God works in unexpected ways
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Introduction
Introduction
Corrie and Betsie ten Boom were courageous, compassionate Dutch Christians who helped harbor Jews from the Nazis in Holland during World War 2. After the sisters were arrested for doing so, they were imprisoned at Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp.
In their barracks, they were shown to a series of massive square platforms, stacked three levels high and placed so close together that people had to walk single-file to pass between them. Rancid straw was scattered over the platforms, which served as communal beds for hundreds of women. Corrie and Betsie found they could not sit upright on their own platform without hitting their heads on the deck above them. They lay back, struggling against nausea that swept over them from the reeking straw.
Suddenly they realized that the bunks in their area were ridden with fleas. They would constantly be bitten over and over all over their body. Betsie eventually became ill and was permitted to knit socks in her bunk, and oftentimes when she’d finish she’d go bunk to bunk to share God’s word with others. The guards never seemed to venture very far into their dormitory so there was not as much risk.
She records this conversation in her book the Hiding Place: “One evening when Corrie arrived back at the barracks Betsie’s eyes were twinkling.
Betsie told her “You know we’ve never understood why we had so much freedom in the big room,” , referring to the part of the barracks where the sleeping platforms were. “Well—I’ve found out. This afternoon there was confusion in my knitting group about sock sizes, so we asked the supervisor to come and settle it. But she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t step through the door and neither would the guards. And you know why?” Betsie could not keep the triumph from her voice as she exclaimed, “Because of the fleas! That’s what she said: ‘That place is crawling with fleas!’ ” They were able to share God’s Word because of the fleas. They later would also find out that many of the women in their camp were abused by the guards and workers, but they were not, because of the fleas. A common prayer for them became “Thank you God for the fleas”.
You see God often works in unexpected places and in unexpected ways. God often works in ways that we cannot understand or comprehend in the moment. In these moments when our understanding fails us, we must cling to God’s Word and His promises. Promises like Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
We see one of these moments where God works in unexpected ways in Acts chapter 12
Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 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. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.
And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. But the word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
As we come to chapter 12 of the book of Acts, we are now nearly ten years past the Day of Pentecost. The church has weathered the persecution of the Jewish leaders, but now Luke records persecution from the ruling authorities in Palestine. It came not from the Roman rulers, but from a Jewish king they placed over their subjects. The Herod in this passage was the grandson of Herod the Great, who was the ruler when Christ was born.
As we read this passage, we first see
1. The Persecution of Peter (v. 3-4)
1. The Persecution of Peter (v. 3-4)
And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
— There’s a few different Herods in the Bible so let’s make sure we have them straight. Herod Antipas murdered John the Baptist. Herod the Great was on the throne during Jesus’s birth. Herod Agrippa the First of Acts 12 that we just read was the nephew of Antipas and the grandson of Herod the Great. And James and Peter would not be the last to feel their power. At the end of Acts, Herod Agrippa the Second listened to Paul.
So Herrod Agrippa the First stretched his hand against the church, meaning he determined to do evil. Herod was not a popular ruler. So when he realized that he could increase his “approval rating” by killing the leaders of the church, he took action. Just as his grandfather had issued an edict to murder the babies in Bethlehem, he had no concern for the innocent lives lost to further his political agenda.
— He killed James with the Sword. This is the first time an apostle’s life was taken, but it was far from the last. With his brother John, James the son of Zebedee, once asked Jesus for a place of prominence in His kingdom. Jesus asked if they could bear the cost of what they were asking.
And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
— He imprisoned Peter. So in this Prison, Peter would have had sixteen guards around him inside. He was to be kept past the days of unleavened bread, meaning the seven days following Passover. Herod’s intention was to please the Jews with this action. For the majority of church history, persecution has been the norm. In fact, it is so common that the Apostle Paul spent about one quarter of his missionary life in prison.
How interesting that Satan and his earthly henchmen take such great pains to protect their work when they think they have seized a victory. The dead and broken body of Jesus was placed in the tomb, covered with a stone, and certified with a Roman seal. Roman guards protected tomb from a motley crew of followers too afraid to show up for the crucifixion. Yet we know, that they guarded the tomb in vain. Similarly the Romans guarded Peter in vain as well.
The people probably did not expect Peter to be persecuted, especially so soon after James was persecuted and killed.
Peter was in a tough circumstance, a terrible circumstance. He could have easily thought to himself “Why God? I’ve done everything right, I’ve preached your word and I’ve been a faithful follower since your ascension, first you allow James to be killed and now me, why God?”
But he did not react that way.
There is nothing that will give quiet rest and gentle sleep so certainly as a conscience void of offense; and in the midst of imminent dangers, he who confides in God may rest securely and calmly.
Peter trusted God and believed that God would use whatever happened to Peter to accomplish His perfect will.
I’m sure Peter was recalling Jesus’s words in Matthew 5:11 as he sat in his jail cell
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
On June 17, 2004, when Jiang Zongxiu went to the market in Guizhou Province, China, she thought it would be just another day. Along with her mother-in-law, Jiang went through the marketplace, handing out Christian literature and telling people about Jesus. Their actions were soon noticed, and they were arrested. Even when the police took the two women into custody, Jiang did not become discouraged: Arrest and suffering are a regular part of the Christian walk in China. Little did the 34-year-old wife and mother know that the next day she would enter eternity, beaten to death while in the custody of Chinese police.
While we may not suffer the same kind of persecution as our brothers and sisters in Asia and the Muslim world and many other places, Jesus promised us we would be persecuted! The tough circumstances that we face and the persecutions that we face are often much smaller compared to what others have had to deal with. Yet often their faith is much stronger in much more serious circumstances.
Can I just encourage you and remind you who your God is? God is sovereign. He is on the throne and He is in control. He loves you and cares for you more than you would ever be able to comprehend. And he promises this to His children
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
What is my reaction when I’m faced with tough circumstances in life?
Is my joy stolen? Is my contentment gone? Am I riddled with anxiety and worry or fear?
It might be due to a lack of faith and a lack of trust in the Lord. You will never know how the Lord is working behind the scenes on your behalf. I heard this question recently, if God had to use your failure so that others could succeed, would you be okay with that? If God had to use your death so that others could have life, would you be okay with that? You never know how God will use your story and how our difficulties will be used for His glory. Go back and read the story of Job if you don’t believe me. Instead of asking for God to change your circumstances, ask the Lord for strength to endure the circumstances and that His will would be done and that He would be glorified through it all. So I challenge you to ask yourself this question: What is my reaction when I’m faced with tough circumstances in life?
2. The Power of Prayer (v. 5-9)
2. The Power of Prayer (v. 5-9)
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 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. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
One writer describes it this way: “Did you know that prayer is the real battle field of the world? The whole universe looks down upon that little group interceding for the life of their chief apostle. God looks down upon it, the angels look down upon it, the hosts of heaven look down upon it, the powers that be, the ages look down upon it. The real battle field where the decisive events of time and and history are decided is in the faithful group of followers of the Lord who are down on their knees, praying without ceasing to God.”
I was thankful to see that every name on our prayer board for camp in the foyer was gone. I believe one of the main reasons we had such a great week at camp is because we had a faithful church who was praying for us and our students by name.
— Peter’s situation looked hopeless, but prayer changed things.
They were praying fervently. “Prayer is not getting man’s will done in Heaven, but getting God’s will done on Earth.”
Listen to what Jesus said in Luke 11:5-9
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
The church knew they were facing a serious challenge. If their leaders were killed, what would they do? Their prayers were not casual. In fact, they prayed all night for Peter's release.
They prayed corporately. Something happens when church’s pray. We have nothing to boast in except a powerful God. A mighty church is a praying church
Prayer does not always change things, but it always changes us.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
What would have been Peter and the church’s reaction if he was killed the next day? Peter probably would have been preaching the gospel to his executor. The church would have mourned the loss, but they would have gotten back down to business to spread the gospel. Peters death would have been used for God’s glory in some way, but God saw fit to rescue Peter and to have him continue to minister.
In our day, it is sadly uncommon for churches to be called a “house of prayer”. Once, members spent much time praying together, but we have allowed our busyness to crowd out this most crucial ingredient of a church that is alive.
Prayer is powerful. Someone once said “The only place power ever came before prayer was in the dictionary”. Meaning, if we are to see the power of God in our lives and in our church, we must be a people of prayer.
The great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon understood the power of prayer. He was known as the “Prince of Preachers.” It is not an exaggeration to say that thousands came to Christ through His preaching. A group of young ministers came one day to visit his church. After showing them the massive sanctuary, Spurgeon offered to show them his “boiler room.” The guests were not interested because boiler rooms were not pleasant places to visit. They were hot and dirty; usually located down in the basement. In Spurgeon’s time, steam was the power source of the day; boiler rooms were the powerhouses, the driving forces of everything. Spurgeon led the young ministers down to the basement where they found about one hundred people in prayer. “This,” Spurgeon said with a smile, “is my boiler room.” Whenever Spurgeon was asked the secret of his ministry he always replied, “My people pray for me.”
— Peter is Delivered
Even though it was the night before his execution, Peter was asleep! The angel had to smack him on his side to wake him up!
*I imagine the angel descending in the light in this glorious fashion, perhaps the guards ran away, or who knows, but Peter is there still sound asleep, I imagine this angel is a little perturbed he just made this grand beautiful entrance and Peter didn’t even budge, so hes like “Wake up man!”
There is nothing that will give quiet rest and gentle sleep so certainly as a conscience void of offense; and in the midst of imminent dangers, he who confides in God may rest securely and calmly.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Luke repeatedly reminds us how seriously the early believers took their responsibility and privilege of prayer (by the way prayer is a responsibility but it is also a great privilege) (1:14; 1:24; 2:42; ; 4:24; 3:31; 6:4; 6:6; 9:40; 10:2; 10:4; 10:9; 10:31; 12:12; 13:3; 14:23; 16:25; 22:17; 28:8).
Calm Christians pray during a crisis in their lives. Such behavior led to John Wesley’s salvation. When the famous evangelist first went to the colonies, he was not born-again. During the return trip to England he endured hours of dark brooding over the failure of his missionary work in the state of Georgia. The little ship on which he sailed hit a terrifying Atlantic storm; Wesley feared for his life. On that ship he heard a group of Moravians singing through the storm and concluded “ I have not been saved”. Upon returning to England in 1738, Wesley wrote, “I went to America to convert the Indians; but oh, who shall convert me?” On May 24, 1738, through the influence of a Moravian Peter Poehler, Wesley felt his heart strangely warmed at a meeting in Aldersgate Street. It was then that he became the genuine evangelist and proclaimer of scriptural holiness. Calm Christians pray during a crisis in their lives.
— Peter arrives at the Prayer Meeting
Peter was going to be put to death the next day. The church assembled to pray for his release and did not stop their prayers. When dangers increase around us and our friends, we should become more fervent prayer warriors. Prayer is the most powerful weapon available to the believer.
— Peter is then met by doubters
They called Rhoda mad, or crazy, when she said she heard Peter’s voice outside. What great faith this young girl must have had to argue with the church leaders in this instance. It says in verse 15 that she constantly affirmed that it was Peter. It is my prayer that our own youth would rise up and have a similar great faith. I am reminded of Paul’s words to young Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
You’re not too young to be spiritual. You’re not too young to be a spiritual leader. You’re not too young to be a prayer warrior. Don’t ever shy away from spiritual things due to young age. Thankfully I believe that many of them grew in these different ways this past week at camp.
Even thought the church was praying fervently for Peter’s release, they were surprised when their prayers were answered. It does not take great faith to see prayers answered, but we must have enough faith to ask. However, when God does work, we shouldn’t be caught off guard.
Do I expect God to answer my prayers?
We ought to have an expectation that God will answer our prayers and that He will move in our lives in a wonderful way. Another question to consider is what is my reaction when His answer isn’t the answer I wanted?
How do I pray? Do I pray fervently? Do I pray in faith believing that God will answer my prayers how He sees fit, according to His will? Do I even take advantage of the power of prayer?
An amazing way to record and remember how God has worked in your life is to write down your prayer requests in a journal of some kind and next to it put the date you first prayed for it and leave a blank next to it. Whenever the Lord answers that prayer, you can write the date He answered it and through the years you will have a long list of evidence of God’s faithfulness to you. Whether He answers it a day later or ten years later, God is always faithful.
**I remember a few years ago, Abbie and I were engaged and our wedding was coming up and we were at my parent’s house going through some old things, and I found my old bible cover from when I was a kid (Illustration of moms letter of prayers and how I cried and cried)
God is always faithful
So we saw #1 the Persecution of Peter, #2 the Power of Prayer, and finally
3. The Product of Persecution (v. 21-24)
3. The Product of Persecution (v. 21-24)
And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. But the word of God grew and multiplied.
— First the mockers of God are cut down
So we see that the Lord’s angel strikes twice in this chapter: the first for deliverance and the second for death.
Luke scattered the word angel all over this chapter. He shows us three different facets of these special beings. The first is the deliverance angel of verses 7-10, the second is the imagined guardian angel of verse 15, and the third is the death angel of verse 23. As messengers of God, angels were present at the foundation of the world and the birth of Jesus. They are God’s ministers who serve Him quickly and fervently. They can control the forces of nature and bring judgement upon God’s enemies. An angel rolled the stone away from the tomb at the time of the resurrection. Two angels announced the ascension in Acts 1. They watch over the affairs of the redeemed. One theologian said “We do not know all the specific ways God’s angels minister to the child of God. However, this should not deter us from believing that they do indeed minister”.
So Herod is eventually struck down and killed, because he was taking glory for himself that was reserved for God.
It’s interesting to note that he would have been overcome with some sort of sickness or disease because it says first he was eaten of worms, and then he gave up the ghost. This would have been a terrible, excruciating death that would have taken a long period of time in order for him to be eaten by worms.
This tells us that God takes glory and worship very seriously. We know this especially from the Old Testament, that our God is a jealous God and does not want any idols in the life of His followers, whether it be a person like Herod or a material thing. Examine your own life to see if you have any idols. What do I spend my time, money, and thoughts on? What consumes my time? What do I spend a large amount of money one? What constantly has a grip on my mind? Hopefully the answer to those questions is the Lord. God takes His glory and worship very very seriously.
So first the mockers of God are cut down and
— Second, the Word of God is multiplied
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
It shall not return unto me void,
But it shall accomplish that which I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
In the very next few verses Paul and Barnabas return from their first ministry in Jerusalem and are then sent by the Holy Ghost to Seleucia. God’s Word indeed was multiplied. Regardless of the terrible circumstances that had happened in this chapter, God still used it to further His Word and His Gospel.
Am I willing to remove idols in my own life so that God’s Word may be multiplied?
God removed the people’s idol because it was getting in the way and stealing his glory. What would be our reaction if He did that in our own lives?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Do not doubt God during the tough circumstances. Do not doubt that God wont answer your prayers. Don’t doubt that God won’t further His gospel and His Word, even in the midst of persecution. God works in unexpected ways.
The Persecution of Peter
What is my reaction when I’m faced with tough circumstances in life?
2. The Power of Prayer
Do I expect God to answer my prayers?
3. The Product of Persecution
Am I willing to remove idols in my own life so that God’s Word may be multiplied?
I pray you’ll consider these thoughts and questions this week and read through the story of Acts chapter 12, and I know the Lord will use it in you greatly.