It's Getting ready to OPEN! (Acts 12.1-17)
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 26 viewsNotes
Transcript
About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church.
He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword.
After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.)
When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.
The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying.
When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.
On recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate.
They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.”
Meanwhile Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed.
He motioned to them with his hand to be silent, and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he added, “Tell this to James and to the believers.” Then he left and went to another place.
Intro:
Yesterday I was scanning the TV to find something interesting to watch..
.....and I stumbled across a RE-run of the movie “Blind Side”
(pause)
And there’s one part of that movie that always excites me.
It’s the part when Michael Orr is moved to the offensive line to help protect the quarterback but he doesn’t quite understand the concepts of his position...
.....and in practice he’s messing up big time
…until the lady who has taken him into her home comes down to the field and reminds MIchael that he is a Protector....
.....and his team is his family.
“She says to him
Michael, they are depending on you the way your little brother SJ depended on you the other day when you protected him in the car accident!”
(pause)
And then all of a sudden......
.......when Michael goes back in for the next play
.....he demolishes the guy in front of him.
(pause)
Freedom......
........I came to speak a word into some of you who need to understand how much we are depending on you.
And.....
How much others need you to be praying for significant outcomes in their lives!
(pause and expound)
Watch the text.....
Acts 12.1-4 (Summarize)
The bible says that Herod has devised this impotent strategy against Peter.
After.....
.....he murdered James with the sword
the positive reaction of the Jews gave him an idea
(pause)
And so he has decided to put Peter on trial at the Passover celebration.....
.......so that he could increase his political power even more by impressing the Jewish leaders.
(pause)
And Freedom that’s when I thought of something.......
Because....
.....I don’t believe we understand that the enemy is constantly trying to put together a strategy that introduces disadvantages into our lives.
The text says....
“Herod is arresting Peter in order to mistreat them!”
(pause)
And watch this.....
Because according to verse 4 this strategy of King Herod is actually working...
When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
Freedom let me ask you a question....
What do you do when your enemies strategy appears to be successful?
(pause and expound)
Look at it now.....
While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him.
According to the text.....
Peter doesn’t need anyone to identify his current situation.
....he doesn’t need anyone to confirm what is realisticly happening in his life.
(pause)
Because the text says.....
Peter is being kept in prison....
So.....
....if anyone came up to him and said,
“Peter, you’re in prison”
....That aint big news for him.
....and that’s not what Peter needs.
(silght pause)
Peter needs somebody who can drastically impact his reality......
(pause)
And the text says that,
......The Church has a strategy to significantly impact Peters reality.
(pause)
The bible says....
“While Peter is in prison......
......the church fervently prayed to God for him.”
(pause)
And there’s two things in this response or strategy to Peter’s reality that I want to look at.....
Their action of choice is “to pray”
The way they approach this choice is by approaching it with a “fervent” attitude.
....they are not waiting for something to happen to change Peter’s reality.
.....they are getting involved by communicating to God in a way that says to God....
“We want to be here on Peter’s behalf!”
and.......
“We intend to stay here until his situation changes!”
(pause)
And watch this Freedom......
.......because this type of a response always gets God’s attention!
(pause)
Now here’s whats powerful about this.....
The bible says,
“The prayers of the rigtheous availeth much!”
But what it does not say is.....
“The strength of the rigtheous availeth much!”
(pause)
And what we are about to see in verses 6 through 11.......
......is that once we start praying
.......God starts moving!
(pause)
Watch the text.....
The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison.
Now watch this........
Because I want you to see how the prayers are already showing effectiveness...
(slight pause)
But Pastor.....
.....where do you see effectiveness if Peter is still in prison surrounded by soldiers...
(pause)
Well.....
.....the place where I see effectiveness is in the fact that Peter is able to go to sleep.....
........even though he is
Bound
......you’re not supposed to be able to get comfortable enough to go into a deep sleep when you’re bound!
But prayer says........
.......even in the middle of our storms
......there is still PEACE!
(pause and expound)
Wait hold up.......
Peter is not only bound......with chains
......but all of these soldiers are surrounding him
.....so if he does wake up and look around
......all he’s going to see is everything that is interested in keeping him in prison.
(pause)
But what I love about effective prayer is that.......
......Peter is having a Daniel experience
Because.....
when Daniel was in the lions den.....
......what was supposed to harm him actually helped make him comfortable.
(pause)
Because the text says.......
“Peter is sleeping”
.....watch this
“In between two soldiers!”
(pause and expound on “the in between”)
Look at it now.....
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
Freedom family......
.......when I read this verse
All I could see in my spiritual imagination
.....is this angel tapping Peter on his shoulder and saying,
“Peter, this is for you!”
(pause and expound!)
Ummm..........
“I’m only here......
......because the Church is praying!”
(pause and expound)
“The only reason I showed up in your prison cell.........
........is because there are some folk who are determined that God would intervene!”
(pause and expound)
“Peter.......
........they don’t even know what they’re saying to God is working yet”
(pause)
“Right now as we speak........
.......they are calling on ELohim!”
“God free our brother.....”
“God keep him safe......”
“God, make a way out of no way!”
(slight pause)
And.....
.........they don’t even know that while they are praying
......God is WINNING your VICTORY!”
(pause)
And I wish I had about 30 seconds to tell somebody......
........don’t stop praying just because you don’t see nothing!
(pause)
Because......
.......You have NO IDEA
......how much is HAPPENING behind the scenes!
(pause)
The angel told Peter....
“Get up quickly”
......and as soon as he started standing
.....his chains started falling off!
(pause)
Then he said......
“Fasten your belt, and put your sandals on”
.......and then he said,
“Wrap your cloak around you and follow me”
(pause)
Now here’s what just happened......
The prayers that the Church was praying was so effective that........
........Peters gets dressed in between all of these soldiers
(pause)
And as powerful as that is........
.......what really blew me away
was something very simple and practical......
Because what I was tripping on.......
....is the fact that Peter didn’t have to get dressed in the dark
(pause)
Because the bible says.....
That when the angel got there....
A light was shining in the cell.....
(pause)
And so.......
......aint no fumbling around in the dark trying to escape Peter
Here.......
.......let me turn the light on so you can get dressed!
(pause)
But wait a minute....
.....wont that wake the soldiers up?
“Peter...
.....don’t worry about them waking up!”
(slight pause)
Because....
......I didn’t TAP them on the shoulder!
(pause)
Peter.......
........this is for you!
(pause)
I came to tell somebody........
.......stop being scared of what God is getting ready to deliver you from!
......it’s God that’s delivering you out of this!
(pause and expound)
Watch verse 9 family.....
Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
According to the text......
Peter does not REALIZE what is happening........
(pause)
Watch this.......
He has no difficulty understanding what was happening to him in the natural.....
But.......
When the Supernatural activities of God begin impacting his outcomes......
.......everything is unrealistic
(pause)
I wonder if there’s anybody who has ever been in the middle of an effective prayer......
.....taking place in your life
.....and you had to PINCH yourself
Because it felt like a dream!!!
(pause and expound)
The bible says in verse 10........
After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him.
Freedom watch this.........
Peter and the Angel are walking passed those in charge of holding him hostage.......
(pause and expound)
I could stop right there.......
(pause)
Because I heard God saying
Every bondage......
Every barrier........
Every enemy.........
.............that was guarding your life to make sure you didn’t come out.....
(pause)
Because of the effective prayers of the Church.........
......You’re getting ready to WALK right on PASSED them!
(pause)
Here it is Freedom....... (REPEAT)
The bible says.......
As they are walking passed all of the stuff that was supposed to be holding Peter back.....
The bible says......
When they get to this GATE that leads into the city.....
That........
“THE DOORS...........
.....just opened up on their own accord!”
(pause)
And Freedom........
.......whatever door you need opened!
.......whatever you been waiting on God to do!!!!
(pause)
Because the Church is praying!
..........It’s
getting ready to
OPEN!
(pause)
OPTIONAL continue to close......
Now watch this.........
Once Peter comes to himself in verse 11.....
......he walks over to the house of Mary in verse 12......
(pause)
And......
........when he gets there and knocks on the door
Rhoda hears his voice and gets so excited she doesn’t even open the door
......until she goes and tell the rest of the house that Peter has showed up......
(pause)
“Rhoda.......you must be crazy!
........there’s no way PETER has been released!”
(pause)
Freedom........
..........RHODA’s not crazy!!
“Your Rhoda has not lost her mind!
......she has heard something and,
Peter’s at the door!”
(pause)
Here’s what’s amazing.......
The only door what wasn’t OPENED immediately
......was the one at the house of prayer
(pause)
Freedom......
......we can’t KEEP a door closed that God is ready for us to OPEN!
.................COMPLETION............