Walking on a Word

Acts 12:4–9 NKJV

4 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. 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 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. 7 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. 8 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.” 9 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.

Walking on a Word

Some people have the ability to sleep through anything:

Take for example, Douglas Spedden who was made famous for his ability to literally sleep through anything. At 7 years of age, his father and mother brought him along for a voyage aboard a cruise ship by the name of the Titanic. Douglas was such a heavy sleeper that neither the jolt of the ship hitting the iceberg nor the boat listing in the water woke him up. His nanny would wake him, just long enough to move him to a lifeboat, where he promptly fell asleep and would sleep through the night despite being afloat in arctic waters.

Ned Young was a midshipman aboard the famous British Cargo ship “the HMS Bounty” during the epic mutiny. The riotous overthrow of the ship by the mutinous shipmates was so riveting and thrilling that three blockbuster movies have been created about the event. Yet, Ned Young’s famed role in the epic overthrow, was that he slept through the entire ordeal.

Historians noted that Bonepart had the ability to sleep anywhere at anytime. While he would often go days at a time without sleeping, when he felt that he needed to sleep, it didn’t matter where he was, he would sleep. One of the more famous accounts states that during a major battle, right on the battlefield, he found a place to sleep with bullets and bombshells exploding around him.

In our text, taken from Acts chapter 12, we find a Biblical account of an individual being able to sleep in the midst of treacherous circumstance

Ned Young was a midshipman aboard the famous British Cargo ship “the HMS Bounty” during the epic mutiny. The riotous overthrow of the ship by the mutinous shipmates was so riveting and thrilling that three blockbuster movies have been created about the event. Yet, Ned Young’s famed role in the epic overthrow, was that he slept through the entire ordeal.

Point 1 - Herod is persecuting the church. His persecution is being fueled by the Jews. After he has James, the brother of John, executed by the sword, the has Peter arrested with the intention of having him killed at the conclusion of the passover. without a doubt Peter is aware of the execution of James and the fact that as soon as the passover is concluded, he will also be executed. yet, the bible records in vs. number 6, the very night that Herod would have brought him forth, Peter is sleeping.

How do you sleep the night that your execution is scheduled?

How do you find rest when you are bound by chains to the very soldiers that will march you to your execution?

In fact, Peter was sleeping so soundly, that when the angel of the Lord came into the prison and the light shined…it didn’t even wake him up. The angel had to smite him on the side.

Peter was in a deep sleep.

How do you

1. The church made prayer for him without ceasing!

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer!

Don’t underestimate the peace that comes through relentless prayer!

No matter what the evidence said....the church prayed.

they could have allowed the disappointment of James execution at the hand of Herod to silence their prayer for Simon Peter.

How many prayers have been silenced and stifled because of a previous disappointment?

No matter how impossible the situation looked…the church prayed.

Simon Peter is in a prison surrounded by soldiers, bound with chains and behind iron bars…It looks impossilbe.

No matter how incessant the circumstance…the church prayed.

The passover was a celebration that would last 8 days.

Yet, many translations phrase vs. 5 that the church prayed fervently without ceasing.

It’s easy to pray fervently for the first 10 minutes of prayer meeting.

If the need is great enough, we might even remain earnest in prayer for a night…but eight days of unwavering, earnest prayer!!

The greatest enemy of fervent prayer is apathy - which is indifference or a lack of passion…and psychologists tell us that the root cause of apathy is when we cease to believe in the value of what we are doing. fervent prayer dies on the altar of apathy when we lose faith that our prayers are making a difference.

And if you don’t think that they battled that, just look at what happens when Simon is finally loosed from prison and knocks on the door…the poor little servant girl that goes back and tells everyone that Peter is at the door, they called her crazy!

Acts 12:13–15 NLT

13 He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14 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!” 15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”

Acts 12:

Living Hope…No matter how incessant the circumstances around us are…we must continue to pray!

No matter how long that situation has been the way that is…you can’t stop praying.

You may be battling the attack of the enemy that says your prayers aren’t making a difference, but don’t stop praying!

I rise today to tell you that more now than every before the church must not cease to pray fervent prayers.

No matter what the evidence says

No matter how impossible it looks

No matter how long it last...

The church must not cease to pray!!

And undoubtedly, it was the fervent prayers of the believers that permeated the peril and brought peace to Simon Peter!

He was resting on a prayer

And while without a doubt there was a level of calm and consolation that came from knowing that the church was praying.

But of a certainty the same thoughts that challenged the faith of the church, also vexed Peter. He knew that they had offered prayers for James, yet he had died at the sword.

There had to be something more than would enable Simon to find the peace to rest and also the strength to rise.

And there was

It hadn’t been that long ago that Jesus had appeared to the disciples for the third time following his resurrection. And there on the shore of the Sea of Galileee, the resurrection Jesus would speak to peter.

We know the first part of the conversation well…three times, Jesus would ask Simon…do you love me…feed my sheep!

But it is in vs. 18 at the conclusion of the third feed my sheep in that Jesus moves into a different line of dialogue

John 21:18–19 NKJV

18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Jesus is telling Simon 2 important things concerning his death:

You’re going to be old and you’re going to be crucified.

And while neither of those points are of great comfort…they were of great consolation given his present situation.

1. I’m not old yet

2. I’m not going to die by the sword

Therefore…I don’t know how…and I don’t know when…but I’ve got a Word from this isn’t how its going to end!

I’ve got a word from the Lord that I’m not meant to die here

I’ve got a word from the Lord that this isn’t how it’s supposed to end!

I’ve got a word from the Lord that this circumstance isn’t going to kill me.

Surrounded by soldiers…condemned to die…bound in chains...

But A Word from the Lord gave Simon Faith that he could make it through EVEN this!

A sure word from the Lord that gave him HOPE, that it doesn’t have to end this way!

Its confined me…but it won’t define me!

It’s imprisoned me…but it wont elimate me

Its detained me, but it wont destroy me!

I’m resting on a prayer, but...

I’m walking on a Word!

That’s why the best thing you can get is a word…

A word from the Lord will give you peace in your soul!

A word from the Lord will give you joy in the midst of the storm!

I’m walking on a word!

Closing

It was the Lord that gave Simon a word to walk on

The Lord gave a word to Simon

Tit was a praying church that gave Simon peace to rest on

It was the angel of the Lord that came and loosed his chains and delivered him

But even with all of that

A speaking savior

A praying church

A delivering angel

Simon would have still been stuck in the prison, if Simon hadn’t chosen to WALK on a word!

God is not going to do for you what you can do for yourself!

Acts 12:8 KJV 1900

8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

The angel delivered him and then he said…no you put on your shoes…you put on your coat…and you follow me!

Some of you are waiting for God to do for you, what you can do for yourself.

You’ve been delivered and yet you’re still sitting there barefoot between the soldiers!

Yes, God prepared the way for you out of prison…He made a way for you out of your sin…He gave you a word that your sin doesn’t have to be final!

Simon received a sure Word that it didn’t have to end that way, and through HIS obedience, and in his faith in that word…he walked out of that prison.

I’ve got a sure word for every individual in this building...

You were not mean to die in your sins!

You don’t have to continue under the weight of guilt and shame!

I’ve got a sure word from the Lord for you today…that no matter what you’ve done, no matter how bad your sins, how tight the chains have you bound...

You don’t have to stay in the prison of sin!!!

He isn’t willing that any should perish! You don’t have to die in that prison!

For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him SHOULD NOT PERISH but have everlasting life!!

But it is ultimately your obedience…you’ve got to walk on that Word!

Repent!

Be batpized

Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost!