Religious and Relational

Introduction

Acts 12:1–19 CSB

About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church, and he executed James, John’s brother, with the sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 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. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him. 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. 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. “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.” 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. 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. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.” As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many had assembled and were praying. He knocked at the door of the outer gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. She recognized Peter’s voice, and because of her joy, she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the outer gate. “You’re out of your mind!” they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true, and they said, “It’s his angel.” Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. Motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Tell these things to James and the brothers,” he said, and he left and went to another place. At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

Pray

The Church was growing rapidly. Through missionaries like Paul and through the nameless ones who were just being obedient to the word of God. Herod the king does what people do. He looked for the closest people to blame for all of life’s problems. He looked for the fastest way to please the people in power under him.

He turned to violence

The people in power under him were the Jews. Best way to please them is to blame people they hate.

Same pattern has happened throughout history:

Blame Jews

Blame Christians

Blame Blacks

Blame Religion

Blame Islam

Blame parents

Destroy them make people happy

James the brother of John. One of the 12. A leader in the Jerusalem Church. Was imprisoned and became part of the plan to make people happy. He was killed by the sword. And this pleased the Jews so He planned to do it again. Now when it said it pleased the Jew we have to realize that it pleased the Jews in power. Those Jews with influence.

Did Joe the Jew care maybe, Maybe not but Herod wouldn’t have cared.

When we Rejoice in pain and suffering and death it is a good sign that we are focused on Religion not on relationship with God and our savior Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Religious people are known for what they are against. Relationship people are known for what they are for. Jews were against Christians to the point that they were happy to see them killed.

Some of you may be happy to see some unsavory things happen to different people. You are against abortion so if a hospital blows up it serves them right. Some people are against the war so they rejoice when a soldier dies so they can protest. In protection of our country sometimes have to kill an enemy but should we rejoice in it.

No it should be with sober judgment that we do so

Jesus is the one exception. We can rejoice in his death. Why, because it Brings life

As they were pleased with James’ death Peter is seized. Now he can’t be killed on the spot because its Passover time. To kill him then would anger the Jews because of the holy time of the year. So need to wait so that Peter’s death is a good thing to the religious leaders.

So the night before he is to die. Peter sleeps in his prison surrounded by troops and an angel comes to him and orders him around and Peter is in one of those I don’t know what my name is stupor. Which way to the bathroom. Some of you know what that’s like. And by the time that he emerges from the haze he is out of prison.

So he goes to Mary mother of John aka Mark who will be a major character for the next three chapters. Apparently Mary has a big house with room for the early church to meet. As he arrives at the door an knocks the woman Rhoda fails to open the door in her excitement.

She runs and goes and gets people. And leave the escaped “criminal” out in the open scratching his head and knocking.

Awkward!!

Some religious people have do this with Jesus. So excited about the religion of Christianity thy forget to open up for Jesus. They are so against all other religions that they forget to have a relationship with Jesus. For relationship with Jesus who said I am the way the truth and the light no one enters heaven without going to me. Not against other religions.

Religion VS Relation

When you are looking at your life, Where do you fit into this?

Where do you see yourself, honestly?

How is your relationship with God?

Is he left out? Even through you are religious?

Are you known for what you are against or what you are for?

Are you religious or relational?

Relational:

All about spending time

Prayer

Study

Meditation

Being with God’s people

Spiritual disciplines

That’s relationship

If You are going to follow Jesus and be in relationship with the HS and The Father, there will be elements of religion in your life.

Next Steps

How about it?

Religious or relational

Pray