Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Special Services

Anointing With Oil

Intro: Remember the old nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty? Let's say it together.  'Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't put Humpty together again.' What a cruel nursery rhyme. Granted, Humpty Dumpty shouldn't have been sitting on a wall, but he still should have been able to be put back together again. After all, don't nursery rhymes always have happy endings?

     Today's message and worship service addresses that very issue. There are many people who are living broken lives: physically, emotionally, relationally and spiritually and are having a hard time getting it together. Some of you here this morning know exactly what I am talking about..because you are one of the broken people.

     Perhaps, we can then learn something thins morning from the old nursery rhyme. When he fell from the wall, to whom did he look for help?  'All the kings horses and all the kings men.' Were they able to put Humpty Dumpty back together again? No. He didn't realize from whom his help came. Who do you think Humpty Dumpty should have gone to?  The king! As so should we when we experience brokeness in our lives.

     You may be thinking, I already know that! GREAT! But, do you believe it? Are you doing it? If you are, hey, take a nap.
But if you are like me, and you struggle with following through on what you know to do to get the pieces of your life back together, then  you need to stay awake and listen.

Read: James 5:13a

     Is anyone in trouble, distressed, is there some problem in your life that won't go away? Perhaps, financial, relational or emotional? It's easy to complain, strike out, indulge in self pity or withdrawal into your own safe little world. But, that won't put the pieces of your life back together. What should you do? Pray. James tells us to bring our troubles to the Lord in prayer.

Ps. 55:1-3a 'Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear and answer me. My  thoughts trouble me and I am distrought...'

     The Psalmist knew, believed and practiced going to God in times of trouble. The Psalms are full of this kind of prayer. We can learn much about praying in times of trouble from them.

     Understand, however that as God responds to our prayer, He may not always remove the trouble, but he will either transform us by it, give us a new perspective on it or give us the strength to endure it.

     Is anyone in trouble, he should pray.

Read: James 5:13b
 
    Life is not always difficult. There are times of refreshing, times of joy and happiness for the Believer. How do you respond to these times? Go shopping, out to dinner, have a party, take the day off from work.  These are all fine, but not the most appropriate response to God who brought blessing into your life.

     What is? Singing! Can you believe that? Singing. It doesn't say sing well, (good thing huh Wes?) It says sing. Not a song from Janet Jackson or Sheryl Crow..but songs of praise. Praising God for who He is and thanking God for His goodness to you.

     But you may not like to sing. Doesn't matter, this is not a suggestion,  it is a command..from God. Each Sunday morning we give you many opportunities to obediently express you joy in the Lord through the songs we sing. Just something to think about.

     Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

Read: James 5:14-16

    James gives three instructions for those who are sick. Again these are in the imperative. That means they are not suggestions but commands.

1. Call the Elders. This is the simplest. Pick up the phone or have someone else call Wes and I. Call us if you are sick, you won't be bothering us.  We want to know.

2. Ask the Elders to Pray for you.
 We will pray for God to heal you and to give you patience. We will pray for wisdom and increased ability for the doctors. We will pray for strength for your family and for a quick recovery to wholeness. We will pray for God to comfort you in your time of affliction. Often with illness comes  feelings of loneliness and isolation. Sometimes just the physical presence of another person, who cares for you, can be a comfort and can help the healing process. Understand, this is not the gift of healing mentioned in 1 Cor. 12, it is a ministry of prayer given to the elders of the church.

3. Ask the elders to anoint you with oil.
 
    First let me tell you what this is not.

    Extreme Unction: Last Rites
     The Catholic Church anoints people with oil when they are near death and unable to consciously confess their sins. This is done so that they may die having been forgiven of all their sin. But, it is not the oil that brings forgiveness of sins, it is the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Those who have faith in His death and resurrection, have forgiveness of their sins.

    A Guarantee of Healing
     Faith healers use this verse to say that everyone, if they have enough faith, will be healed. If you are not healed, then you just don't have enough faith.  But, it is not the oil or even faith that heals. It is God alone who heals and it is His perfect will which determines whether or not healing will take place. Prayer is our conversation with God concerning our need and His ability to meet it.

    A Substitute for Doctors and Medicine
     You still need to go to the doctors and take any prescribed medication. God may choose to use an indirect method, such as doctors and medicine, rather than intervene directly.

     Now let me tell you what I believe anointing with oil is.

    A Symbolic Action
     Oil in Scripture is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It was used to consecrate or set apart people and objects for God's service. The oil represented the Holy Spirit coming upon a person or thing to make it holy so that it could be used in God's service.  Anointing with oil for healing is a symbolic action, in much the same way, baptism uses water to represent the saving work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and bread and juice represent the reality of Christ's death for the forgiveness of our sin.

     Listen closely, we don't need the water of baptism or the bread and juice of Communion for us to experience the realities of what they represent. But, the symbols (water, bread and juice) help make the experience more real by using more of our senses.

     So what does anointing with oil represent or symbolize?

1. That the one who comes forward to be anointed with oil has set him/her self apart  to be ministered to by the Holy Spirit.

2. It represents a submission to and dependence upon the will of God concerning the healing of the one being anointed.

3. Since the anointing is done in the name of Jesus, the one being anointed recognizes that it is God alone who heals.

4. Since the anointing is done with the prayer of faith, the one anointed acknowledges the sovereign will and purpose of God.
    And  they are willing to submit to God's will. Whether it is to be healed or not.

    So, if you chose to be anointed with oil for healing during the celebration of the Lord's Supper this morning,  you will be saying to God and to all here

     -That you have a need that only God can meet.

     -That you are placing your trust in the Holy Spirit to effect God's will in your life.

     -That you are willing to submit to that will, even if it does not bring healing.

     There is something else here in the text that is important for us not to miss. James gives 2 instructions for the whole church family

1. Confess your sins to one another
     Mutual confession of sin brings healing in the family of God. Humility, openness, forgiveness and grace among God's people brings about communal healing. Not only physically but spiritually and relationally as well.

2. Pray for one another
     That is what God's people do. And there is great strength and power in united corporate prayer. Just as the prayer of one righteous man avails much, the prayer of many righteous men and women will avail mucher...much more.

     Just so you understand, you don't need to be a spiritual giant to have a powerful and effective prayer life..you just need to be righteous. And you know what? You already are, if you have been saved by faith in Jesus Christ, you are righteous. That means we all are to pray for one another.

     So, when you see someone coming to be anointed with oil this morning, pray for them.

     -Ask God, by his tender mercy to meet their need.
     -Ask God to give them the strength to trust Him and to submit to His will and purpose concerning their need.
     -And praise God that they have come forward in humility, professing their total dependence upon Christ to meet their need.

Conclusion

     We often don't do things because of fear. A good friend and former pastor told me that fear should never dictate what we will do or not do in our Christian life. We may fear coming forward to be anointed with oil because we don't believe it will work. We may be afraid that we will look too charismatic. But I believe it is better to risk our fears and follow what Scripture calls us to do,  than never to obey the text and always wonder what God might have done.

     The hard truth is God doesn't heal everyone, even when they do come for prayer and anointing with oil. Why? We don't know. Some are healed and some aren't. And we may never know why. But we must still be faithful in whatever situation we may find ourselves in, and go to the king.

1. When troubled, we pray.
2. When happy, we sing.
3. When sick, we go to the elders for prayer and anointing with oil.
4. When together for corporate worship, we confess our sin and pray for each other.

     Then,  we can leave putting our lives back together again in God's loving and all powerful hands.