God Often Does The Unexpected

Notes
Transcript
A man is driving through the countryside when his car breaks down near a monastery. He walks to the door, knocks, and a monk answers. The man explains his situation, and the monk invites him in, offering a warm meal and a place to stay for the night.
As the man lies down to sleep, he hears a strange, haunting sound. It’s beautiful but mysterious. He asks the monk about it in the morning.
The monk replies, “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. You’re not a monk.”
The man leaves, curious but unable to get answers.
Years later, the same man’s car breaks down in the same spot. Again, the monks welcome him in. That night, he hears the same strange sound. The next morning, he’s more determined.
“Please,” he begs the monk, “tell me what that sound is.”
The monk gives the same response: “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. You’re not a monk.”
Frustrated, the man decides: “How do I become a monk?”
The monk replies, “You must travel the Earth and count every blade of grass and grain of sand. When you find the exact number, you will become a monk.”
Determined, the man spends decades counting every blade of grass and grain of sand. Finally, he returns to the monastery and announces the number.
The monks welcome him as one of their own. They take him to a door, give him a key, and say, “The sound is behind this door.”
The man opens it, and behind the door is another door, then another, and another. He opens dozens of doors, each more ornate than the last. Finally, he reaches the last door. Trembling, he turns the key and opens it to discover…
I can’t tell you. You’re not a monk.
Historical/Cultural Context -
Historical/Cultural Context -
Luke was a physician and a travel companion of the apostle Paul. He wrote the book of Acts. The earliest possible date of Acts is immediately after the events that Luke recorded in, which would have been c. A.D. 62. Acts is addressed to “Theophilus,” about whom nothing more is known. Luke’s broader audience consisted primarily of Gentile Christians like Theophilus who had already “been taught” about Jesus.
Biblical Text -
Biblical Text -
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.
Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.
Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.
Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”
So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.
When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.
But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.
Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
-[Prayer]-
-[Prayer]-
Life Principle - God Works All Things To His Glory, He Is Sovereign Over All Things & He Answers Prayer.
Life Principle - God Works All Things To His Glory, He Is Sovereign Over All Things & He Answers Prayer.
Life Point- He Works All Things To His Glory
Life Point- He Works All Things To His Glory
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.
Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.
Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.
So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.
They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.
Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!”
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
Here we see that Peter has been arrested by the Romans. He was chained to two guards and there were a few others who stood guard at the prison gate. This was not a happy place to be. As a matter of fact it would be a very sore spot to be in indeed.
Suddenly a bright light shown through the cell and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel hits him awake and tells him to get up and the chains just fall off.
Being chained between two solders in a nasty cell back then was not a comfortable experience he had to be asleep due to physical exhaustion.
Here is the kicker Peter thinks it’s all a vision that it wasn’t really happening. That is just like Peter, you see he was a little like me and had a hard head.
When God wants to do something with you, He will sometimes provide a way that just isn’t normal.
I think just about everyone here could attest to that fact. If you have been a christian for a good amount of time you will find that certain circumstances come together that just couldn’t come together any other way unless it had been God.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
There is nothing like knowing you are walking in God’s will and watching how all the messed up things in your life, when you look back, have been used by God to mold you and shape you. Even in the bad times, He is working it out for our good.
Even when it is tough to see the light at the end of tunnel, He hasn’t abandoned you. He has been working behind the scenes the whole time.
Illustration -
Illustration -
Imagine a beautiful tapestry being crafted. At first glance, the back looks like a mess of threads tangled together—chaotic and unclear. However, as we flip it over, we see a stunning picture that reveals the purpose behind the chaos. This mirrors our lives; often, we cannot see God's handiwork amidst our trials. Yet, God is weaving each thread of our experiences to create a masterpiece that fulfills His glory and purpose, which we will one day fully understand.
Life Point - Don’t Be Shocked When God Answers Prayer
Life Point - Don’t Be Shocked When God Answers Prayer
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.
He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it.
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”
“You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
Peter goes to the home of Mary mother of Mark. Many are gathered praying, probably for him. He knocks on the door to be let in and Rhoda gets so happy she doesn’t let him inside.
She goes and insists he is there and they say she has lost her mind.
Then they say it must be his angel. There was a belief amongst Jewish folks at the time that a person’s guardian angel could take on their appearance.
They were so doubtful that thing they were praying for could come to pass that they were grasping at straws to explain what was happening. They would rather believe an angel was at the door than the real individual.
What else can we learn from this passage:
When we pray we should pray in faith - Expectant faith
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
God uses ordinary things to work out His will
This was a supernatural event, yes. But there was the ordinary woven throughout this event as well.
God can use anyone, even an ordinary slave named Rhoda, to proclaim His wonderful work and that is exactly what He did in her case.
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
Be faithful in the little things that God has commanded us to do and we will be trusted in the larger things God has commanded.
Trust that God is in control
God is in control. His will, will be accomplished. Trust Him in your deliverance. Either through a miracle or through His sustaining grace through life’s circumstances.
God is Faithful
Peter’s deliverance brought forth great joy and excitement. We should celebrate and share testimonies of God’s goodness to strengthen the faith of others. We don’t do that enough anymore. What has God done for you recently? Share that with other christians.
Illustration -
Illustration -
A widow prayed for a financial breakthrough after her husband’s passing. As her needs grew dire, she remained faithful, expecting God to intervene. One day, an unexpected check arrived in the mail, a direct answer to her prayer. She was in disbelief but felt the profound truth that God hears us. This shows that we should never be shocked by the unexpected ways God provides—faith is the key to recognizing His work around us.
I have had similar happenings myself, and I would dare so that many of you have had the same. Draw on your experience with God’s answered prayer in your life from the past to inform your mind of what He can do in your future.
Life Point - God’s Will, Will Not Be Thwarted
Life Point - God’s Will, Will Not Be Thwarted
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.
At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter.
Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
So imagine this for a minute. Rhoda has left Peter knocking to be let in to announce that he is there. To me that is pretty humorous. They finally let him in and he has to calm everyone down.
When dawn hits we find that Herod, who is the governor of the Jews, figures out that Peter is missing. He interviews the soldiers that all should have been watching him and then has them put to death for their incompetence.
This is not a one off. It was quite common for soldiers who failed in their guard duties to be put to death. Soldiers knew this and it motivated a lot of them to not fail in their duties. So you could imagine the fear they would have experienced when they figured out Peter was missing.
This section of scripture reiterates the fact that God is in control. Like Herod we want to control everything. We want to be the masters of our own universe. But guess what? We aren’t. God is sovereign over all things.
All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’
Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
What are some key take aways here?
We can trust in God’s sovereignty
For example when the 3 Hebrew children were thrown in the fiery furnace they wanted to let the king know that God could save them, even if he chose not to do so. It turned out it was God’s sovereign will that they be spared in that instance.
Persistence in prayer is key
It was through the early believers fervent prayers that lead to Peter’s release. It through believers petitioning God that things began to happen. We used to call this grabbing the horns of the alter and not letting go until you got answer from God. I like to say that in prayer we need to PUSH, that is Pray Until Something Happens.
Recognize God’s hand in all things
It is God’s will that things be done His way and He will accomplish that will no matter who tries to stop Him. Whether that be you or someone else. Also, you can always look back in your life and see God’s hand with you throughout all of your circumstances.
Illustration -
Illustration -
In the 1990s, a group of missionaries was dedicated to bringing the Gospel to a remote village in the Amazon rainforest. After months of planning, they faced severe weather that destroyed their only means of transport. Discouraged, they gathered to pray. Miraculously, the following week, locals who had never heard of them initiated contact, guided by a vision. God's will to reach this village could not be thwarted, reminding us that no obstacle can stand against His plans.
Life Principle– God Works All Things To His Glory, He Is Sovereign Over All Things & He Answers Prayer.
Life Principle– God Works All Things To His Glory, He Is Sovereign Over All Things & He Answers Prayer.
Call to Action – altar call….
Call to Action – altar call….