Unstoppable Church - Acts 12

UNSTOPPABLE CHURCH – Acts 12

(In View of a Call Sermon)

WELCOME & GOOD MORNING. If we haven’t met yet, my name is Cody Oldacre and I am so glad to be here with you all today. My wife Kali is here as well and my two boys, Caden (7) and Cooper (4) who are back in the Kids area. Let me just start off with saying thank you to this church and the leadership for taking such incredible care of us this weekend but really throughout this entire process. We have been loved on and blessed so much by the 2nd family.

We also enjoyed meeting everyone yesterday and having a chance to connect with a lot of the church at both campuses. But if we didn’t get a chance to meet, please come find me at some point after service and introduce yourself…and I will try my absolute hardest to get everyone’s name down as quickly as possible! And if you are a guest here today, you are in GREAT company because I am a first time guest here too. And I’m looking forward to meeting you as well.

Before we jump into the text of Acts 12 today, since this is sort of a unique Sunday, I thought it might be helpful for y’all to here a little bit of my story and how the Lord has led my family and me to be here with you today.

I am an Oklahoma kid (just want y’all needed…another pastor who doesn’t call the hogs), and my family has lived on the same farm in Talala, OK my entire life. Talala is about 40 minutes North of Tulsa. I grew up in a great family with great parents—and it was a really good household but not necessarily a godly household. And there is a big difference between the two (and I’ll share more about that later with my dad).

Thankfully I had a childhood friend whose mom would come and take me to church and I believe God used that greatly in my life.

- I surrendered to Jesus and was saved at a Baptist church camp in Disney, OK when I was 12, called to the ministry two years later at 14, but it wasn’t until I was 17 at Falls Creek, which is a giant summer Christian youth camp in Oklahoma, that God really began to take full control over my life. For so long academics and athletics were idols in my life, but God finally shattered them, I began to understand God’s purpose and calling for me, and from that moment on my life was never the same.

- I went to Oklahoma Baptist University and graduated with a Bible degree in 2010, which means I graduated the exact same year as David and Abby even though we never hung out or really knew each other. The only thing I remember about David is that I used to dunk ALL over him in intramurals when we played each other…now if you ask him about that he may deny it so I’ll let you decide who is telling the truth there!

- I met my wife Kali at OBU, and then after graduating I served as a youth pastor for 2 years and then went to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where I got my MDiv and worked as the academic Registrar there.

- We moved back to Oklahoma in 2018 and for the past 4 years I have served as the discipleship pastor and my wife as our kids director at NewPoint Church in Ponca City, OK. But as much as we love our church family there and have shed many tears over the last few weeks with the thought of leaving them, there is not a doubt in my mind that God has led us here today. God is faithful, amen?

STORY: About a month and a half ago, Pastor David first reached out to me. And it so happened that my wife was in New York on a mission trip at the time. We agreed that we would talk more when she got home but in the meantime I wanted to feel out where my kids were in case the Lord was leading us to move to Arkansas. So I remember laying in Caden’s bed, my oldest, and I asked him, “Buddy, if there was a city out there that had a Raising Cane’s and a Chick-fil-a would you want to move there?? (Really spiritual questions I’m asking my son, right?) And Caden got a big smile on his face but right before he answered he thought for a minute and said…”but wait, do they have a Braum’s too?” He was hoping and praying there would be a Braums. And of course I had to tell him no because everyone in Oklahoma who drives I40 knows that Fort Smith is the last Braums. And he was OK with that because Chickfila was sufficient. So the next day or so I had called David and was talking to him about the position and I told him about that story and he sort of laughed and said “well, you will be happy to know that they are actually building a Braums right here in Conway!” Couldn’t believe it. So I hung up the phone and went to find Caden and I told him “son, you remember that hypothetical city we were talking about the other day…well, you’re not gonna believe this but they just got a Braums! It’s a miracle!”

I say that somewhat jokingly…but truthfully that one small thing may not be a big deal to most people, but to my son that mattered a lot. And we thanked God for it. And I promise you, when that Braum’s gets built and you start eating there, you’ll be thanking the Lord too.

But here’s why I tell that story, sometimes in life God surprises us with small blessings when we least expect it. Just kindnesses of the Lord that he bestows upon us. But there are also times when God does the impossible and clearly reminds us just who is ultimately in control. We aren’t just part of an unstoppable church, but we serve an unstoppable God.

TRANSITION:

If you will turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 12, we are going to pick up the story of the early church there. The church is continuing to grow as the Spirit is moving, the gospel is spreading, and believers are scattering as a result of the persecutions and taking the good news with them. Things seem to be going really well at the end of chapter 11, but how quickly that can change. Pick up with me in Acts 12:1…

KING HEROD (Agrippa I): The Herodian dynasty was a wicked family. He was the grandson of Herod the Great, who was responsible for slaughtering the babies after the magi’s visit (Matt 1:16–18). Herod Antipas, the uncle of this King Herod, beheaded John the Baptist (Matt 14:1–12). His son, Agrippa II, appears in Acts 25–26.[1]This is just a wicked, evil family—generation after generation.

READ 12:1-24

MAIN IDEA: An unstoppable church is full of believers that are fervent in prayer, faithful to follow Christ, and focused on giving God the glory.

Notice what this passage is bookended by…12:1-2 and 12:24.

God’s purposes will prevail—the Word of God will do the work of God to fulfill the will of God without fail. We see it time and time again throughout the book of Acts. But what we also find in the book of Acts is that the Lord most often uses his people—the church (us)—as his co-laborers. And when his church is faithful and on mission, the gospel advances. “The Word of God flourished and multiplied” despite intense opposition…that’s what we want too, is it not? In our culture that is continuing to oppose Christ and the church more and more, don’t we want to see the gospel spread and the church grow? How do we do that? I think this passage tells us…

1. Prayer is our greatest weapon against opposition. (“Be Fervent in prayer” vs. 5)

When James was executed and Peter was imprisoned, the church’s first action was not to post on social media all of the injustices they were witnessing, or call their Senator to complain, or devise a plan to break him out of jail. No, they prayed. And the Bible says they did it FERVENTLY…they didn’t stop. They prayed without ceasing. Prayer wasn’t a last resort but a first response. When they heard the news of Peter’s imprisonment their first instinct was to hit their knees together and cry out to the Lord.

I don’t know about you but in my life I have been guilty of trying to fix it first and pray second. God I think I can do this on my own but I want you to be my backup just in case. Can I just tell you… that has NEVER worked out well for me.

We MUST learn to pray first in all things, especially in trials and times of opposition. Because I can assure you, those times are coming. Opposition will come from outside (and possibly even inside)…Jesus said we are being sent out as sheep among wolves… Therefore, we shouldn’t be surprised when we face opposition while living on mission; we should be surprised when we don’t.

ILLUSTRATION: It’s like in sports. If you are the guy standing behind the 3 point line wide open and nobody even tries to guard you…it’s probably because you can’t shoot the ball and aren’t any good. But if the other team continues to put their best player on you, and hit you with double and triple teams, and continue to put more and more pressure on you, it’s because you are doing something right. The same thing is often true in our spiritual lives…the closer you walk with the Lord and the more you live boldly for Christ, the more the enemy will do whatever he can to increase the pressure of opposition and try to get you to turn against the Lord. Just look at the story of Job! Prayer is our greatest weapon against opposition. (PAUSE)

An unstoppable church is a praying church. Don’t let prayer be a last resort in your life. Pray fervently.

2. Freedom comes from following Christ. (“Be faithful to follow” vs. 7-9)

What did Peter have to do here to be set free? Listen and FOLLOW the Lord’s leading. That’s it. God was taking care of everything else. For Peter this was not just literal freedom he was experiencing, but a picture of how we walk in spiritual freedom as well.

Freedom and deliverance in the Christian life comes by God’s grace as his people are faithful (“FERVANT”) in prayer AND faithful in their obedience...we don’t have to know where or why, we just need to know WHO. God has set us free in Christ not to remain asleep but to wake up and follow him.

Even as he leads us through enemy territory (like Peter) and even though we are scared and nervous, and even when we have to wait LONGER for God to answer with the door shut in our face (like Peter), we can trust him. Because I can promise you, if you follow after the Lord, on the other side of that door is amazing grace…worshipping God for his goodness and overcoming all our fears and doubts.

As Luke is writing this story, he leaves no doubt who was working in this situation, right? It is clear that Peter didn’t even know what was happening or where he was going, but even in his sleepy state he knew to say YES as the Lord led him. Again, we don’t always have to know the where or why, all we need to know is who is leading us.

ILLUSTRATION: My kids when we go on a roadtrip typically fall asleep in the car once it gets dark outside. At some point though we make it home and I have to pick them up, carry them inside, help them get ready for bedtime, and then lay them down to sleep. They might give me 1% effort in those moments and they vaguely remember it in the morning. But they knew their Father would do what is best for them and get them to where they need to be. And how much more does your Heavenly Father love and care for you! Even in the darkest hours of our lives we can trust that our Father will bring about his good and perfect plans in our lives (this is the great promise of Romans 8:28).

Peter KNEW that God could be trusted, even when his circumstances were telling him the opposite, and even though he was half asleep and not thinking clearly. Maybe you can relate to Peter. Opposition, uncertainty and letdowns are going to come for each one of us as we strive to follow Christ in a world that rejects him.

TRANSITION: So how should we respond in those times? It’s how we should respond at ALL times…remain prayerful in opposition and faithfully follow his leading. Pray fervently, follow faithfully, and thirdly…give God the glory.

3. God deserves the glory in our lives (“Be focused on giving God the glory” vs. 16-17; 21-23)

I love how vs. 16 describes how their amazement replaced their doubt. This is what happens when God’s glory shows up in our lives—we stand amazed at his power and holiness. We realize that God and God alone can do the impossible and our fears and doubts are exchanged for awe and worship!

I’ve heard it said that unexpected miracles often knock at the doors of our doubt. When we lose heart in prayer or our faith begins to dwindle because we don’t know if God will ever intervene…doubt begins to creep in. The church in Acts was experiencing this very thing…praying fervently for Peter’s release but not actually expecting God to miraculously answer in that way. But how quickly the Lord turned their doubt into awe!

QUESTION: When is the last time you have prayed boldly and then been amazed by the power of God when he graciously does the impossible?

TESTIMONY of my Dad. (I told you that I grew up in a good household but not a godly one. Well my dad is a great man. Couldn’t have asked for a better father. But my dad was not a Christian; never went to church. Prayed for him for years! Doubted at times. But then God showed up. I just sat there and stared at my Dad with a huge grin on my face as he talked about what Jesus has done in his life since he was baptized) God deserves the glory in that!

Same thing here in Acts 12. Peter describes how the Lord had delivered him and tells them to go tell the others as well! We are called to do the same…give God the glory for all that he is doing in your life, and pray for opportunities for God to show his glory in the lives of others! (PAUSE)

OR…there is an alternative…we can follow in the footsteps of Herod and seek all the praise, popularity, and prestige. We can want the control and glory for ourselves. We can want all the worldly and athletic success to make a name for ourselves that others envy…

But this is the warning from Herod…”An angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give glory to God (Vs. 23).” God is jealous for his own glory. You and I were created to bring God glory in all aspects of our lives. But Herod, and everything he stands for that leads to death—the sin, wickedness, selfishness, pride—refused to surrender and give God glory and it cost him his life.

Here is the irony in all of this. Anyone can CLAIM to be in power but that is not who is ACTUALLY in power. You, me, politicians, leaders, whoever. Herod believed he held the power of life and death over Peter; but Herod quickly found out that he didn’t even have the power to add one more day to his own life. It is God and God alone who holds the power to give life and to take it; to deliver us from bondage; to set us free; to save our souls. This is why Matthew 10 tells us to not fear the one who can kill the body…fear the one who has the power to destroy both body and soul in hell.

And if the Lord has the power to destroy, the inverse is ALSO true. He has all the power in the world to GIVE life. God did the impossible for Peter and God’s own people were caught off guard by it. And God has not changed. How much more can the Lord do in your life and in the life of this church if his people were not caught off guard when God does the impossible, but they are actively praying and expectantly waiting for God to move in that way. May we learn to pray fervently like it all depends on God, but work and follow him faithfully like it all depends on us…and may God get the glory as the gospel advances in and through us!

I love how Paul fleshes that thought out in Ephesians 3:20…”Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

MAIN IDEA: An unstoppable church is full of believers that are fervent in prayer, faithful to follow Christ, and focused on giving God the glory.

Let me close with this…

RESPONSE: Stick with Jesus and life and victory is yours; Reject him and death and defeat are certain. Just like Herod…God has the final say over all sin, death, and evil in this world. And that is true in your own life.

Maybe you are here today and you need to stop doubting the Lord and begin to trust him fully; he’s been striking you like Peter to get up and follow him and you keep rolling over and going back to sleep! Today is the day to say Yes and follow Christ wherever he is leading you.

Maybe some of you here today haven’t stopped and prayed for anything this week…your prayer life is nonexistent and if God did a miracle in your life or brought salvation to one of your closest friends or family members it would be a complete shock because you haven’t prayed for them in ages. Talk to your Father today…begin to practice fervent prayer.

Or maybe you are here today and you have lived your life and made a great name for yourself, but God has not received the glory because you are not living for him. Don’t follow in the path of King Herod. Turn from your sin and the desires of this world and trust in Jesus. And if you do, just as the word of God flourished and multiplied back then, Jesus will do the same in your life and you’ll never be the same again!

PRAY