Prayer provokes God to act
Notes
Transcript
Read Acts 12:1-9
Read Acts 12:1-9
Background
Background
Stephen has been stoned
Saul is somewhere out in the desert
We find the church in Jerusalem, about 10,000 people at this point again in the midst of persecution
From Herod Agrippa I
Herod the Great’s grandson (He was the one who murdered the babies). He brought pagan idols into the temple.
Not the Herod that was involved in Christ’s trial, Herod Antipas. Always fighting with the Jews.
A man from the line of Esau (Jacob’s brother), a convert to Judaism. A true 20th century politician.
Thought of the day: “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees” -William Cowper
Thought of the day: “Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees” -William Cowper
Now at that time, Herod the king laid hands on some of those from the church to harm them. So he executed James the brother of John with a sword.
The church is growing in number and in power. They are a thorn in the side of Judaism. Herod decides to put a stop to it.
And when he saw that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (Now this was during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) After he had arrested him, he also put him in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
It pleased the Jews to know that John had been beheaded. Herod being the political savant saw an opening. He had killed John, a son of thunder, now he set his eyes on Peter the very rock of the church.
This isn’t the first time Peter had been thrown in jail. Acts 5
A squad is a set of 4. He had a rotating group of 4 men every 6 hours making sure he didn’t get away. One chained to each arm and 2 at the door. In a prison with iron bars and several more guard posts.
Why after passover? It was against Jewish custom to have capital punishment during a major celebration. Herod Agrippa wanted this one to be public.
Thus Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer was fervently being made to God by the church for him.
Peter’s destiny is sealed. But there is one problem, the church is praying.
The difference between corporate prayer and individual prayer
Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door were watching the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood near him, and a light shone in the prison cell. And striking Peter’s side, he woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And his chains fell off of his hands. 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!”
Put on your robe and shoes. He didn’t scurry away in the dead of night. He stood up, put on his robe, tied his shoes, put on his cloak.
Leaving the house late example. PUT IT ON IN THE CAR!
And he went out and was following him. And he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking he was seeing a vision. And after they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened for them by itself, and they went out and went forward along one narrow street, and at once the angel departed from him.
And when Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know truly that the Lord has sent out his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and all that the Jewish people expected!”
There is an astonishing lack of information here. Like… how? Were the guards asleep? Were they blinded by the light? Did God paralyze them? It doesn’t say because it doesn’t matter. The reason it happened is, because God said so. It doesn’t matter the mechanism or means. What matters is the fact that the chains fell off, the guards didn’t see, the gate opened because God.
Last line: When God’s will conflicted with Herod’s there was no contest. God’s will is done.
And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John (who is also called Mark), where many people were gathered together and were praying.
Fellowship prayer for Peter.
They were praying for deliverance that had already occured, they just didn’t know it yet.
And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a female slave named Rhoda came up to answer. And recognizing Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate. But they said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting it was so. And they kept saying, “It is his angel!” But Peter was continuing to knock, and when they opened the door they saw him and were astonished.
Some commentaries note the unbelief of these church members, I don’t see it.
When you hear galloping think horses not zebras. Peter sending a spiritual messenger to speak with them made more sense than him being out of jail.
Herod sealed Peter’s destiny! The problem is that Herod and Satan for that matter had no authority to seal Peter’s destiny.
A B-2 bomber is a military aircraft. The really cool pointy ones. It is capable of all-altitude attack missions up to 50,000 feet. It has a range of almost 7000 miles on a single fill up of fuel. It can hold and drop 16 2400lb B83 nuclear bombs.
Here’s the point of this story about Peter; when the people of God pray for God’s will in the midst of the will of Satan it is like bringing a B-2 bomber to a knife fight.
The authority of Herod of Satan and his minions is a joke to God.
But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and to the brothers,” and he departed and went to another place.
Now when day came, there was not a little commotion among the soldiers as to what then had become of Peter. And when Herod had searched for him and did not find him, he questioned the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. And he came down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
James the brother of Jesus, not the guy missing his head.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Prayer provokes God to act.
When God acts everything else submits.