Prayer in faith? OR, Peter asleep?
Notes
Transcript
We are back in Acts this morning. I encourage you to open your bibles to Acts 12.
We have not covered Acts 11:19-30 yet, and my plan is to talk about that section that next week with Acts 13.
However, it is the background for what we are going to cover here in chapter 12, so here is a quick summary.
When Paul was persecuting the church, we know that many believers were scatttered from Jerusalem to other parts of the world. Now, most of them went and preached to Jews only. Philip went to Samaritans, and than to a Jewish proselyte from Ethiopia. Peter went to Cornelius, who was a god-fearing gentile, not ready to become a full proselyte to Judaism, but embracing the worship of the one true God.
But as we read in Acts 11:20, some of the Jewish believers who were scattered shared the gospel with gentiles, that is those who had nothing to do with the one true God or Judaism. And, not only did they share the good news, but the Lord was with them and a great number of people believed!
The church in Jerusalem heard about this, and sent Barnabas to check things out. Barnabas went, found true believers, and encouraged them in the Lord, and more people were coming to the Lord through him.
Barnabas goes and gets Paul to help him teach these new believers. While they were there, a prophet named Agabus came and predicted a severe famine. So these new believers took up a collection and sent a gift to the church leaders in Jerusalem to help the believers there.
That brings us to what was happening in Jerusalem at this time.
Now, this would have been sometime around 44 BC, about 14 years since Jesus died and rose again, and the church began. We know that because we know the year when Herod died, which is referenced here in chapter 12.
Let’s read it now and ask the Lord to teach us what he wants us to learn today.
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him.
Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.
In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.
After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.
On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people.
They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”
Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.
When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.
Questions
Questions
Why did James die? Why didn’t Peter?
Why was Peter sleeping?
Why did it take an angel kicking him to wake him up?
Why were the believers surprised?
Opposition Comes
Opposition Comes
As we mentioned before in Acts, opposition to the gospel is going to come. Some attacks come from without, and others from within.
This time the attack came from outside the church.
Herod was a true politician. His great grandfather was Herod the Great, the one who killed the babies in Jerusalem when Jesus was born in an attempt to save his throne.
His uncle was Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist beheaded, and who ended up mocking Jesus before he was crucified.
Now this is Herod Agrippa I. He was trained and educated in Rome, where his classmate was Claudius, the current Roman emperor. He knew how to please the Jews, and because of his partial Jewish heritage, he also like to please the Jewish aristocracy. He found a way to do that by attacking the leaders of the church.
If we look back over the beginning of the church, the Jewish leaders were afraid to do too much to the disciples because the people held them in high regard due to the miracles they were working. That is when the persecution broke out and many believers were scattered, but not the leaders.
Now, Herod arrested James, and had him executed. This made the Jewish leaders happy. They couldn’t touch them because of their fear of the people. So they were thrilled with Herod doing this.
When Herod saw this pleased them, he also seized Peter. But Peter he held in prison because of the Jewish holiday. There may have been fear of helping the church spread since this was the time the church was celebrating Jesus death and resurrection. We are not given the reason, but we do know that Peter was being held prisoner, and they were not taking any chances. He was guarded by four squads of four soldiers, being chained to two, and the others at the doors. Apparently they thought he was a jail breaker because of his previous escape.
What get’s me is why Peter was asleep? James had just been executed. Shouldn’t he have been afraid?
But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,
for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
Response 1: Confidence in God
Response 1: Confidence in God
God does not stop the attacks. God does not stop the evil from doing what it can to his children. However, God gives what is needed for deliverance.
Sufficient courage.
Focus on the exaltation of Christ, whether by life or death.
Glorying in being with Christ
Glorying in being used by Christ
Response 2: Earnest Prayer
Response 2: Earnest Prayer
What can we do?
Prayer is not weakness, it is our strength
It connects us to our God
It aligns us with his will as we bring our prayers and petitions to him
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Earnest prayer needs to be connected by faith
Acts—The Church Afire A Final Word
Just before World War II in Itasca, Texas, there was a school fire that took the lives of 263 children. It was a horrifying tragedy. After the war Itasca built a new school with the finest sprinkler system in the world. Never again would the citizens of Itasca be caught with such a tragedy on their hands. Honor students were selected to take citizens of the community on tours through the new school, to show them the finest sprinkler system ever assembled. The town continued to grow, and seven years after the new school was built an addition was needed. As the new construction began, it was discovered that the sprinkler system was never connected.
Opposition Dealt With
Opposition Dealt With
Exalting Jesus in Acts Opposition Is Inevitable
The church of Christ has been founded by shedding its own blood, not that of others; by enduring outrage, not by inflicting it. Persecutions have made it grow; martyrdoms have crowned it.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
What about me?
What about me?
Opposition faced?
Confidence in God?
Earnest Prayer?
Leaving Room for God’s vengeance while I continue to obey him?
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.