When the Answer Knocks
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Review Context: Last week - Diverse by Design (Acts 10-11)
1 Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.
2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.
3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.
5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
6 On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.
7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.
8 And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
9 And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
10 When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.”
16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
Title: When the Answer Knocks…
Summarize verses:
About that time… What time? When things were going well with the church… Just after the biggest shift in history…
Herod arrests some of the church… Some of the called out ones… Some of the assembly… Some of the ekklesia… Some who belonged to the Church…
If someone was looking to arrest members of the church, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
Old adage, but good concept.
Not only was he mistreating members of the church, but he put James, the brother of John to death…
Elaborate on Peter’s arrest: It looked hopeless
Don’t confuse a locked door with a lost cause.
Don’t confuse a locked door with a lost cause.
While he was in prison, but prayer…
The power in these verses isn’t in the angel… the power is in v. 5…
5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
Prayer wasn’t a response to the angel, the angel was a response to the prayer…
Fervently: ektenos (derivative of tenio: to stretch out…)
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 68.12 ἐκτενής, ές; ἐκτενῶς
68.12 ἐκτενήςa, ές; ἐκτενῶςa: (derivatives of ἐκτείνω ‘to stretch out,’ 16.19) pertaining to an unceasing activity, normally involving a degree of intensity and/or perseverance—‘without ceasing, continuously, constantly.’
We are commanded in scripture to pray continually… OVER AND OVER again…
We are commanded in scripture to pray continually… OVER AND OVER again…
Luke 18:1 Jesus tells a parable so that they my be in continual prayer and not lose heart…
16 Rejoice always;
17 pray without ceasing;
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;
12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
We are constantly reminded throughout scripture to pray, and not only to pray, but to continually, fervently pray!
This isn’t just emotionalism… Strong emotions don’t make a fervent prayer… the degree of intensity is a secondary part to the continual basis…
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 68.12 ἐκτενής, ές; ἐκτενῶς
‘without ceasing, continuously, constantly.’
What catches me off guard in this passage is their reaction when Peter shows up…
13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.
14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.”
They were praying but not expecting.
How often do we explain away the very things we asked for?
How often do we pray because that’s what we are supposed to do, but we don’t actually believe in the answer?
It’s a defense mechanism to keep from being disappointed, but that’s opposite of what Jesus taught about prayer:
22 And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God.
23 “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.
24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,
Prayer is not just a chore, it’s a lifeline… (stay connected to the vine)
Prayer is not just communication, it’s fellowship with the God of the universe!
Prayer is not just asking, it’s connecting…
Prayer is acknowledging our reliance on Him…
Could it be that we have become so self-reliant that we don’t pray because we don’t need Him?
Altar Call:
What are you praying for—but no longer watching for?
Who have you given up on like Peter in prison?
What door might be knocking right now—and you’re too afraid to believe it could be the answer?
