COMMUNITY CARE FOR THE SICK
Equipping the Saints
PASTORS, WHILE YOU MAY be the person primarily responsible for visiting the sick in your congregation, this book is not just for you. Though I wrote this with pastors in mind, my hope is that it will also be used to train and equip congregation members in this task as well. I pray that you will be challenged to visit the sick and also that you will be convicted of the importance of training your people to do likewise. With this goal in mind, I commend to you five ways in which you can effectively teach, train, and motivate your people to see the value in caring for the afflicted and dying within your church.
Exhort through Preaching
As you preach the Bible, look for points of application that serve as exhortations to love, care, and serve the sick and afflicted in your church. Refer to the chapter on biblical considerations for some examples of relevant passages. Regardless of the Bible passage you are preaching, I am confident you will find an expression there of a sovereign God who is ruling over the affliction and suffering of people. You will see God’s glory displayed in his people who care for those in need for the sake of the gospel. This is one reason that expositional preaching is a helpful, steady diet for a local church. As you preach through the various books of the Bible, you are more likely to be confronted with texts that lend themselves to this type of instruction. That said, there is nothing wrong with doing a short sermon series on this topic when it seems appropriate. Regardless of how you teach your congregation to visit the sick — whether through a short sermon series or through regular application in your expositional sermons — never forget that the preaching of God’s word is what gives life to the church, and it is the setting for us to exhort with authority the matters that are most important to the spiritual health of the entire body. Teach your church that the care of the sick and afflicted is a priority for God’s people by exhorting them through public preaching.
Pray for the Afflicted in Public Gatherings
I will be the first to admit that praying for a seemingly never-ending list of health needs each week can easily turn into the mouthing of meaningless, painful mantras. So drop that from your mind; it’s not what I’m proposing here. Instead, I encourage you to pick a couple of significant afflictions in your church to highlight through public prayer for the purpose of informing and teaching your congregation how we as Christians should face these common struggles. Praying for these serious situations lets the congregation know about what is going on with specific individuals and also allows you an opportunity to teach your congregation how to face these difficulties.
When you pray, be sure to pray specific biblical truths. Praise God for his sovereign power over sickness and death. Thank God for the hope we have of physical wholeness and resurrection one day because of Christ. Pray for healing if it is God’s will to heal. Pray for the gospel to be known in the lives of those who are suffering as Christ is magnified in our weakness. Pray for the medical personnel caring for them, while recognizing God as the great healer. Then pray that as a local church the gospel will be seen in our faithful care of those enduring affliction. Utilize the public gatherings of the church to pray for these needs — they provide wonderful moments to teach and motivate and demonstrate that there is great power in corporate intercession.
Inform Your People Regularly
Church members are more likely to serve the sick and afflicted if they know what is going on and where to go. Lack of knowledge can be discouraging for someone who wants to help but doesn’t know how to gather the appropriate information. Create a system that regularly informs church members of needs within the church and updates them as circumstances develop and change. In the past, bulletins and prayer chains have been used effectively to communicate this information, and they can still be quite useful today. Church-wide e-mail lists, the church website, and social media can also be ways to communicate this information to people. Whatever the method, be committed to keeping your people updated on the circumstances (so they know how to pray better) and to get them information about how to visit and care for those who are struggling. Pass along the name of the hospital, the room number, whether the person wants visitors, how close someone might be to dying, and suggestions for things that church members can do for those in need. These are just a few specific details that are helpful for people to know. Remember, most of the people in your church aren’t used to the regular patterns and habits of pastoral labor. Busy church members can easily find reasons not to bother with caring for the sick. Don’t let lack of information be one of those reasons!
Lead by Example
We cannot expect our people to be faithful in this task if we are not fully engaged and committed. We can preach about caring for the sick; we can pray in every public gathering for them; we can give a detailed assessment of the daily needs of the afflicted. But if we are not personally engaged in visiting the sick ourselves, we have failed. A soldier who is willing to follow a general into battle may have reservations when asked to lead the charge while the leaders command from a distant post, far from the front lines. Fellow pastors, make it your priority not just to visit but to model an obvious passion for the sick and afflicted. People will look to you for an example of ministering with faith in our sovereign God and of a tender fellowship with our Savior. May your words and actions communicate the truth that God works all things for his own glory and the good of his people. Lead faithfully in this way, and your people will follow.
Lift Up the Example of Others
As important as it is for you to be a model to others, you don’t need to be the only one engaged in this ministry. Seize key opportunities to praise and lift up lay people in your church who faithfully care for the afflicted and dying. Each Wednesday at our church, we take the time to informally share what we are thankful for. I will often use this time to highlight a faithful brother or sister who sacrificially cared for a dying member that week and will give thanks for their effort and faithfulness. As you lift up those who are faithful to visit the afflicted, God will use that example as a way to move others to do the same.
My fellow colaborers in the gospel, this is a short book written for a simple but essential purpose: to emphasize the biblical importance of visiting and caring for the sick. I hope it will aid you in faithfully shepherding your flock. And I hope it proves useful in teaching and equipping your flock to care for one other. May God use the calling he has given to us, not just to urge others to care for the sick, but to use all our labors for his good purposes and the glory of his great name.