just say, Lord, I've had enough and I need and I start to just let him know from the gut, from the deep down areas of my life. The scripture says in the Psalms,24:07 deep calls out to deep. There's a deep thing in you. Sometimes it's gotta come out. Sometimes you gotta get less religious and more intentional.24:19 Listen. God's not gonna be surprised by what you enunciate to him. He's never gonna be shocked. He already knows what's going on. What I think sometimes is God is trying to draw out that deepness in our hearts24:31 and connect it to his deepness in his heart so that through the challenge and the trial that we see God go to work for through the angelic armies all around us, we start to develop a spiritual super connection with our24:43 father in heaven, and we're stronger for the battles to come because of the battles in our past. Number 3, the church is a place of gladness. We sing joyfully. Now, let me just talk about this24:55 for a moment because some of you don't sing. And I know you don't sing because I watch sometimes. And25:07 I don't want you to feel guilt, I want you to feel inspired. We should be a singing people. Sing to the Lord. The25:18 Bible says over and over again. Do you know that the Bible commands us to sing to the Lord 50 times? I think that when God says something 50 times, I don't know about you, but I think25:30 he means it. Some of you say, I don't sing well. That's why you're there and not here.25:42 We've put you in the right place. James 5 13 says, is anyone cheerful? Are you happy? Now, not everybody is happy because he's asked, is anyone suffering? The suffering25:54 people are not happy. They should pray. And if you can't sing because you're not happy, I understand that. But if you're happy, sing. If you're happy, praise26:06 the Lord. What did the people of Israel do as soon as pharaoh's army was drowned in the Red Sea? The bible says that Miriam took up the tambourine. That's where the tambourine started by the way.26:19 Back in Exodus 15. And she started hitting that thing and the bible says in verse 21 of Exodus 15, sing to the Lord for he is triumphed gloriously. The horse and the rider, that's the26:30 chariots of Egypt. He is thrown into the sea. The Bible says in Colossians 3 16, let the word of Christ draw on you richly. Now now listen to me, Bible people. I I wanna talk to the26:42 bible people today. Not every 1 of you is a bible person. And I know who many of you are, and you know who you are. Not everyone knows who you are.26:54 You're the people. You love the Bible. You love a good Bible study. You love a chapter and a verse. You you bring your Bible to27:06 work. You love it. Your eyes go wide when I say, now the Greek text is blah blah blah blah blah blah27:18 blah. The rest of the people, I could be making it up. They have no idea. You know, you hold me accountable. You'll send me an email. But I find that some of the people who27:29 love this book the most sing the least. Man, you gotta love the word, but more importantly, you gotta love the Lord of the27:41 word. And I think that there is something to be said for connecting our hearts to God in song. Again, Colossians 3 16, let the word of Christ dwell27:52 in you, what? Richly. Richly, teaching and admonishing 1 another in all wisdom. Notice, comma, not28:04 period. You following? Comma. Next word? Singing psalms. The word psalm actually is the Greek word28:15 in the text from James 5 13. If anyone is cheerful, let him salta. From which we get the text, the name Psalm. Sing a28:27 Psalm to the Lord and hymns and spirit. There are 3 kinds of song. Psalms, which I would say are doctrinally rich songs from the text, from the bible. You know how you can sometimes sing to the Lord28:38 and you know you're singing a good song? Is when you pick up the bible and you can find the lyrics of the song in the text. There are too many churches, and full disclosure, sometimes we28:50 get into them and I have to come and correct the team and say that song we do not sing again. Because that song is all about us. Or29:02 that song is basically a love song that you could hear on the radio that you basically just substituted the name Jesus for the lover. It's it's not always an emotional event. It's gotta be29:14 a doctrinally sound, biblically sound. I want you to sing truthful things. Amen. I want you to sing things that are gonna lift your heart because it brings truth into your mind. Now,29:26 here's another thing in fact about singing is that singing yields memorization. Is that it does. My country tis of the29:38 Sweet land of the living. Okay. Stop. Because that's exactly why you're there. But I just heard just then, love it. Stay where you are.29:51 But you learned facts through singing. My earliest memories growing up in the church was learning to sing and learning about Jesus through my30:02 songs. Right? And and these are important aspects to the human condition. Now listen to me, unhealthy people. I think this is why James talks about singing30:14 before he talks about healing. Because we've got research that shows that singing, believe it or not, leads to healing. It does. Singing has been30:26 linked to let me just share some stats. Increased levels of immunoglobulin. This is an antibody that fights off infection and leads to, the elimination of the30:37 stress reduce stress inducing hormones in your body. Singing lowers, adrenaline and cortisol, promoting a relaxed state conducive to healing.30:49 Singing strengthens the diaphragm, which helps soothe respiratory issues such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD. Singing promotes heart31:01 health. A 2013 study found that singing synchronized with other people creates a sense of calm upon the human heart and the cardiovascular system.31:13 Singing also releases oxytocin. This is the love hormone, which is why we sing so many stinking songs about people we love. Do you love the Lord? Some some of you will say,31:25 I wish I loved the Lord more. Turn on some worship music and start joining in in your car ride on the way to work. I31:36 don't know. Is anybody like me? You could use a little less stress on your way to work. Anybody like me? Alright. Turn on some worship. It is so stinking easy today. We've got no excuse. We've got these little31:48 pocket walkie Walkmans with us. These remember Walkmans? You know, those were great, man. I'll never forget the first time I put on those Walkman headphones and my world was transformed.32:00 I mean, sometimes we forget how easy it is today. You can go to YouTube and search worship music, and sometimes that's what I do. I just and you'll even tell Alexa to do this. I'll say, Alexa,32:12 play worship music. Everybody watching at home now is gonna be all frustrated. This is how you start to bring the presence of God32:24 into your home. Amen? Health. Now, number 4, bringing up health. The the church is a place of healing. We care holistically. Now, pause on your concern over the word holistic.32:36 I'm not talking about candles and rubs. I'm talking about whole life health, which I believe is biblical.32:49 Here's what James says, is anyone among you sick? Now, word sick here is In the Greek text of the Bible, it refers to physical33:00 ailments, illness, or listen to me, weakness because you're just wiped out. How many know that the battles of33:12 life can just make you weak after a while? That's what he's talking about here. So if you're in any of those conditions, what does he say? Call for the elders of the why call for the elders church? Well, maybe they were33:23 so weak they couldn't come to church. And by the way, we have a team of elders at every location where we will be happy to come and pray over you. Now why does he say elders? Because elders have to live according to33:34 a strict, you know, code of ethics amongst the people. They have they have to live the Christian life, not a higher life. No. No. No. No. Some people make that mistake. Well, Christians elders and pastors have to live a33:45 high no. No. We just have to live a Christian life. And it has to be evidenced, and it has to have no blemishes and no, you know, reproachable, evidence of out of alignment with God.33:57 So these are spiritual men that we trust. And sometimes when you're weak, you need someone stronger than you to come alongside and pray over you. That's what our elders are.34:09 These are strong men and women who serve with them as their wives. We don't name their wives elders, but we consider their wives spiritually strong women who will pray over the ladies of34:21 our church and and we don't want to, you know, create, you know, potential for sin and situations. So there's there's different ways and tactics we do. And at the end of every service, our small group leaders are part of34:33 a prayer team at every location they come up and they are there. That is a resource for you to use whenever you're struggling in life. Every week.34:45 Some of you don't take advantage of it. I wanna encourage you to take advantage of it. Some of you say, well, I don't wanna look weak. So you just wanna feel weak? I don't wanna depend on34:57 people. Well, get over that because we all depend on everybody. I depend on the wonderful lady at the Dunkin Donuts drive through who pours my coffee and doesn't spit in it. Amen,35:08 somebody. That I depend on that person. Thank God for that per Yeah? And it's Christmas season. Please tip them extra. Okay? But anyway, you you have35:20 a resource. And then he says, anoint him with oil. I I did a lot of study on this, and basically, it comes down to this. This is about using medicine. In the ancient world, oil35:32 was applied to soothe the wounds of the hurting. In fact, the good Samaritan applies wine and oil to the wounds of the man who had been beaten. And in Isaiah 6, it talks about the oil35:43 that is applied to the wounds. So this is take your medicine and pray. Did you hear me? We are not the kind of church that tells35:55 you all medicine is a lack of faith. That's ridiculous. That's an extreme. Take your med now, I will add this qualifier. Please36:07 check the medicine. Maybe the medicine is a product that a pharmaceutical company is just trying to foist on the American people.36:18 And there are some nefarious character. Not all. There are some nefarious characters around the pharmaceutical industry. So check. And at the same time, some of your health problems36:30 are for a lack of good diet. Some of you are eating the wrong foods and then you pray for healing. And God is up there as you pray that he would36:42 bless your triple quarter pounder with cheese smothered in cheese and all kinds of grease, and you say, now, Lord, bless this food to the nourishment of our36:53 bodies. You shouldn't be asking for blessing. You should be asking for forgiveness. That's what you should be doing. Sometimes when I'm eating pizza, I'm like, Lord, forgive me. But it's just that good.37:06 Anyway, some of you, your lack of exercise, bodily activity, holistic healing. By the way, he says, not just anoint with oil, but pray in the name of the Lord.37:18 The name of the Lord is the qualifier of our prayers that we pray in accordance with gospel. Then he says in verse 15, and the prayer of faith will save the 1 who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. Then he says,37:30 and if he has committed sins, the Lord he will be forgiven. Some of our sickness is because of sin. Now people don't wanna hear this. And and Paul talks about this in first Corinthians 11, that some were sick and some37:41 had died in the church because they were sinning. Some of your sicknesses is because you don't regard the Lord's commands in regards to sex, in regards to diet, in37:53 regards to, forgiveness. You know that for an unforgiving spirit can lead to sickness. They've done studies about this. So holistic healing. And38:05 as I I think also why you call the elders so that the elders can hold you accountable to God's word. Sometimes when we pray, we should say, wait a second. Let me ask you. Is there something in your life that's keeping38:16 you sick, unwell? Is there an action? Is there a sinful habit? Is there something you need to confess? Which brings me to point number 5. Let's write let's go down to point number 5. The church is a place of confession.38:28 We find freedom. This 1, we avoid like the plague, and it's 1 of the best gifts the church has got. Confession of sin to 1 another. Here's what he says, verse 15,38:40 and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. That is the sick person. Therefore, he continues, verse 16, confess your sins to who? 1 another. And pray for 1 another that you may be healed.38:52 Healing comes through confession. Psalm 3 7 says, do not be wise in your eyes. Fear the Lord. Turn away from evil. Turn away from evil, and it will be39:04 healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. David talked about what happened when he kept sin to himself. Psalm 32 3. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through39:15 my groaning. For day and night, your hand was heavy upon me, and my strength dried up as in the heat of summer. In other words, a lack of confession will just sap the strengthShow more
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