“God is in Control” - Acts 12:1-10

Introduction:

In August 1994, a Korean air jet skidded across a rain-soaked runway and rammed into a safety barricade in Cheju, Korea. All 160 passengers escaped to safety, just moments before the plane exploded into flames. So what caused this near tragedy? According to news reports, the pilot and co-pilot had gotten into a fist fight over who was in charge of the landing controls. Obviously, one of the pilots has the right to land the plane and wouldn’t give it up. The other pilot wouldn’t give up fighting for that right.

Sometimes we feel like the world operates in the same way. God and the devil are in heaven fighting it out over “the controls of the universe” and that’s why there are such problems.

That, however, is not a Biblical principle. The Bible makes it clear that God is the Only One in Control.

This is a theological term - we say that God is sovereign.

“The sovereignty of God is that which separates the God of the Bible from all other religions, truth claims, or philosophies. When we say God is sovereign, we declare that by virtue of His creatorship over all life and reality, His all-knowing, all-powerful, and benevolent rule, that He is, in fact, the Lord of all lords, King of all Kings, and is in absolute control of time and eternity. Nothing will come into my life today that He did not either allow or decree for my ultimate good.”

1. Even in politically motivated times. (vv. 1-3)

Acts 12:1–3 (CSB)

1 About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church, 2 and he executed James, John’s brother, with the sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.

The enemy of the church in Acts 12 is King Herod. Now this is not the King Herod from the birth of Jesus. This was King Herod the Great’s Grandson. He was better known as Herod Agrippa I. He was the nephew of Herod Antipas which had a role in Jesus’ trial and crucifixion.

History tells us that Herod Agrippa I was a shrewd politician and would do anything he could to win the heart of the people in Rome.

In the the days of the New Testament, a local ruler had really two responsibilities:

1) Keep the people from revolting.

2) Keep the money flowing to Rome.

If a ruler could keep those two things going, they could keep their power. And King Herod (just like his grandfather) wanted to make sure he kept his power.

Because Herod was King and a Roman, he had the power of execution. And so King Herod has James, one of Jesus’ Apostles killed. (Literally “Beheaded”)

This would be the first of Jesus’ Apostles to be killed. As most of you know, all of Jesus’ disciples (except John) would die a brutal executionary death never recanting what they had seen or heard.

Now I want you to notice something that Luke lets us in on. This execution was completely and utterly a political move. Beheading James would help Herod gain more power.

King Herod wanted to strengthen his relationship with the ruling Jews and so he finds it politically popular to behead one of Jesus’ disciples.

King Herod gives us a principle here: There are many people willing to do evil things to win popularity.

We can see even further in vv. 4 that King Herod’s timing was even politically motivated.

Acts 12:4 CSB

4 After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

King Herod arrested Peter, was ready to put him to death, but didn’t because he needed to find the most popular time to execute Peter.

Herod knew that to kill Peter during the Passover would possibly cause quite an uproar. He wanted to wait until a more politically opportune time to execute Peter publicly. Make no doubt - Herod was intending to kill Peter within the next few days.

How perfect is the timing of this passage of Scripture considering what time of year this is for our country? We are in election season. Unfortunately, people have done evil things ever since the dawn of time for “political purposes.”

James and Peter are used here as pawns for King Herod to win favor with others.

“People should never be used as pawns for political purposes.”

All people are created in the image of God and should not be used as pawns to further anyone’s agenda. That is pure wickedness.

But the lesson here is clear - even though it may seem that things are crazy with political motivations and actions; God is in control.

Proverbs 21:1 CSB

1 A king’s heart is like channeled water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever he chooses.

2. Even in distressing circumstances. (vv. 4-7)

Acts 12:4–7 CSB

4 After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him. 6 When Herod was about to bring him out for trial, that very night Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.

Let’s just say that this isn’t the time of Peter’s life. However, he has been in prison before.

Notice that this time Herod puts 4 soldiers to guard Peter at all hours (they would typically take 3 hour shifts). That was not typical. Usually a person would get one guard chained to them. Peter had 4 guards. Why? Peter had slipped away already one time before. Herod was going to make sure this wasn’t going to happen again.

Peter is in quite a predicament.

It’s quite comical that the word “trial” is used in vv. 6. The trail would be a farce just like Jesus’ trial was.

So picture Peter in that prison. Chained and being watched by 4 Roman soldiers.

The Roman public prisons had a vestibule and outer prison and behind this the inner prison, a veritable dungeon with no light or air save what came through the door when open.

Archibald Thomas Robertson

And yet, please do not miss what Peter is doing in vv. 6.

Acts 12:6 (CSB)

6 When Herod was about to bring him out for trial, that very night Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison.

Peter is asleep! What? How many of you would be able to sleep? This could be the last night he is alive.

Anne Boleyn (in England) suffered a similar fate in 1536.

Anne had trouble sleeping the night before her execution, and must have spent the night in prayer, continuing to pray for the swift deliverance of her soul and for the life of her precious daughter, Elizabeth.

Nothing wrong with staying up all night before your execution and praying - I doubt I would get a wink of sleep.

But that’s not Peter!! Peter is SLEEPING. He is literally sound asleep because he thinks what is about to happen to him is a dream.

How could Peter sleep in the prison? It’s the same reason Jesus could sleep on the boat. Because even in distressing circumstances, God is in control.

Some of you may have joined today and been in some distressing circumstances.

Personal relationships: Conflicts, divorce, abuse, death of a loved one.

Financial difficulties

Health difficulties

Social pressures

Regardless, it is important to remember that God is in control!

3. Even when we don’t understand. (vv. 7-10)

Acts 12:7–10 (CSB)

7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 “Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what the angel did was really happening, but he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 After they passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and suddenly the angel left him.

Peter has no idea what is happening (this is very clear from the text). He thinks this is all a dream or a vision.

The angel needs simple obedience from Peter. And a miracle occurs! They walk right past the guards and they don’t see or hear them.

There are many times in life like this that we don’t understand things — we just have to simply trust because we know God is in control.

Peter teaches us an important principle - you don’t have to understand everything in order to obey.

I’ll tell you something else some people in the early church probably didn’t understand —

Something we have to ponder - Why did God allow James to die, but Peter to live?

Now God didn’t promise special protection to the Apostles, but up until this time none of them had been killed.

What was so special about Peter that He got to live?

It’s the same question people still ask today - Why did my mom get sick and die of cancer and _________ get the same cancer and live?

The answer is one that you may not like, but is Biblical. “It was time for James, not Peter.”

Hebrews 9:27 (CSB)

27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—

That word “appointed” means scheduled. Even our deaths are under God’s control.

It shows us how much God knew was going to happen when Jesus himself told James this would happen:

Mark 10:35–40 (CSB)

35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask you.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them.

37 They answered him, “Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.”

38 Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We are able,” they told him.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. 40 But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

There are many things we don’t understand. But in those moments, we have to trust.

“When we can’t trace God’s hand, we must trust His heart.”

4. Even though God is in control, we need to pray fervently for God’s will to be done.

Acts 12:5 (CSB)

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him.

We know God is sovereign and in control, but still we must pray. That’s what the church did in vv. 5. They knew that if God wanted to release Peter, that He would.

That word “fervently” is something I want to note.

It is the Greek word “EKTENOS” and it can be defined earnestness or fervently/ it can also have the insinuation of continually.

But the word can give a picture of “stretching out all they can for something.”

John MacArthur says this word is like “stretching a muscle to its limits.”

We know God is in control, but do we STRETCH ourselves in prayer like that? Do we pray earnestly and fervently?

This word “EKTENOS” is the same word used for Jesus’ agonizing prayer in the garden. Do we pray that earnestly for things? Yes, ultimately we know God is in control, but He commands us to pray like that.

Closing Illustration:

God is in control and we must trust Him.

“We do not know the play. We do not know whether we are in Act I or Act V. We do not know who are the major and who are the minor characters. The Author knows…That it has a meaning we may be sure, but we can not see it. When it is over, we may be told. We are led to expect that the Author will have something to say to each of us on the part that each of us has played. The playing it well is what matters indefinitely. - C.S. Lewis

We have to learn to trust. We are getting ready to sing a song, the lyrics say:

“Through it all, through it all, my eyes are on you. Through it all, it is well. So let go my soul and trust in Him, the winds and wave still know His name.”

No matter where you are today. Maybe you are in a rut with politics from this season. Maybe you are experiencing difficult circumstances. Or maybe something is happening that you don’t understand.

I want to remind you of four words - “God is in control.”